The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1900-08-18

daily. and to retire 4late, do not leave
a great deal of time for meditation or
for the keeping of "a diary. l cannot,
then, speak in detail, because 1 do not
remember the campaign in that way.
1t takes no acute observation to find
that certain elements in all crowds are
the same. We came to expect these
| types in every gathering and were not
disappointed. They grew to be old
friends. The man who has not voted
for twenty years; the man who has
vowed that he will shake the candi-
dates hand, and who does it at all haz-
ards; the man who voted for Jackson;
the man who exhorts the speaker to
hit 'em again. and the man who vot-
ed for Lincoln but is ''going to scratch
his ticket this year" are some of the
faithful.
But the greatest of these, the same
in all climates and sections, in city and
in country, untiring. energetic and ON
nipresent, is the American small boy.
So much has been written of him that
it seems folly to add my words of men
ton of him. He was first to greet us
at every station, running far down the
track to meet the train, and whether
his mission was to shout for the nomi-
nee or to inform him that he was in
the soup and mo good" the work
was always done with neatness and
dispatch.
From freight cars and engines, from
roofs of depots, from trees and fences,
his shrill little voice could be distin-
guished through any din. If the can
didate failed to appear as soon as the
train stopped. pushing and scrambling
went on outside. Strong little hands
clutched the window frames and dirty
faces peered in. why don't he come
out?'' Say, l played hooky to see
him." Which is him?" Where is he
at?' Il say, there, come out" were
some of the phrases belonging to such
occasions.
But with all his apparent loyalty to
principle l discovered that this youth
is full of guile. l have seen him more
than once slip off his yellow badge and
hide it in order to get a button from
my hand At other times he has Shout
ed long and loud for honest money"
and fought the next minute to secure
flower from my bouquet.
But with all these little tricks pc
culiar to boyhood, he was pleasing
factor in the campaign. Faithful to
the last he ran after the train until
he was exhausted. found great amuse-
ment in dropping apples of discord,
looking strangely like campaign but
TONS along the track and watching
the exciting contests which followed.
More than once did l fervently wish
that all this wealth of energy and
push may be directed in paths of So
briefly and good citizenship. Our coun-
try needs no other safeguard.
To my mind. night meetings rank
first in point of effectiveness. The
small space saved from the grasp of
darkness by blazing torches, the sharp
outlines, the ghOst-like fiutter of ban
ners in the twilight rim of thee rowd,
the intensity of sound which comes
with the night, combine to make an
impressive scene.
l recall with especial pleasure one
picture in our reception at Cleveland,
O. The time of our coming was par
ticularly opportune, namely, at the
early twilight. Before us rose a mas
sive arch, seemingly a bit of ancient
Rome tnansplanted for our pleasure.
This effect was heightened by the SOL
diers' monument at our right whose
tall shaft in the uncertain light did
duty as the column of Trajan. Crowd
ed upon it's pedestal and at it's base,
filing streets, windows and even trees,
was a multitude of cheering people,
while thousands of flags waved us
gentle welcome. l cite this, one of
many instances. to show that the ar
tistic sense may find qualification even
in a campaign.
The pathetic side of life was very
much in evidence. One saw an earnest
ness and depth of feeling which
seemed to belong rather to religion
than to politics. will not quote the
words of loyalty and benediction which
were daily spoken, but these evidences
of genuine good will can never be for
gotten.
Among the more unusual features
may be mentioned the interest taken
by women. The activity was not
confined to any ona party, but was
found everywhere Personally. was