The times., 1901-03-24
A RECKLESS AUDIENCE.
Applause for the Speaker in Ad-
vance of the Time for IL.
tFrOm the IndianapoIls Frtss'J

on the main street that ran through tne
town of Hayiield there stood a dinSy o4o
brick building. On the alley Slde was q u
iron stairway which led up into the oInce
of Judpe David S Boring. Every item
of furnishing had served in anoIner age
and would appear like curious brlc-a-prac
in the modern law Office ;.
The desk. with flap that let down IN
front and formed slant; the inkstand,
with the cork attached by string, lne
Quill pens, the blotting-sand Do1' the
seals and sealing wax, the green Top
table in the middle OF the room, StreWh
with papers and dog-eared law books;
the wire card case, filled with business
cards; the energetic ticking CLOCK, WIN
long, sweeping pendulum outsldes tiIe
cracked. glazed yellow maps OF Inc
Eastern and Western HemiSphereS, on
opposite sides OF the wall; the haiTc'oth
sofa, the brass-knobbed iron safe that
locked with huge key-ah TINS was was
froWned down on from the top or the
bookcase by the bronze plaster bust OF
Sir William Blackstone
The old Judge himself would have
served as bric-a-brac; He he was as rem rem o, in
broadcloth. He invariably wore swal-
low-tail coat and black inverness stove
pipe hat When he went out, on one arm
was a green bag, encircled In the mldult
by two brass rings. in which he carried
law books and papers Under the otnef
arm he carried a large cotton umbfelia,
which suggested q circus tent. It's rlDs
D II,
balls The handle was worn on TO a
stub at the end, and he clutched 1t ner-
vously as he walked along the street as
if he were afraid somebody would take
The old Judge had stumped the Grand
Old Hoosier State, as ne called II. li
every campaign as far back as Aack lay
lor. and was proud OF IT. EVery schooi
house. courtroom. and public hall from
Ohio TO Lake county, and cross"lse from
Steuben to Posey county, had reNerDerdt-
ed with his voice. He had conducted tne
Fourth of July celebration Dack lhrousn lis, !,
several generations. He would assenlbie
the children in ..4e Baptist Church- A1teI
a prayer and Introductory remarks, ana
while they were all seated quietly Ne
would have the bell rung violently ana
after the sound had died away, he would
rise and read the Declaration OF lndepeno-
ence in a voice that thundered out far be
vond the compass of the walls.
Once the Judge was the speaker at
Denocratic barbecue in clearing on
the edge of town. He pursued the oIG
style of stump oratory by hootlns &bu
deriding the opposing party. 10 MIN eN-
cry Republican was not murderer, DuI
every murderer was Republican
every Republican was not horsethief
but every horsethief was Republican
every Republican was not. a )ailplFu, DuI
every jailbird was a Republican.
People were assembled from miles
around. The judge mounted the platform
that had been erected ard draped IN fiags
and bunting. A mighty cheer greeted
him He advanced to a deal table in
front poured a broken-handled beer mug
full of water from an iron-stOne pitcher
drank its contents and set it down with
a bang. He twisted one leg slightly
around the other as he rested his weight
on one foot, and steaded himself by plac-
ing the second joints of two fingers or
the table.
The lemonade and peanut venders ceas-
ed their cry. There was no sound save
the rattle made by the wind AS it blew
through some dry leaves still hanging &c
big beech tree, and the hum Of conyer-
sation on the frayed edges Of the aSSC IN
bly,. The people On the skirts Of The
crowd could not hear the speaker, but
they always ch 4ercd the loudest at tho
climaxes and frequently retired behind
trees to partake of the liquor in hip -pock-
ct TASKS.
Judge Boring surveyed the crowd witt
his watery grey eyes. and, as one some
times goes over the strings of q musica
instrument previous to playing. in order
to see that IL is in perfect tune the judge
went over all the notes Of his voice by
simultaneously clearing his throat. cough.
ing and gasping. He then began his ad
dress, as follows:
Fellow citizens and friends of the
Democratic party: II is with a good dea
of pleasure that 1 address you I'm this
particular locality this afternoon. for II
was here that 1 was born and reared
In yonder log house was where / frs
saw the light of day, and where my
mother and father passed all their early
struggles when Indiana was yet wilder.
ness. And over there, beyond that clumI
of trees, there are two mounds where
my poor old mother and father lie al
rest from all earthly cares forever"
And the men on the outskirts of the
crowd raised their hands above theii
heads and shouted: That's right Davy
give EN- hell