The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1906-02-27

DIR. X. II. Whitaker.
like brothers; but when the sheep was
caught they fought each other like
devils; and the dogs of heavy weight,
that ran behind III the ace INC never
would nave caught the sheep, would
not let the smaller one. that Outran
them and caught the sheep, have any
thing hut the wool and the bones. |
expect that's the case among polite
ian's.
l am too much of a gentleman to
say that politicians are as doggish as
dogs; but | can't help thinking that
some of them do things that dogs
never thought of.
| guess it has always been so, for |
have not only read in ancient history
of the intrigues of kings and emperors.
and of bloody wars which grew out of
them, but have learned from modern
history as Well that politics is chock
full of corruption. And. if what /
read of these times be true there has
not been much improvement on the old
time politics.
As evidence of the truth of the mat
ter one only has to e the accounts
that come daily from Washington.
Many years ago two men were cam
didates for the Legislature in Wake.
one of them was a gentleman who
would not have stopped to a little
thing if, by doing it, he couId have
been made President of the United
States. The other was an unscrupu-
lOuS demagogue and thought the end
would Justify the means. The former
was 1t wealthy man, the latter a poor
man, which fact he was depending
upon to win a majority of the votes.
SO. at a certain precinct. he said. when
it came his time to speak: My fell
low citizens h1Na ajyE9Nc tried 70
lead an honest life. and thought. until
this campaign opend that / had sue
cecded. But, my fellow citizens, be-
cause / am Il poor man. and therefore
am ii nobody in the estimation of my
opponent, who owns q hundred ne
groes, he has been telling it all around
the country among the rich people.
that l stole a bull from him."
No sooner had he made the state
ment than up jr.nped his opponent
and declared that he not only had not
said. but had never thought Of such
Il thing.
'Ah, fellow citizens, [ knew he
would deny it when he got around
here in the dark corner, among my
friends-pOOr men like myself, who
have to work for a living while he
and such us he, are living in luxury.
Fellow citizens, if you think | stole a
bull vote for my opponent: but. if you
think that / am honest, and will loo
after the interests of poor men, vote
for me, and let these rich men, who
would ruin the characters of men who
nave to labor for a living, know h
they cant "bulI'-dose man simply
because he is poor
He was elected. but after his elec-
ton he acknowledged that he lied
about the bull story.
Jake Scott, 4 jOVIaf fellow who rep
resented Jones county in the Legisla-
ture, old a crowd of gentlemen while
the Legislature was in session that
some of his political opponents got up
Il report during the campaign that he
stole a hog, and that was not the
worst of It." he said, but, [ CAD, they
proved t."
Politics and politicians are to me
about on par With the mysteries OF
childhood, when What | knew
wasn't so, and what | believed was
largely founded in superstition.
Yes. when | was d small boy |
learned a great many things that !
had to unlearn. and imbibed a great
many likes and dislikes which it has
taken a lifetime to get rid of. There
was no greater pleasure to me than to
the old black nanny tell ghost
and witch stories. and relate the 0
derful experiences Of her young life, !
when ''hantS' We're to be seen and /,
heard in every old deserted building
or walking about in every graveyard,
wrapped IN Wlllle SIN buuS anu. NlbdL
was most wonderful and aWe-inspiring
to me. was the fact. as she believed it, !
that when folks died they didn't go
to the good place OF the bad place,
but had to stay around close to where
they died, for q long time.
That accounted for the many haunts
and ghosts which were troubling the
living.
[ used to think of haunts by day
and dream of them by night; and as
for going past a graveyard after sun
down. | was made to understand it
was the next thing to being chased by
"a runaway niger" which TO a child's
mind. was the most wonderful thing
hat could be imagined.
Evolution might not have been 50
we'll understood in that day. as Oar
win and Others have explained it. but
| was made to believe that "aII of us
vas sumpint else fore We was folks
and arter we dies We'll be sumpint
else for q long time, just de same es
We was fore we was folks"
yes, honey: Use hearn my daddy
say as how his daddy tole him, he
'membercd de time when he Was d
monkey. en- elm de trees just lack a
squirrel: dat was fore dcy fotCh him
from AficaN- An I've hearn my daddy
say he 'membered when he was Z horse
an de white man rid him Wild spurs,
an nifty nigh tore his tanks clear to
de hollow; Ell tell how he ulster stand
hitched to de fence en- paw Gle ground
to keep from freezin' on a cold mite.
En- | hcarn ole granny say she was 4
goose Wun time. en- a to set Tour
weeks, bless yed sole, honey; Ell den
de fox ketched all her gosil1S; en- Wun
mite one ketchcd her. while she WAS
setting in dc jam o de fence. en- tuck
her rite off, en- killed her. ell ct her
UP. en- dc fuss thing she node she WuS
q little gal. en- her N sed she
WIS six year ole. OATS dc LaWd
trufe. eff | ever tOle it.