The San Francisco call., 1905-05-21
Fables for the Foolish

the youthful champion of liberty and
union, now and forever, one and in
separable. careered I'D and down the
district. spreading hope of deliverance
and great chunks of impassioned ora
tory wherever he went. 'Send me to
Congress" he cried aloud, "and the
country will be saved Elect my op-
ponent, and the great system OF gov
ernment which the fathers-and. Incl
dentally, the mothers-reared with such
patient care will crumble into ruin"
The people having nothing else on
their minds at the moment took Will
liam Theodore at his word and voted
for him in large installments, two or
three times apiece in some cases.
When the returns were all in William
was all to the good and the other fell
low was nowhere. Then did the sue
cessful candidate congratulate himself
greatly and assure his constituents
that for the pure. unadulterated es-
sence of wisdom they had the world
beaten to standstill. Then he
packed his carpet bag and hied him
to the city by the Potomac, where the
laws of the nation are discussed and
a few Of them are passed.
William Theodore assured himself
that all was now plain sailing. He
had the people behind him and the
future was before. If he had only
known 1t IL would have been a whole
lot safer for him to have had his fu-
ture behind him and the people in
front, where he could keep an eye on
them. But where ignorance Is bliss,
it's q rude awakening to be put WISE
The new Congressman, not knowing
all the ins and outs of the game.
worked day and night In what he con-
sidered were the interests of his con-
stituents. When they besought him to
secure a new postoffice for them and
to appoint their sons to good places
in the postoffice department, he re-
buked them and inquired haughtily IL
they were not aware that there were
issues OF far greater Importance be-
fore the representatives Of the people
than pork barrels and appointments.
Undoubtedly they had heard some
thing to that effect before, but it's
possible to have an issue so big that
no one takes any particular interest
in it.
But William Theodore labored on,
struggling manfully with the tyrant
Co1OA
four speeches a week, not to mention
deliverances in the committee room
and leave to print. He didn't seem to
make much Of an impression on the
enemy. but he consoled himself with
the thought that he was the friend OF
the people and that they would stand
by him.
1t Is my sad duty to chronicle the
tragic fact that the heroic friend or
the people didn't begin to know them-
The shortness OF their memory Is mi
croscopic and the length Of their in
gratitude is beyond the power OF NOR
tai man to estimate. When William
Theodore Seltzer announced his inten-
tion OF running for reelection he was
surprised and panied to be told that
the free and sovereign people had de-
cided to nominate another man who
would look after local interests better
and that they didn't care particularly
for his brand of reform. William
Theodore Seltzer retired to private life
forthwith, considering the profound
lesson that mans ingratitude to man
finds it's highest expression in the in
gratitude OF the common people
toward those heroic souls who would
fain save them from their oppressors-
Copyright. 1905, by Albert Britt