The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-10-17
Her Candidate.
I ecvesovcee%e~1n1SW1vs j

1t is pleasant conviction of old age
that the affairs of the world are not
quite so important as they were few
years ago and that the ability for con-
Quoting them is going back instead of
advancing This commentary is sug-
gested by the experience that the old
political campaigner was relating to
some of the legislative friends when
they met at the hotel.
81 don't suppose, said the veteran,
''that the like ever happened in Michi-
gan, before or since. There was ro-
nance involved. some of the greatest
men the nation ever produced took
hand, whole community was divided
by the bitterest factional war, the ca
reer of an ambitious congressman was
suddenly terminated, and yet the little
federal position involved was not worth
over 500 a month. if that much. 1t
was sort of bloodless political duel,
and l know of at least one participant
that would rather have stood up and
been shot at than to have lost.
where was raised and brought up.
There were only two prominent aspi-
rants for the little Office, but their rival
ry had stirred the town into fiutter of
excitement from center to circumfer-
ence. / think political interest is more
general in the country than in the city,
and in those days the individual was
more assertive, more appreciative of
the supreme rights of citizenship, be-
cause he had not been suppressed by
machines, combines, rings and bosses as
he is now. The churches were internally
divided on this issue, social bees were
turned into debating societies where
feeling ran high, the war was carried
into the local paper by heated CORE
spondents, the store and the postoffice
| were largely monopolized by the dis
putants, and some very old friendships
were strained to the uttermost.
81 was very much infatuated with
the pretty daughter of my candidate
| Now that can view the situation more
calmly, I realize that he was my candi-
| date because she was his daughter, but
wild horses couldn't have drawn such
/ confession from me at the time. His
opponent also had a pretty daughter,
| and she, tco, had an admirer, who was
stanch supporter of her father in his
| time of political need. These two girls
were rival bellies, and Tom Harter and
I were regarded as among the most eff
fective political herdsmen in that local
| ity. You can understand how much
feeling could be stirred up with such
elements of discord. Farmers neglected
things at home to wrangle or listen tc
others wrangle. Some of the women
quit speaking and said very unkind
things of each other. The young people
were as distinctly divided as though
lined up in opposition at a spelling
school, and there was more genuine
temper displayed than in any presiden
tial campaign we had ever gone
through.
"Now, was not alone in my admi
ration for the daughter of my candidate
There were others. and several of them
had never felt secure enough to ven
ture proposal and was passing through
a very trying period of uncertainty
One afternoon as I was walking rapid,
by her house / found her leaning owe
the gate and looking disconsolate enough
to cry. Tom Harter's going to Wash
ington tomorrow, she said abruptly
: You know what that means?'
"Lovers think quickly, when capabl
of thinking at all. 4 should think h
would go under the circumstances. It
his duty
g Then / suppose father might a
well draw out, and there were tears il
her lovely eyes. 'Oh, if were only
man!
60 I'm thankful you're not, laugh
ed, and there were two of us leaning o.
the gate I'm going to tell you some
thing that have never confded to an
other person. This was strictly true
for had never thought of it till tina
$ minute. please don't mention it to
0 living person, not even to your father
for it might defeat all our plans. g
to Washington tonight, Hattie. hav
everything ready. I'll take the trai
: from the side opposite the platform, an
no one will be the wiser until som
time tomorrow. Did it ever enter tha
wise little head of yours that I'd allo1
Tom to get the start of me or give yo
any thing to cry over?'
tHer eyes sparkled, roses came
her pale cheeks as if by magic, sh
turned a glad face toward me and
/, we'll, who wouldn't2 In my eagerness
had perpetrated regular schoolbo
smack, and frightened robin darte
out of the cherry tree over our head
Keep in mind that we We're leanin
over the same gate 1t was the fir
| time too.
\ "Well, went through to Washing
ton as fast as steam would carry IL
and lost no time in hunting up the col
gresham from my district. He promise
SO much and did it with so little appa
7 ent consideration that I did not plat
: much dependence upon his assistanc
l thought of the girl left at the gat
took courage OF love and went right
n the postmaster general. There, thi
IL comes of being rusty on politics. l di
not mean to tell what position 1 W;
1t trying to have filled. but even that wi
not identify the town {" the candidate