Times-promoter., 1902-12-19
STUCK TO HIS LINES.
P1oodies Nearly Lost His Grip Sew
eral Times, But Managed to
Hang On To the End.

AoPiHS, perhaps, TO escape the nCllc
of the chairman, but the hope wa
destined to disappointment. lie wa
discovered and compelled to take ;
seat on the platform, writes G. w. Tay
Tor, in the Chicago Tribune.
Don't ask NE to make a speech,
he pleaded, in whisper, as he wa!
dragged down the aisle by the chair
man. Il haven't the ghost of an ide;
in my head tonight"
THAT will be all right" he was as
sured. "Just word if you feel like
it, and if you don't feel like it yor
/ needn't say anything."
But after speech or two had beer
made, and the hunger of the audience
for oratory found to be apparently un
appeased, the presiding officer arose
and said:
eve have with us this evening, for
tunately-providentially l may al
most say-a gentleman of whom you
have all heard. His work as the pres.
ident of an organization kindred in
some respects to ours is familiar to
all of you. Neighborhood reform
material reform-goes hand in HAND
with political reform. The one com.
plements and supports the other. We
need basis of material reform
neighborhood reform--on which tc
build the superstructure of political
| reform. We are fortunate indeed in
this opportunity of listening to one
who is working with such magnificent
success in the field of labor which, as
| may say, adjoins ours, and we shall
treasure his advice, which he knows
so well how to give. Gentlemen OF
the league, | have great pleasure in
introducing President Pnoodles, of
the Neighborhood Improvement asso.
citation, who will now address you"
Amid the loud clapping of hands Mr..
Pnoodles arose, with a ghastly smile
on his face.
"Mr. PRESIDENT" he said, land gen
tlemen of the Political Purity league,
not having prepared myself to make
speech this evening, and not being
expected to be called upon to - to
make a speech, in fact, find myself
er-unprepared. Your president, in
fact, almost promised me | should not
be called upon to say anything But"
here he brought his hands together
in front of him. finger to finger, in the
shape of pointed arch, and assumed
a severe expression Of countenance-
''as your president has well said, your
rganization"-acce on the gan
land the one to which I have the
honor to be president are kindred or
CARNATIONS, perhaps l cannot do bet
ter than to point out some of the lines
along which we are wor..ng."
The speaker took drink of water
and proceeded:
"What we want, Mr.. President and
gentlemen, is reform. | say reform
We are working along the lines of re-
form in the eighborhood Improve
ment association. We meet together
and we've work along those lines, as
l said before. In working along those
lines we have to take into considera-
tion what we want to do. That is the
first thing. Now, what do we want?
We want reform, as | said before, and |
I may say, for your encouragement
that in working along these lines we
work together, gentlemen. We work |
together. You can't accomplish any
thing alone-along these lines, un-
less you work together. That is the
first thing. We have got to have unity,
gentlemen, unity of purpose, unity of
action, unity of-of whatever We have
got to do along these lines. / say we
have got to have unity. What is re-
form? What is political purity? 1t
is something we have got to have, gen.
tlemen. Take the old fable of the
bundle of sticks. That shows what
can be accomplished, gentlemen, when
you work together. And | want to say
right here that nothing is ever ac-
com mplished in this world along the
lines of real reform unless we work
together. If we try to work sep
arately what do we accomplish?
Nothing! Absolutely nothing!"
Vigorous applause at this point en-
abled the speaker to collect himself
for the next onslaught.
"And SO | say, gentlemen" he pro-
,eeded with increasing emphasis,
that it should be an encouragement
to us when we find ourselves animated
by the same spirit and working along
the lines of reform, as l said before,
it be in the neighborhood
matters or in purifying the politics
Of this great country of ours, cement
ed together, gentlemen, by the blood
Of our revolutionary forefathers!
"Now, gentlemen, did not expect
TO address you when I came in, as l
aid before, and as there are several
gentlemen to follow me,
will yield the floor, but beforeI take