The Southern herald., 1898-04-08


out that a man was to be nominated
who had no moral standing in the COM
munity, but he was rich aud had used
his money freely and we began 10 smell
a mice. About that time Alex stephens
took the field against our order and |
never heard such a speech in my life.
lie eyerlastingly lambasted our leaders
for trying to fool the people and he
made us democrats feel as mean as a
dog for ever having fallen into the trap
Before that ! really thought | was do
ing Gods service in helping good pat
riots TO save the country. One dark
night ! told my wife a lie about having
urgent business at my Office and
wouldn't be back until late, very late,
and went out ST., miles in the country
TO an old millbuuSe on Silver creek.
Half a dozen officers went along with
me and we instituted a branch lodge up
in the garret Of the old mill and got
covered all over with cobwebs and -four
and next morning. my wife got up first
and looked at my clothes. She
Tuminated for a minute aud then re-
marked: "llad to 90 to mill last night
/ see. didn't know that the flour was
out" For some time had been u sus-
pect with her about this office business
AT night, for every time know-nothing
meeting was called little threc-cornered
red papers were seen on the sidewalks
about town, and it was noratcd around
that the lnow-nothings were to meet
that night. The next day our wives
compared notes and found out that
nearly all the men had business down
town that night. Can't fool these WON.
en-. They don't like secret societies no
how 4 good faithful wife doe nt like
anything that gets in between her and
her husband. She has no secrets from
him and he ought not to have any from
her. Not long after we were married
| jOined secret society, aud when she
got to looking over my under garments
to see il the buttons we're all right. she
discovered that the buckles were gone,
and couldn't explain it to her satisfac-
ton But she found ont from some
other women, and whenever got a new
pair of drawers she asked me il didn't
want the buckles cut of.
Well, the know-nothing party died
early in these parts, for the people
found ont that it was a political schcm,
TO get into Office. just so the politician.
got into the Farmers alliance and tool
charge Of it, and they got up an Ocaa
| platform aud a big subtreasury scheme
| whereby great warehouses were to be-
built by the government in every con
prcssional district where the farmer,
could store their cotton and corn ant
oats and sorghum and potatoes ant
| pumpkins, and draw money on Their
and hold them in tie warehouses unit
the price went up. One Of the leader.
| declared in a public speech at Macor
that they were going to hold the cottor
until II went to 10 cents, and he madt
the people believe him, and they ROLLED
him into congress by tidal wave. Thc
alliance looked upon lawyers as sus
poets and not fit to hold Office nor filter
to get ftten, and so one lawyer sold hi.
law books aud burned the bridge be
hind him and Joined Gideon's band anC
swallowed the OcaIa platform, sub
treasury and all, and the confding peo
| pie rolled him into congress. But he
| suffered a relapse in due time, and
bought more law books, and now tn,
last condition Of that man is worse thar
the first. Another lawyer swallowed
the platform, bones and skin, and RAJ
for congress on il and got awfulll
beaten and has never been elected sine,
10 any office by the people, and to m,
opinion never will be. 1t is Just rs ol,
Abe Lincoln said: "You may fool all OF
the people some of the time, and yo,
may fool some Of the people all the
time, but you can't fool all the peopl,
all the time"
Now, the common people, the farmers
and mechanics and toiiers, are gener
ally unsuspecting and credulous, anC
when a smart, shrewd politician talk,
aweet and nice to them they arc inclined
to believe him, but what lawyer of any
pretensions or respectability ever be
lieved in the Ocala platform or the sub
treasury scheme or something bet
ter?" OF course any statesman witt
was f to hold Office knew tnat it wal
utterly imprac Icable, and would bank
rupt the government to build ware
houses aa1 advance money on crops
but it was a hobby on which to ride into
office, and focling the people was of ne
consequence. No, | wouldn't trust am
man who would do it or has done it.
Another way to fool the people is tC
form little secret rings in every county
and divide out the county Offices, ant
each ring man must get his henchmer
10 be at the courthouse on convention
day and help elect delegates who be
long TO the ring. The good, easy, un
suspecting people don't know anything
about it, aud before they know it tht
whole county is committed to man tn,
people didn't want. The men who con