The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1899-05-09
Her Candidate.
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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 aver happened in Michi-
gan, before or since. There was a ro-
nance involved, some of the greatest
men the nation ever produced took a
hand, a 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 a sort Of a bloodless political duel,
and | know of at least one participant
that would rather have stood up and
been shot at than to have lost.
"It was right out here in the country
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 a 1utter 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 wal 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 l 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
a confession from me at the time. His
opponent also had a pretty daughter.
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
/ 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 to
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, l was not alone in my admit
ration for the daughter of my candidate.
There were others, and several of them.
I had never felt secure enough to ven
ture a proposal and was passing through
a very trying period of uncertainty.
One afternoon as I was walking rapidly
by her honse / found her leaning over
the gate and looking disconsolate enough
to cry. Tom Harter's going to Wash
ington tomorrow she said abruptly.
You know what that means7'
"Lovers think quickly, when capable
of thinking at all. 4 should think he
would go under the circumstances. It's
his duty
Then 1 suppose father might as
well draw out, and there were tears in
her lovely eyes. ..Oh, if ! were only a
mani
I'm thankful you're not, / laugh
ed, and there were two of us leaning on
the gate. I'm going to tell you some
thing that I have never confided to an
other person. This was strictly true,
for I had never thought of it till that
minute. Please don't mention it to a
living person, not ever to your father,
for it might defeat all our plans. l go
to Washington tonight, Hattie. / have
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 over2'
"Her eyes sparkled, roses came to
her pale cheeks as if by magic, she
turned a glad face toward me and
well, who wouldn't? In my eagerness /
had perpetrated a regular schoolboy
smack, and a frightened robin darted
aut 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 Washing
ton as fast as steam would carry me
and lost no time in hunting up the con-
gresham from my district. He promised
SC much and did it with so little appar-
ent consideration that I did not place
much dependence upon his assistance.
I thought of the girl l left at the gate,
took courage of love and went right to
the postmaster general. There, that
comes of being rusty IN politics. l did
not mean to tell what position / was
trying to have filled, but ever that will
not identify the town or the candidates.
It happened that the secretary of state
was sitting with the postmaster general,
and l suppose that the latter wanted to
make an impression. | stated my case
to him as concisely as I could, telling
him of the central location of my can
didate's place of busine IS for the posi-
tion and of the important fact that his
appointment would be a great favor to
me.
1.-THE general answered with a sneer
that he made little attempt to conceal.
He would be delighted to do me a per-
sonal favor, it 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.
I managed to tell him that the fact
did not strike me as an unalloyed bless.
ing and thought that 1 saw a pleasant
twinkle in the eye of his distinguished
caller. / went away mad and disheart-
ened. Suddenly Senator Zach Chandler
came to my mind. He was a friend Of
my father, both were from New Hamp.
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 / entered, for ht
never forgot names or faces. He in
quired particularly after my father, ex'
pressing his regard for him as an ole
friend, and was in a mood to favor any
reasonable cause ] might espouse.
$50 he tried to squelch You, did he
And the old war horses face had It'll