Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-11-06

work and I feel as IL / had been to a fu-
neral OF a dear one, and the parting was
fresh and painful, despite the sweet MEM
Dries that were with me. became the
custodian OF all the correspondence in our
little family during several long, holly
contested political campaigns. because OF
the press OF circumstances, and the great
majority Of the letters written to us came
70 me individually. In this way ! was
encircled by the stress and strain that at
tends all such endeavors, and while have
often said that politics is the hardest mas
ter and pays the poorest wages for the
work performed. and anxiety that is in
volved / now conclude that IL was well
worth a lifetime of honest effort TO have
won certain friendships, that were the tru-
est, purest and most self-sacrificing
friendships that any public man ever was
blessed with.
In the fourteen counties Of the seventh
district, as It was divided twenty odd
years, there are but a very few localities
where / cannot lay my finger upon the
names OF certain good people who were
born good and were true and loyal to us,
almost TO political martyrdom and their
letters came weekly, aye sometimes daily.
during the hot work that preceded
an election.
The task Of replying to these letters fell
20 my share, and when 1 remembered /
had no assistant, no stenographer. no
typewriter and every letter had a Scent
stamp on IL, and had TO be sent three
miles to a postoffice. / can in turn meas
ure up my work that was obliged to be
done. and was done, 1 am proud to say, in
weakness very often, but without grudg
ing or complaint. Mistakes were made
many times and IL would have been su-
perhuman work that would be faultless
under such pressure, but the aftermath
the final result, the fine gold which came
out OF the crucible-was the knowledge OF
the truth and loyalty Of these dear friends
who stuck to us in season and out of sea-
son, through heat and cold. in sunshine
and In storm, and into whose brave hearts
could constantly look and find generous
faith and genuine confidence, whatever
sky was above US. Such friendship was a
powerful stimplous to honest patriotism
as well as faithful work. A public man
who would take a bride or betray trust
with such backing would indeed be an in
CRATE or a craven.
AS these old letters passed under re-
view. all that were Of such confiding char
acter as the public should never NEEDLE
with or see. gave to the flames, and the
rest. still a goodly number, / put aside
for our own pleasure and in respect to
the memory Of the dead until another day
in the future. when, God sparing me,
shall read them over again. AS our steps
the lengthening rays OF the western sun
give us due notice that the night cometh,
in which no man or woman can work for
God. humanity or tIa5,r own pleasure,
more clearly do we see that the greatest
good one may ever do in this earthly ex
istence is TO so live as TO be worthy of the
affection and friendship of those whose
hearts are good and true, and the greatest
satisfaction one may ever enjoy is to
look within our own hearts and see that
we were honest and loyal and always
striving to be worthy of such love and
devotion as the good may lavish upon
us. These old letters were mixed with
many from our own kith and kin, those
that loved us in childhood. I'm youth and
maturer years. and the fatiguing work OF
going through some thousands of these
sffectionate missives has also been soothed
with tender thoughts and sweet memories
OF the blessed ones in the better land.