The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1900-10-04

We do not hear Of such sacrifices for
party in these days. Men may resign
office. but IL Is to grasp n better pay
ing one. Other similar instances
might be cited. but this is the most
notable. Politics were MS pure as pol
tiles could he, and speeches were uni
formly scholarly. conclusive. able and
often oratorical gems. The speakers
we're men OF education. and. although
'elocuiion" and "gesturing" schools
were almost unknown, especially In
the south, the speakers were nu i'm
provcment upon those stilted "sprll-
binders" Of to-day. While oratory il
not lost ART. we do not have 50 much
OF IL In the latter day campaigns as
in the days when political leaders gave
more attention Ia ihc public affairs of
the country. The issues Of those cam.
paigns were more Of local and general
interest. perhaps. than those of the
present day. One of the burning is
sues" was the right Of the territories
to introduce or prohibit slavery. An
other was whether congress had the.
right to legislate on the question of
slavery. During the second quarter
Of this century those issues were ever
upp.rmosi. and the leading men were
heard in every campaign until the
civil war silrnced argument, and the
matter was settled by arms. These
two issues eliminated at the Charles
ton convention. in ls6O. which result.
ed In a split between the rival candi-
dates, Davis. Of Mississippi, ana Sieph-
en- 4. Douglas. of Illinois. Brrckin-
ridge and Douglas led the rival wings
Of the democratic party TO defeat.
During that campaign the issues were
so personal that the old plan of joint
discussion was abandoned. especially
In the rural districts, for at that time
men began to reason less, and made
political belief personal matter.
Speakers lost control OF ihcmscy YES in
the heat Of discussion, and their par
tisans often engaged IN u general COM
bat. so joint meetings went out OF
date and have 50 remained, as "A rule,
especially In the south.
In the early campaigns, in the rural
districts. n barbecue was the feature
OF every joint meeting. The darkys Of
the plantations, who understood the
knack OF barbecuing beeves, were em-
ployed aud looked forward To these
occasions with no little pride, for they
boasted upon their culinary ability.
The speakers passed good.nntured
jokes. sandwichcd In their incisive, ex-
haustive and "unanswcrable" nrgu-
ments, at which the rival partisans
cheered and laughed alternately.
At noon a recess was taken, when
both sides adjourned to the long ta-
bles under the bower To eat, and dis
cussed politics good.naturcdly. After
dinner the speaking was continued by
orators OF less rcnown, during which
time the "small boys" and the darkys
fell In line and finished up the richly
bnrbecued meats and les and stun
which had been added by the ladies OF
the neigh Dorhood The picturesque
ness OF the olden-timc political meet
ings and the necessary barbecue
passed away with the civil war.
New men and new issues have come
upon the stage, aud the veteran
statesmen of those good old days have
nearly all passed away. The cam
paigns do not seem 20 he so interest,"
ing as then, neither are the issues so
ably discussed, nor the meetings SO
largely attended. The masses depend
more upon the newspapers for reports
OF speeches, also for their ideas, as
they think less In their pursuit Of
wealth. -. J. N. scANLANp.