Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1899-05-05


as fast as steam would carry me, and
lost no time in hunting up the congress
| man from my district. He promised so
anuch and did it with so little apparent
| consideration that did not place much
| dependence upon his assistance. 1
| thought of the girl 1 left at the gate,
| took courage of love and went right to
! the postmaster-general. There, that
comes of being rusty on politics. did
not mean to tell what position / was
| trying to have filed, but even that will
not identify the town or the candidates.
] 1t happened that the secretary Of state
was sitting with the postmaster-gen-
| eral, and suppose that the latter want
ed to make an impression. stated my
| case to him as concisely as could, tell
ing him of the central location of my
candidates place of business, his 10y
atty to the party, his fitness for the
| position and of the important fact that
his appointment would be great favor
to me.
THE general answered with a sheer
that he made little attempt to conceal.
He would be delighted to do me per-
sonal favor. 1t would be a downright
pleasure for him, but he did not see
that the interests of the nation were
seriously involved in this little appoint
ment, and he would withhold his deci-
sion. Whatever that might be, he hoped
that would keep in mind the fact that
he was postmaster general.
II managed to tell him that the fact
did not strike me as an unalloyed bless
ing, and thought that l saw pleasant
twinkle in the eye Of his distinguished
caller. l went away mad and dlsheart-
ened. Suddenly Senator Zach Chandler
came to my mind. He was friend of
my father, both were from New lamp
shire, and whenever the great leader
was in our section of the state the two
men would have a good time talking
over the old home state. went to the
senator, telling him everything but the
gate episode and the other party there
to. He knew me when L entered, for he
never forgot names or faces. He in
quired particularly after my father, eX-
pressing his regard for him as an old
friend, and was in a mood to favor any
reasonable cause I might espouse.
$50 he tried to squelch you, did he?
and the old war horses face had its
sternest setting. Wanted to show of
at the expense of one of my friends and
constituents, did he? Just drop this
matter and meet me here at eight
this evening. That will let you out of
the city tonight if you want to 60.
81 was on time and Chandler handed
me commission for my candidate. He
stopped my thanks to ask me if it would
inconvenience me to remain over till
the next day. / was burning to get
home with the glad tidings, but would
have given him month, had he asked
it. Then take this to the postmaster
general, tell him that his treatment of
you was ineXcusable, that Michigan
men do not permit such attempts to
humiliate them, that he told you to re-
member that he was postmaster gen
eral, and that you now ask him to ac
cept notice that the state of Michigan
has been removed from his immediate
jurisdiction I followed instructions,
and, while I do not know what that
message from the president, sent to the
general through Chandler and myself,
contained, do know that he wilted and
stammered an apology. 1 also know
that Chandler was the man after that
who said who might hold post offices
in this state.
gave that commission to the girl
who came running down to the same
gate to meet me, and when promptly
attended to another little matter of
business she said she would marry me
a thousand times if it was going to
make me so happy. Harter had to
wait three years before his girl became
good-humored enough to accept him."
Detroit Free Press.