The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-07-27

kase he had money to push a campaign
took a tumble as soon as he began to
holler.-
Il kin remember when dar was no
ers. If a city ordered a sewer or a side
walk dar was no risin' to demand 20 per
cent from de contractor.
Once upon time in dis kentry we
had men who couldn't be bought an
sold Dey held office year after year,
an we had no scandals. Instead of
bein' hunted ober de land as embezzlers.
defaulters an thieves. dey stayed at
home an died in DER beds an war
mourned as honest men.
IF we had had SIGH political scandals
fo'ty years ago as have filled de papers
fur de last three years. an OF which no.
body seems to take any particular no.
tice, de public would have got up on
DER hind legs an busted out into revo-
luton.
In de olden time de question asked
bout candydate was: Am he fit? In
desc days de question am: Has he got
de cash?' We amt lookin' fur fitness
tail.
''Ize only pore old Guild man. who
put in his first years as a slave on a
plantashun, an who nebber had much
to lib fur, but dar am one thing l am
proud of. No man cher called me a
thief. All around me. since de new is
sues showed up, have found white men
an ofhceholders who didn't care what
name de people an de papers called 'en
so long as dey got de cash.
Yes, de-old issues have vanished an
we have got new issues in. DER place
In de old days an ohiceholder who stole
800 lost his good name an went to
prison Under dis new deal he steals
$4,000 an is looked upon as a good can
dydate fur higher Office.
II don't know what de people of
America am gwine to do bout it, but
1 am gwine to speak few words fur
myself We am gwine back to old ideas
in dis yere Lime-Kiln club, an we will
start in dis very night. Tze got
deep suspicion dat Jimweed johnson am
comm to me arter de meetin' is ober
to git me to go security. fur his rent.
Brudder Johnson is a new-issue man.
He's left off work to shout politics. He'd
better not cum. If he does he'll want
three porous plasters fur his back befo'
daylight.
Mine different members of dis club
owe me borrowed money. 1t has been
borrowed on de new-issueS idea-borry
when you kin an pay back when yo'
must. If dat money amt in my pocket
befo' noon tomorrer I'll sot out an vol
lop nine men as fast as come to EN-
DE treasurer of dis club am Way
down Bebee. His accounts haven't bin
audited for three months. but dey ar
gwine to be widin "A hours, an if he am
a defaulter to de amount of chen two
cents his heart will be made to ache
fur de next year.
''Brudder Jones was swellin' round
de .odder day an tellin' what he 'spect-
ed to git if sartin man was 'lected to
office. Brudder Jones will either git
de swell out o. him an, drap politics or
dis club will drap him.
'Liveforever Hooper has taken 1T
upon hisself to turn cakewalk into a
political meetin' an put ford de claims
of a sartin candydate. He will be
granted jist twenty-fos hours to git his
senses back an pick up his whitewash
brush. vf-
'I'm telIin' yo', an IAwant cherry mem
Der O. dis club to listen wild boat ears,
dat SIGH old issues as honor an honesty
am gwine to prevail in dis club while
il lives, an de man who don't like it kin
git out We want newness, but we
want integrity. We want progress. but
we DON [ want embezZlers an defaulters.
We want to keep at de front, but we
don't want dat front to have iron bars
across 1t.
Oats all TIE got to-say, an now,
bein' as de fire am out an dar ain.
much lie left in de lamps 1--WE will break
de meetin' in two an depart fur our
respective homes."-(Copyright 1903, by
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