The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1902-11-04
KING GEORGE.
An Incident Of the New Registration
King George County. Va.
October 81. lgO2

October 81. 1902
To THE FREE LANCE:
In connection with the new rsriatro.
tion OF voters. which has lust closed i'm
this state, many amusing incidents or.
CURED in the examinations of applicants
upon the underst tnding clause. and If nh
these stories coming up from the several
hundred precincts, were collected and
printed they would form a very readable
volume. The wit and humor evolved on
these occasions j. robbed of much of its
pungency and force aud loses much of It's
electrical effect. when conveyed in cold
y pe' ana thus divorced from the time
place and personnel Of it, utteran,e
Many readers OF The Free Lance are
well acquainted with the hero OF the
story we are about TO relate. and will
therefore. oe able To supply much Il the
loss To which we refer. "BDb 90 the cnl-
ored sovereign al whom we write. is fat
and nifty, II not fair. and came to the
'front.' as public school teacher about "a
quarter OF century ago. Growing tired
oi the monotony OF the school room he
resign after few years and acreptet n
position in the postal service. which ne
TN hOli-. "a mail contractor and ear.
rier on several routes. bat chiefly ON IN,
route from Oak Grove 20 Port Conway
i,nt tehse are minor Incidents in his busy
NE. lie If best known as local politi.
cian and statesman. aud as the leader
and lion of his tribe. TO hiscosvcottage
in the suburbs Of Oak Grove. on the eve
of every election his loyal subjects come
in from the tall grass and from the hiyb.
ways and hedges to receive inspiration
and instruction. and on election dav-h no
comes up in great shape at the head OF
his sable column. and few there be who
have ever been able 20 break his lines
nder these circumstances the coming of
the new Constitution was great shock
10 Bob; be saw that though be- mi,rht
save himself from the general wreck. his
camp cifollowers would hc So decimarea.
he would lose all hope Of that seat in the
Legislature. which had. early In his c,
recr. lcOmed up dim ana vast. as one ol
the remote but glorious possibilities
When Bob came TO register ON the day
before adjournment of the board. he
found his pathway strewed with the no
litical corpses Of those who had preceded
him, and he paled little at the prospect
but soon rallied. and came up smiling
before the board. The registrars haff'
loaded their biggest gun for this occa-
sion, and asked him to explain a mn If
Attainder. Putting or one of his aurora
bortalic smiles. Bob caught this heavy
missile as he would pith hall and gent
iy tossed back an answer that the board
pronounced satisfactory. This shot had
never iailed before, aud the board was
all the more astOnished when the nppli-
cant asked them 70 please pass on from
the Is & and give something worthy
OF his attention. They had nothing
heavier in stock and knew not what ia
do. finally they determined To make n
loop, as Schley did at Santiago. and re-
tired TO an adjOurning room to hold q
council of war, leaving Bob alone like
the boy on the burning deck, whence an
but him had fled. What occurred after
wards is best told in Bob's own words.
Ihey staid SO long had to call to them
TO hurry up, telling them il was nv busy
evening and had TO deliver lecture az
; o'clock on political economy before
the MattoX Club They came out and
asked me TO tell them when "A mandamus
lies against City Council. told them
that mandamus. like any other man
lies every time he don't tell the truth
They agreed that this was about right
ana then opened on me a rapid fire gun.
asking me in quick succession questions
about habeas corpus. malieasance. NAL
/ administration, in statuQuo and modus
vivendi, all Of which answered off-hand
/ TO their satisfaction | had prepared
myself to explain peritonitis and appen.
dicitis, but they didn't touch on those
/ points. The president said he reckoned
Z | would do, and told the clerk to enter
my name. So Robert Blackstone Page
becomes duly qualified voter under the
new Constitution. thanked the gentle
men Tor the many cOurtesies extended me
and then retired, after politely handing
them season tickets to my winter course
OF lectures on Constitutional Law"
lt II related of the late Governor Bell
OF Texas, that when in Congress he de
hvered speech which was literally in
terspersed with quotations from Script
ure. An intimate friend, W no knew that
the Governors 5 walk and conservation
were not such as to recommend him for
Sunday School work, twitted him upOn
his affected familiarity with the Bible.
and offered to bet SO he couldn't recite
the Lords Prayer. Bell accepted the bet
and, assuming a devotional air. recited
with great unction that familiar nursery
prayer, beginning Now lay me down
20 sleep When he had concluded his
friend handed over the money saying. Il
didn't bell We il was in You. Y.
1 A Village Blacksmith Saved Ills Little Sons