Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1899-05-04
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS,
The Candidates Daughter
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

"a
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.
II don't suppose" said the veteran,
"that the like ever happened in Mich
igan, before or since. There was o
romance involved, some of the greatest
men the nation ever produced took q
hand, q whole community was divided
by the bitterest fractional war, the
career of an ambitious congressman
was suddenly terminated, and yet the
little federal position involved was not
worth over 500 month, if that much.
1t was sort of bloodless political
duel, and 1 know Of at least one par
ticipant that would rather have stood
up and been shot at than to have lost.
ut was right out here In the coun-
try where 1 was raised and brought up.
There were only two prominent aspir-
ants for the little Office, but their
rivalry had stirred the town into q
hutter of excitement from center to
circumference. l think political inter
est Is more general in the country than
in the city, and in those days the in
dividual was more asSertive, more APP
preciative of the supreme rights Of cit
izenship, because he had not been sup
pressed 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 correspondents, the store and
the post office were largely monopollzed
by the disputants, and some very old
friendships were strained to the utter
most.
II 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 can
didate because she was his daughter,
but wild horses couldn't have drawn
such a confession from me at the time.
His opponent also had a pretty daugh-
ter, and she, too, had an admirer, who
was a stanch supporter of her father
in his time of political need. These two
girls were rival bellies, and Tom Harter
and l were regarded as among the
most effective political herdsmen In
that locality. You can understand how
much feeling could be stirred up with
such elements of discord. Farmers
neglected things at home to wrangie or
10 listen to others wrangle. Some OF
the women quit speaking and said very
unkind things of each other. Tho
young people were as, distinctly d.
vided as though lined up In opposition
at spelling school, and there was more
genuine temper displayed than In any
presidential campaign we had ever gone
through.
Now, was not alone In my admira-
ton for the daughter of my candidate.
There were others, and several of them.
l had never felt secure enough to VEN
ture q proposal, and was passing
through a very trying period OF un-
certainty. One afternoon as l was walk
ing rapidly by her house found her
leaning over the gate and looking dis
consulate enough to cry. Tom Harters
going to Washington tomorrow she
said abruptly. You know what that
means?'
Lovers think quickly, when capable
of thinking at all. i should think he
would go, under the circumstances. Its
his duty
Then 1 suppose father might as
we'll draw OUT and there were tears
In her lovely eyes. o, if I were only q
mani
I'm thankful yog're not laughed,
and there were two of us leaning on
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 1t till that
minute. please don't mention it to q
living person, not even to your father,
for it might defeat all our plans. l go
to Washington tonight, Hattie. 1have
everything ready. I'll take the train
from the side opposite the platform,
and no one will be the wiser until some
time tomorrow. Did it ever enter that
wise little head of yours that I'd allow
Tom to get the start of me or give you
anything to cry over?'
Her eyes sparkled, roses came to her
pale cheeks as if by magic, she turned q
glad face toward me and-well, who
wouldn't? In my eagerness l had per-
petrated regular schoolboy smack and
a frightened robin darted out of the
cherry tree over our heads. Keep in
mind that we were leaning over the
same gate. 1t was the first time, too.
"Well went through to Washington
as fast as steam would carry me, and
lost no time in hunting up the congress
man from my district He promised sc
muck and did it with so little apparent
consideration that did not place much
dependence upon his assistance.
thought of the girl l left at the gate
took courage of love and went right to
the acknowledgement. There, that
comes of being rusty on politics. die
not mean to tell what position l was
trying to have filed, but even that viii
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 a great favor
to me.
1.-THE general answered with sneel
that he made little attempt to conceal
He would be delighted to do me Il per
-