The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-11-04

1EN~@NA-
Once there was Il Man who belonged
to all the Secret Orders and looked like
An Irishman and had a German Name
and employed a lot of Swede Help, so
he received the Nomination for County
Treasurer.
He was nominated the Night before
the convention Dy q large red Mind
Reader who knew what the People
wanted before they found it out for
themselves. He couldn't have been
elected c nstable on his own Hook as
ne a a Record that included Grave
Rebbing, Brace Faro and Second-Story
Work. So the only thing left for him to
Dc in Politics was TO name the Candi-
dates and then, if the Combination went
through. get first Whack at the Con-
tracts and put all of his H~gh-Binders
on the Payroll.
He was editorialIy roasted but. just
the same, when a Representative Citi-
zen wanted to run for anything h
found it advisable 10 go around and
place himself Right with the frog-faced
Boss.
He was a Modest Liam, was the Cam
paigner with the 1S-inch Neck. He did
not ask TO have his Picture on any
Transparencies. When a cut-and-dried
Programme was being pulled off, he
Sever made any Speeches from the
Platform. If he had anything to say
he said it in a husky Whisper and up
an Alley. All of his Spouting was done
by Proxy, for ne had on his Staff sever
al 14-karat Lawyers each of whom
hoped +" De States Attorney some day
when the Voters were not looking.
This eminent Disciple of the String
Game was the one Who picked out the
Candidate for County Treasurer. There
was another Aspirant who had a Pc
tition signed by 1000 Property-Owners
but when it came to showdown at
the Primaries he had only II votes and
3 of those were thrown out by the
Judges because one of the WOuld-be
Delegates had his Name ~mis-spelled.
Which shows what al be lone to the
Independent when he tries to buck the
Machine.
The Candidate for County Treasurer
yielded to the entreaties of his Friends
and permitted the Use of his Name as
soon as he had it figured out to him
that by freezing on to the Interest on
Public Funds he could rake off about
q. 600 Louis per Annum. AS soon as the
free and untrammeled Convention had
named him by Acclamation, he fought
his Way through the Cigar Smoke a..d
made a Speech OF Acceptance. He said
1at he had only one Object in Life and
nat was to give the Taxpayer a
SQuade Deal, an l Trusts were a grow
ing Danger like Use it was our Duty to
sDread the Bless ngs of Freedom in the
far-off Islands o. the Pacific, inasmuch
as a reasonable Tariff Revision seemed
imperative, bee" use Workman had a
right to organic in the interests of Ar
bitratiOn, All o. which could be accom-
piished' If the Sovereign Voters would
rally around HIM and on the 4th day
of next November, with their Ballots,
as fall the SnOW-Flakes, strike Terror
to the Hearts of all Despoilers OF Lib
erty- In other Words, he wanted t. -
county, Treasurer.
Now, the Off Year in Politics is no
hungarian Joke to the Mark who has
kissed goodbye to his Shekels and TAX
en a Gamblers Chance. He wants to
hold down a Leather Chair in a Ma
hOgany Office in the County Building
and have a PHsh Bell in front of him
and = Box of Iarfectos on the ROIl-Top
and draw ABBOTT s Samileons a Minute
while the cheaT Help does all the heavy
Work.
Of every 10 'atriOts who are now
throwing Yitrified Erick at the Money
Power, at least 9 are hoping hat some
day the grateful VIC ers will rise up and
compel them 20 us Leather Chairs.
As for the would be Treasurer, aft
hn had spent $500 t. see his Picture on
Telegraph Poles anl had bought Tick
cts to some So Social Hops. to say roth
ing of what he had slipped the Boss. h
felt that if he did not land in the
County Building, the whole Fabric of
the Government would begin to unravel.
Under ordinary Conditions he was 4
Chilly Proposition who failed to recOg-
nize any one who did not wear a Tall
Hat and belong to -four or five Clubs.
But after the LiGghtning struck him
and he became the Peoples Choice. he
would tear across the Street to shake
Hands with all varieties of Trash and
ask them nov everything seemed to be
going.
AS a Rule they lid not know what he
: Twas driving at. or in an Off Year the
NCandIdate who AS made 4 powerful
Ante is the only H-Ortal who is dead sure
that there is going to be an Election.
The general run of the Public was
watching the price of Coal ana trying to
guess the Football Scores, so that
when the Laboring Mans Friend began
his Canvass he was appalled, at the
General Apathy. The very Foundations
OF our blood-bought Institutions were
being undermined by the lOathsOme OPP
position and no n seemed to care I
Continental. When the Popular Choice
fer County Treasurer appeared at =
Hall to make an Address showing Why
the Panama Car i was a Necessity aCd
now Ir6Iand's '. ~~ongswould be rightaG
II SA2A liz N'N40 oAAN1 SS OO0AA
ty Treasurer. ne would find about
a dozen Fe;iow-Citizens without
OYercoats VINO had come in
to get Warm. He would arise and
the could land rs County Treasurer he
would find about a dozen FellC Ii
zens without Overcoats who hal come
in to get Warm. He would arise and
explain why Cuba was entitled to Jus
tfce and +hat ell Wealth belonged e
the Common People, but he never eX-
planned to the Boys how they could =.
out that same Evening and set then
Part of il.
After every Meeting he would take
the gang down into a Thirst Parlor anC
buy Fusel Oil in order to convince then
that he was the Man entitled to handl!
their Money. InaSmuch as they paiC
no Taxes. they all seemed willing t
AXE a Chance.
Although the great Body of Voter:
was Indifferent and failed to Register
one Fact was most encouraging to tn
Candidate. From the first to the las