The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-24
A RECKLESS AUDIENCE.
Applause for the Speaker in Ad-
vance of the Time for 1t.


On the main street that ran through the
| town of Hayiield there stood dingy old
| brick building. On the alley side was an
| iron stairway, which led up into the office
| of furnishing had served in another age,
and would appear like curious bric-a-brac
| in the modern law office.
I The desk. with flap that let down In
| front and formed slant; the inkstand,
| with the cork attached by string; the
| quill pens, the blotting-sand box, the
seals and sealing wax, the green top
table in the middle of the room, strewn
with papers and dog-eared law books;
| the wire card case, filled with business
cards; the energetic ticking clock. with a
long; sweeping, pendulum outside; the
| cracked. glazed, yellow maps. of the
Eastern and Western Hemispheres. on
opposite sides OF the wall; the hairc.oth
sofa, the brass-knobbed iron safe that
frowned down on from the top OF the
bookcase by the bronze plaster bust of
Sir William Blackstone.
The old judge himself would have
served as bric-a-brac. He was a relic of
another age. His tall form was clad in
broadcloth He invariably wore swal-
low-taii coat and a black Inverness stove
pipe hat. When he went out, on one arm
was a green bag, encircled in the middle
by two brass rings, in which he carried
law books and papers. Under the other
arm he carried a large cotton umbrella.
which sug yested circus tent. Its ribs
were of rattan, tipped with small. ivory
balls The handle was worn off to a
stub at the cid, and he clutched 1t ner-
vously as he walked along the street, as
if he were afraid somebody would take
il from him.
The old Judge had stumped the Grand
Old Hoosier State. as he called 1t, In
every campaign as far back as lack Tay-
lor and was proud of il. Every school
house. courtroom, and public hall from
Ohio to Lake county, and crossWise from
Steuben to Posey county, had reverberat-
~f.f, hi vol. hQd q
Fourth of July celebration back through
several generations. He would assemble
the children in ...e Baptist Church. After
"A prayer and Introductory remarks, and
while they were all seated quietly, he
would have the bell rung violently, and.
after the sound had died away, he would
rise and read the Declaration of lndepend-
ence in a voice that Numbered out Tar be-
yond the compass of the walls.
Once, the judge was the speaker at
Democratic barbecue In clearing on
the edge of town. He pursued the old
style of stump oratory by h0otlng aid
deriding the opposing party. To him ev-
cry Republican was not murderer, but
every murderer was Republican;
but every horsethief was Republican:
every Republican was not. jailbird, but
every Jailbird was Republican.
People were assembled from miles
around. The judge mounted the platform
that hsd been erected and draped in flags
and bunting A mighty cheer greeted
him. He advanced to deal table in
front, poured a broken-handled beer mug
full of water from an iron-stone pitcher.
drank its contents and set II down " it'll
bang He twisted one leg slightly
around the other. as he rested his light
on one foot, and steadied himself by plac-
ing the second Joints of two fingers ON
the table.
The lemonade and peanut vendors ceas-
ed their cry. There was no sound save
the rattle made by the wind as it blew
through some dry leaves still hanging to
a big beech tree, and the hum IF CONVEX
sation on the frayed edges Of the asst m
bly,. The people On the skirts Of the
crowd could not hear the speaker but
they always oh eercd the loudest at the
ct TASKS
Judge Boring surveyed the crowd with
his watery grey eyes. and as one some
times goes over the strings OF a musical
ihstfument previous to playing. in order
went over all the notes of his voice by
clearing his throat. cough
ing and gasping. He then began his ad-
dress, as follows:
Fellow; citizens and friends of the
democratic party; 1t is with a good deal
OF pleasure that 1 address you I'm this
particular locality this afternoon for n
was here that / was born and reared |
In yonder log house was where | first |
saw the Ilght of day, and where nv |
m inother ana father passed all their early |
struggles when Indiana was vet a wilder
ness And over there. beyond that cluInp |
OF trees, There are two mounds where
my poor old mother and father lie at |
rest from all earthly cares forever"
AND the men on the outskirts of the !
crowd raised their hands above their |
heads and shouted: That's right, Dayy; |
give 'em hell"