The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-10-11

stand that she and all other officehold-
ers In the south have got to go? Essr.
why did we elect you ~
But the president was obdurate. IN
told Mr.. Allen that he had been elect.
ed upon a civil service platform AMI,
that he should obey both the shirt
and the letter OF the law. III you can
show me-" he said, that this woman
has been politically offensive to the
patrons of the office. or, II she has been.
derelict in the discharge Of her duties,
will remove her. but not otherwise
will she be disturbed until her term Of
Office has expired"
"Mr. President" Mr.. Allen began in
his peculiar drawing way, II fear /
will have trouble in explaining to
my people why these Republicans are
not turned out as rapidly as we can
get to them. confess you are dis
appointing. II you will remember, 1
made many speeches for you in your
own state. Your majority in New
York was small, and, Its electoral
vote against you, would have left you
at Albany, and who can say that my
speeches in New York did not influ-
ence the few votes You received over
Mr.. Blaine? Well, the night the news
came that your election was beyond
doubt / own up that in my exuberance
y quite forgot myself. went down
town, assisted the boys in building
bonflres, exploding powder. and maxi
ing rip-roaring night of 1t. Then
went over the state making speeches
and promising the people that as soon
as you went in the Republicans would
go out"
The president began tapping his fin-
gers impatiently on his desk, while his
visitors face was becoming more and
more serious. There was but a short
pause, when Mr.. Allen continued:
Do you know, Mr.. President, you
remind me Of a client I had down in
Monroe county some years ago. His
name was Spraggins, and he was the
eldest of five brothers. His father had
died, leaving a little property, but no
will. In attempting to divide the es-
tate among themselves the brothers
got in dispute and the matter was
carried into the courts. was en-
ployed by one of the boys and in the
Circuit court / got a verdict which was
satisfactory to him. But his brothers
had the case appealed. So it went to-
the Supreme court, where it lay for a
long time. Finally the decision Of the
lower court was reversed and the case
remanded. In the second trial / was
again fortunate, but once more the case
was appealed.
Meantime Mr.. Spraggins became
Impatient He had paid me my fee
andS times being dull he was anxious
for final decision that he might re-
turn to the farm and to work. One
day he came into my Office and asked
how long thought it would be before
the case was reached. told him that
there was no telling perhaps in six
months, perhaps in a year. You under
stand I said to him, the Supreme
judges are not to be hurried. They
take their own time
"Spraggins was sitting with elbows,
resting on his knees and with his chin,
buried in his hands. His eyes had a
far away, pensive look and his face
was the picture Of abject despair. Fin
ally he looked me in the eyes and said:;
.Mr. Allen, do you know wish some-
times the old man hadn't 'er died. 9"
An hour later Mr.. Allen walked
down Pennsylvania avenue with the
commission of "a Democratic postmas-
teri at Starkville in his hand.