West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1904-08-25

Every is looking forward To
a campaign Of hilarious poiiucs this
year. The number If letter, Yh.ch
receive daily from FREUD, through
out the county would indicate that
they look upon me as a Mp>-s or 4 (
prophet desire To disabuse lhcir
minds Of such thoughts. am
plain j"uinI ist OF the old Bill Dlw
son sch"o', the motto at which j..
"Tell the truth and pocket the
money" During political cam
paigns we regligiously observe the
motto. There is but one other
Journalist of my ilk in the county
of Preston. 1t Is the Hon. Leader
Lee Shaw. We frequently NEE,
and hold an admiration society.
AT such meetings we proclaim aloud
that the Leader is the greatest man
In the comfy and | am the other
greatest man. Such meetings are
frequent and congenial. We have
never disagreed that we are the un-
bossed twain of Preston. The
Leader has more bumps on his
massive head than | have. He has
been bumped more frequently, and
with greater enthusiasm, than my
self. | have often told him TO
dodge the rings and cliques when
they go on the warpath for his scalp,
but like the Stole he is, he is insen
sible 10 pain, hence his collection
of bumps. | have pracuced artfui
lodging all my life and pride my
self that my Uranium is free from
political bumps.
have inst received the seventh
letter from the leaders of the Pro
hibitIon party of Preston calling me
severely to task for ignoring their
party. They allege,, and with APP
parent truth, that / have totally 10
nored them. | hasten to assure
them that prior engagements is my
excuse for not calling at an earlier
date. My dSties are tenfold during
political upheavels, We are having
a great many of them this year with
the prospects of larger crop as we
draw near the goal
That may not be charged with
partiality in politics deferred
other engagements and called on
my most beloved and esteemed
friend, Capt. Thomas Muskingdom
Clayton. For years we fought in
the political ranks side by side.
We both swore by the Grand OLD
Party of negroes and Doodle and
whooped it up with a vim. am
still sacred to the trust reposed in
me and have just had my whooper
repaired for this campaign. / shed
actual tears when Bro. Clayton in
formed me that he was going to
take up the water pitcher in defense
of the Prohibition party. / plead
and prayed with him to go to the
woods and in the solitude of the
forest to offer up a duplication that
he might see the error of his water
spout. But it was a hopeless case.
As | meandered into his office on
last Saturday evening found him
busily engaged with his associates.
My emotions were little on the
wavering line as took his hand
and said:
"Bro. Clayton, this is the saddest
hour of my life ! To think that
you and 1 have been political bre-
thren for the past forty-two years
and at this late day you are going
to desert me for a party that may
drown you in rain Darrell In my
eventful career as 4 politician |
have discovered that nothing but
lickerU spell il as feel when / am
in close commune with i)will raise
the yell and enthuse the boys in
political battle like the red and
frey Ticker / respect your politi.
cal convictions and trust you may
escape the shower bath, but the
real fun which you ~ill avoid in
this campaign cannot be subdued
by water"
When / closed I noticed Bro.
Clayton was yisibly affected, and
Bros. David Gibson and Bert Glib
son, who stood close by his side.
we're shaking Il was a trying hour
for me Would that ] could pass
over this interview but as a Jour
nalist whose pork and beans de.
pend upon his grist for The Argus.
it must appear in cold type. There
was deathlike silence for the next
few minutes. Ny hand trembled
as reached for my hip pocket for
stimulsnt. As il by intuition
Bro. Clayton reached out for the
water pitcher. AS our eyes met we
drank in silence, as we inwardIy