Mexico weekly ledger., 1904-08-04

opposed him. County officials, as al
! rule, planted themselves in his path.
With rare exceptions political CON-
mittees favored his opponents. Men
said he wa a brave, true fellow, but
be would 90 down in an instant. But
he pushed bis way through them al,
and clutching the banner Of good
government, as the little corporal
clutched the French colors and pushed
toward the canpon's mouth at the
head Of his me at the Bridge of Lodi,
on be came.
He went out into the State. Winds,
storms, rain, hail, sleet, snow did not
detain him. Bad roads and swollen
streams did not deter him. Distances
did not fret him. He canvassed a
county thoroughly in a day-and on be
came.
The farmers-God bless them-call
me demagogue OF what you please
they are the trustees Of our liberties.
With them our republic can survive.
without them II will perish. The
farmers clustered about him. They
heard his words. They looked into
his face and saw that he wa honest.
With their brawny arms they pushed
politicians aside until they did what
they had never been known to do be-
~fore-they went away back and sat
down--some OF them laid down-and
on he came.
Lawyers beheld him 10 his struggle.
They saw that the cause OF good
government was trembling in balance.
Their voices rang out for him on the
stump throughout the ~State--and on
he came.
The ladies CT Missouri. as fair and
true as the world contains, came ia
vast numbers to hear him. They look
ed down into his heart and saw that
1t was pure; that be bad not forgotten
the lessons taught him by his old
mother down in Tennessee. Tbous-
ands Of handkerchiefs fiuttered In the
air. The brave are always thrilled by
the plaudits Of the fair-and on he
came.
Ministers of the gospel. priest and
preacher looked out at him from
their studies as he fought. They saw
the white plume of good government
waving In his hat while the foul hand
Of crime reached up and up to pluck
it out. They remembered that they,
too, were citizens - that patriotism
burns In the heart Of the American not
only as a passion, but that 1t comes to
him also as a duty. They rushed to
his side. They barred their breasts to
that calumny which they knew was
sure to come. They fought by him
and with him and for him, for, thank
God, wherever the Anglo Saxon has
stauggled for civil liberty, the soldiers
Of the cross have fought in the van
and on he came.
A large part Of the country press
and the metropolitan press through
out the nation espoused his cause
and on he came.
Old veterans of the great civil war,
those who o the blue, as well as
those who wore the gray, were told
that three OF his uncles had fallen on
the field Of battle in the sunny south
and as they watched him fighting,
they realized that his kinsmen had
left behind a representative worthy Of
the valor Of their house. They came
to his side, many OF them with totter-
ing or battle SCARED forms and where
the fight was thickest their gray heads
were seen bending to and fro like
white feathers in the caps of intrepid
knights struggling in the fray-and
on he came.
And now having leaped the last
ditch, having scaled the last height
and coming to the summit silenced
the last gun, q part Of the dual duty
is entrusted to my hands Of which II
am not worthy, a task which should
have been given to some officer In our
great army, some high executive con-
gresham or senator. But In obedience
TO the summons l step from my place
In the ranks where / have marched so
long, as an humble private, and stand
ing here on the high hilltop Of victory,
place in nomination the next governor
Of grand old Missouri Joseph W.
Folk.
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