Durango semi-weekly herald., 1904-12-15

smiled patronizingly on her and start
ed hastily up the stairs. At the first
landing was met by belligerent
canine. and shouted over the banis-
ter to the new maid to "call on what
supposed to be a new dog. for
Jack" and "Brum' were my friends.
Instead of collaring the beast. she
inquired in a mild tone that was
maddening( considering the ferocious
advance of the dog), whom wished to
see
why, / live here," I shouted in
disgust.
II think You are in the wrong
house, Madam" she said, still in that
maddening, mild way. and with sup
pressed giggle.
was illumined-key did not fit,
new maid. new dog. | remembered the
long list Of appeals to Indiana and
Kentucky left on my desk that must
go out that night. and for the nations
sake ! did not collapse, but apologized
profusely and with no less chagrin
than I experienced when the election
news arrived from Indiana few
nights later, at which time, by the
way. any good. bad or Indifferent
Democrat might have been excusable
for house-breaking. or even more
heinous crime. for instance, arrang-
third rail of the elevated road, or
dynamiting his own house for he knew
Of course, that the country was DOOM
ed to the eternal bow wows-just as
the Republicans would have known
had the Democratic candidate been
successful
These presidential election spasms
would be very amusing II they were
not so pathetic They are exceedingly
interesting. in close range of the
rapid firing guns, which shoot paper
wads In the form of campaign liter
ature.
or course | am just mere woman,
and in New York a mere woman could
be convicted and sentenced for being
out of her sphere" II she expressed
an opinion on the methods employed
in political campaign. but coming
from a state where women enjoy po-
ltical equality, may venture the
opinion:
That any party to De successful
must begin its campaign earlier than
four weeks before election, or even
eight weeks before election"
That the masses have not much
| time TO read and cannot inform them.
selves suddenly on the great ques.
tions of a national campaign.
That If the tons of literature were
judiciously distributed during the four
years preceding an election, such
continual dropping of thought might
impress the brain of the reader, who
| would have time to digest it,
That the idea of electrifying the
voter at the last moment before he
goes to the polls with new theories
personal abuse OF opposing candi-
dates, reasons for clinging to old
platforms or supporting new planks
therein, is grave fallacy. That such
method only gorges the mind of the
voter, making him more and more
perplexed, less a good American cit
izen and more OF an anarchist; for
he reads the charges on both sides
against the political leaders. knows
| them to be more or less true, and OF
the two evils does not know which
to choose. resulting often in his not
voting at all lest he choose the great
err
That the campaigning methods OF
sll political parties are a shame and
disgrace to our country, which are
ruthlessly destroying all our highest
ideals. and insidiously underminine
our once proud republic.
In fine, that dignified campaign
of education covering the four years
between elections, in which all polit.
ical parties supply the voters NOT
only with literature exploiting their
| platforms and their views of needed
civic reforms. but with orators whose
strongest argument is not personal
abuse, might win the confidence OF
the people and secure full and intel.
| ligent vote: our government fulfill
the high hope OF its founders: and the
| statue of Liberty. who extends her
hands to the hungering hordes of the
Old World. become indeed beneti-
cent goddess, instead Of a tricky jade
in the hands of constituencies mob
of alleged statesmen and penny poll
ticians.
With due respect for the party of
my choice. and didn't inherit my
politics, the Democrats in their talk
OF reorganization and spasmodic in
tention OF activity remind me of an
old pair OF mules once rode behind
across country on urgent business.
They were the LATEST, slowest animate
objects 1t had been my great privilege
to behold. The driver laid on the whip
with what would have been to any or
dinary beast, painful regularity, but
they paid not so much attention TO
1t as If a butterfly had alighted on
their TANKS, At last, in impatience,
he rose and reached far forward with
his gad saying. "rll hit ye where ye
amt calloused, ye OIL rascals." He
did, and those apparently wooden
mules gave evidence of life beyond
that of automatins and trotted right
lively for few yards. Then. alas!