The Washington herald., 1906-10-28
BIBLES TO CATCH VOTERS
Missouri Negro Puzzled by Candi-
dates Cards in Scriptures.
When His Daughter Read from the
Democrat He FIuftered to Floor.

From the Kansas City Journal
Independence negro voters are being
supplied with New Tcstaments. II is said
that the Democrats are the donors. But
not for minute are they suspected of
having turned their coats and become
colporteurs-not at all Thereby hangs a
tale
An old darky. threescore years and
ten OF age, was ambHng along the east
side Of Courthouse square in that MIS-
toric town yesterday. He had q labori-
Gus job Of it. plugging his foothold with
a crooked hickory stick. His back was
bent and his eyes ol- the ground. It took
several vigorous Tepetiuons of Say,
Uncle" ard some liberal free massage
in the way Of slaps on the back for u
young white man to get his attention.
'Howdy. sah" be said.
Uncle, commenced the young man, Il
know that YOU are very religious and be
lieve in God. You so TO church every
Sunday. You are a pillar Of faith.
Everybody speaks mighty well Of you. ]
believe that you would enjoy having a
new Bible. I've got nice copy of the
give it 10 you. have another one at
home. Would YOU like TO have it?7
Mos suttinly. sab, mos suttiniy. Is
pOwful glad YOU is gwine ter Glib Il tub
me. May de Lawd Dress you-may de
Lawd bress you. The old negro took the
book and held it lovingly between his
rheumatism-cro0keG hands. He said he
would have his daughter read il. She had
just finished high school. He had long
wanted another New Testament, for his
was worn out from much use.
So the old dar,Sy wandered 10 his home
happy I'm his new possession. He laid the
little volume by his plate az ne ate sup
per, and after his daughter had put away
the dishes. she was called upon TO read
from the scriptures.
.'Tun tub dc Acts an read, chile he
said
His daughter began at the first chap
ter ard finishing the page turned It over
As she did so q white card fiuttered out
on the floor. She picked It up, as the old
man asked what it was. She read the
printing on it aloud; Vote for o. H.
Gentry. Democratic nominee for treasur-
er"
rs yo sho right. chnd:" the old man
shouted
Being assured that was on the card, the
old man began to muJter and ramble He
was up against it But after a little
while he recovered his c0mDOsuTe and
asked his daughter 70 turn TO Colossians
and read there. She began in the middle
OF this book, and after passing a few
pages again found a white card. On this
she read: Vote for Lee Dunlap, Demo-
cratic nominee for sheriff"
Il -
the air He felt ike man having Wis
ions. Politics and religion became a con-
fused blurred mass on his mental vision.
1t took him q long while 70 get down TO
anything like a semblanCe Of normal.
Then he instructed his daughter to turn
to Revelations and read his favorite chap
ter But at the first separation OF the
leaves out fell another white card.
What am Il. hcney?' he demanded
what am it?''
His daughter read: Vote for Tom Pen
dergast. Democratic nominee for mar
shall"
That spilled the coffee He ordered the
Billie closed and laid upon the shelf. He
suffered and sputtered and TUNED
Things had gotten beyond him He was
fighting between an idea that possibly
an inspiration lay back of il all, and an
idea that il was q political trick. Like
Jacob wrestling with the angel. the old
negro put IN q mighty busy night OF it. He
smoked up all his little supply of tobacco
and burned Up mis- meager supply Of
Kindli1g cor the breakfast ire. In short,
he Just went ''roUu and roun' and rouS'
And with daybreak the problem was
still unsoived. He took down his little
old sock-bank and separated his pile from
d quarter and came 10 town and made
for the Republican headquarters After
telling his story he was assured that it
was simply a ~PIitical obfuscation."
Then he went away satisfied
Il was reported that quite number Of
New Testaments. with cards Of Demo-
cratic county officers inclosed, are being
distributed to negro voters in Ind1pend-
ence-