The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-12-17
VII.
POLITICAL HuMBUGS AND JoNA-
THANs COURTSHIP.
Continued.

. NOCNN
(Continued.)
'I suppose there's more sham In
ming after he'd come in from doing the
chores, than there is in most anything
else on the top OF the earth under the
earth. or above the EARTH
WELL" says l. I'm pretty sure there's
more meanness and lying hitched UP to
II than TO most anything else, judging
from the way the newspapers berated
Thomas Harris when he was n running
on the Republican ticket for the Legisla-
ture."
That's Just what was thinking Of"
says he Before election he was held
mp by the Democratic papers OF the dis
trict as the meanest. stinglest. ugliest
being In the town OF Canterbury when
everybody knows he's one OF the best OF
men. But now that he's got elected
they turn around and call him a likely
kind OF a man, and that he always has
been"
eyes" says l. 'it seems 10 be fore
gone conclusion That politicians can lie
about the best man that ever lived when
he's up for office. and then after he's
sop that heals the wound that they have
opened. so that they become reinstated
as II were In the social circles that gos-
sip and newspaper talk have endeavored
90 drag him out OF. But thank good
ness the times are improving a little. for
while they talk bad enough they don't
git so drunk as they used 10. and II
doesn't devolve upon the candidate TO
invite all OF his supposed supporters into
the nearest barroom and there get them
into n state where they'll take of their
hats and swing them around their heads
in drunken frenzy a shoutin' for their
man"
For years" says federation, "the Red
Cross Tavern never could have main
tained an existence II IL hadn't been for
the votin' whiskey that was sold there
before and after elections in the years
gone by. But things are different now.
as you say. The candidates are more
respectable. and they won't pay for the
whiskey. Result IL, the old tavern has
pretty nigh had to quit business. They
keep out the sign. and care for the few
travellers that come this way. but drunk
enness has been reduced 10 a minimum.
and liquor has lost its hold on the COM
munity so that the bar has long since |
been closed up. And now II a man |
wants to get drunk he's got to buy his |
rum pretty much all out OF town, and |
then do his drinking al home, or lean |
over the bar OF some dealer I'm the |
licensed places where the stun is wanted; |
or perhaps where II isn't wanted. but |
where IL is allowed 10 be sold"
well" says l, "that't so. and it's a
credit TO the town" / must say that |
I was surprised TO hear him go on so
sensible like. for usually he has some ex-
cuse for the shortcomings of men who
have anything TO do with politics. SO
didn't say much only to affirm all OF
the good things that he was saying.
II man gets a streak OF good sense
now and then It's a good idea TO encour-
age him so that he'll say enough for you
TO refer to some time In the future when
you want TO remind him Of the position
that he stands I'm. Men are so apt 10 for
git. they need to be reminded where they
are at times so that II anything impor-
tant comes up they won't shirk their
duty. But he went on TO say:
Its the history OF the world. Mainda,
whenever politics come into the argu-
ment 1t made all OF the trouble for Cice-
TO and julius Caesar and the rivers OF
blood that flowed during the French Rev
olution were pretty much all created /
calkerlate by the political humbugs OF |
those days more than a hundred years
ago II the members OF the royal families
had had little more sense for a few CEN
turtles before so that the rank and file OF
the people could have lived without being
burdened by so much extravaganza, their
heads would never have been chopped off
in such a wholesale manner az they were.
Political frenzy did Il. and they thought
they were doing the best thing they could
for the relieving OF the people OF the bur +
dens that had been heaped upon them"
yes" says I. "and see how many inno-
cent. noble men and women were killed
by the dreadful folly OF those times. What
What humbuggeryl Think
Of Il! More than sixty thousand inno-
cent persons put to death because the
political party in power recognized by
their blind vision that II would not do
10 let anybody live who In any way stood
opposed TO their IDEAS What a horrible,
shocking nideous record for a nation TO
be- compelled TO look at as long It is
n existence! How / pity the coming
generations OF France. II it was I'm Amer
ca l should feel like mourning my life
lway. And as IL is / have days of sad
ness when / think OF IT, that shuts out
he sunshine of happiness and gloom
zones over me 80 powerful that II re-
Iuires all of my Christian fortitude to
ally from IT, I suppose It's because my
lntecedents were French. for we de-
cended from a brother OF Peter Waldo
II Lyons. and how do ! know but what
ome distant relatives OF mine were
mong those martyrs? Sometimes have
he opposite impulse. and feel that ia
Ike To put a dynamite cartridge under
he polltical~follies OF these days and
low them sky high! And then l begin L
o realize that II was just that kind OF y
ointment carried into effect. that caused n
he Reign OF Terror. and then realize y
ow weak we mortals are. and turning N
o my Maker / ask forgiveness
We'll Malinda." says federation. Y
we've got some things right here at
ome that we need 10 ask forgiveness for
hat politics are 10 blame for. / contend -,
hat IL politics had minded its own busi- :"
ess we'd never had the War OF the Re-
ellion. which divided this great people" -
That wasn't wholly politics, Tolera- G
Ion," says I. "for the slavery questions =
anne into that as the principal factor"