Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-04-26
Political
Pointers.

Wee like to have a kag fer the
club"
This is one Of the ordinary forms Of
s%alutation from a certain element "a
the candidate, and 1t has been repeated
so often during the past few weeks
as TO become trlte. There are a great
many more pleasant things than run
ming for Office.
Away back in the musty, widowed
past, at a time beyond which the men,
DRY or man rnnneth not, some aspirant
Tor of1ce VIC possessed more dollars
than lei started distributing beer
among a class of voters who could be
influenced by catering to their thirst.
The gentlemen of bibulous propensi-
ties Were quick to realize that it was
a good thing, and never since has
there been any rest for candidates
from the opportunities of the voters
with CULVER thirsts and Lilliputian
purses. With a persistency and ingen-
ufty worthy of a better cause they
have made the political campaign one
lone nightmare Tor the candidate.
1ney don't always ask for a "kag'-
oh dear, no! There's more than one
way of working a candidate. If you
doubt it ask n of the victims. He
will tell you that during campaign
times balls and picnics increase and
multiply. Friends of gentlemen with
limbs missing start subscriptions for
cork legs. Widows are left in a dis
| tressed condition, with big punches of
orphans. Jolly Elves, H2ppy Fights
and Dirty Dozens organize fishing
clubs. The candidate is expected to
| contribute-does contribute, generally,
for the votes of a dirty dozen count
twelve, and the votes of twelve bank
presidents only count a dozen. II is
| votes that are wanted, and tickets at
bfty cents each. liberal subscriptions
for the lame, the halt and the blind,
and written orders for kegs of beer
are the price of personal popularity in
a political campaign.
Does this expenditure by a candidate
pay? 1t depends on the standpoint of
view. If there are two candidates for
one Office both are worked" the con-
tribution Of one being used as a club
on the other. OF course, the bene-
fciaries then vote their convictions, il
they have any, without being in any
way influenced by the beer. The dan
ger in refusal lies in the fact that
enemies will be made, and the other
fellow will take advantage of the stu
alton.
The thought which naturally sug-
gests itself Is that If candidates would
agree among themselves TO discourage
the beer solicitors the result would be
mutually beneficial, and a certain and
substantial step toward the purifica-
ton of politics would be taken The
theory is excellent; in practice 1t does
not work. When human nature is
/ perfected. when the Office seeks the
man. when the millennium comes, the
element referred to will cease to be a
factor in a political campaign.
It has not been many years since
opposing candidates made an agree
| ment to spend nc money for beer.
| SinguIarly enough, men identified with
| their canvass started to distribute oc-
| casional "kags," then there was Grim
| ination and> recrimination, and before
| the polls opened on election day, there
was a tacit understanding that the
anti-beer agreement was null and void.
The fault really lies in the candi-
| dates. That much is apparent to even
a casual observer. Sometimes there
is a lively competition among them,
az was the case a few nights ago,
| when a candidate for a county Office
| found one or two opponents at a pub
lie ball, and with the idea Of outdoing
them in l~iberality. walked up to the
bar and ordered "hve hundred beers
placing $25 in the hands Of the dis
penser of tho liquid refreshmonts.