Durango semi-weekly herald., 1906-10-29
BARRY AND
BRO. REESE
Tn. Two Democratic States.
men Disagree a, to the
Real Issue

tue l1eHptTuS COIL 10 hSotiSN
when the Democratic committee was
arranging for night session to fix
up Its itinerary for the campaign, and
an hour later the committeeman be-
gun to drop In at Democratic head
quarters. Some were late and con-
ference could not be held until there
was a quorum They told stories and
whitfield and passed the time as best
they could waiting for the others TO
come. Finally they drifted into the
campaign subject when Barry said to
Willis:
II see something in the papers
about Johns taxes, and | don't like
to see anything like that just at this
time. Willis. why don't you go and
pay them taxes and get q receipt to
show the people that John has paid?'
Willis-"Oh. Barry. you have some
queer ideas about such things. Don't
you know the people would say that
we paid the taxes on purpose? have
never paid any myself, and you know
you have never paid any either. l am
convinced more than ever that our
policy has been right-that is, let the
smelter pay taxes. We have better
use for our money"
Barry-"All right, any way that's
right, but there is another thing that
has been bothering me; I've seen
lot of people that said we could hol-
Ter our heads off about the smelter
against the people, but nobody would
pay any attention to us. Why can't
we get up something that will hook
'em?"
Willis-"Now, Barry. II you expect
to go out with IFS to make speeches
you must get into line with the or
ganization and stop bucking. We've
got pretty hard fight and we've got
to stand pat on an Issue when we
make It."
Barry-"But the people say we ain't
got no Issue. You know the people
are laughing and snickering at u.s."
Willis-"Oh. Barry, you make me
tired; I'll have to see the chairman
about you. We've got no other issue,
so we have got to tell the people
about the smelter."
Barry-"You can stick to the issue
If you want to but II the smelter
comes out and shows how hollow 1t is,
It's me for the tall timber. ! can't
afford to be identified with any play
horse politics: it's against my relig-
ious convictions and don't believe
the game Is worth the candle. What
will be the subject when we talk down
on Sage Brush Mesa? I'd like to get
something easy down there, as there
will probably be people in the aud
ience with guns. There always are
more or less guns carried in q new
country you know"
Willis-"Well, Barry, you can talk
about anything but the real Issue, as
your avowed convictions do not fit
you for that. John can make rous-
ing talk about the smelter and You
can remain in the back part Of the
house to start applause and keep an
eye out for guns. will make a
speech on why nominated John, and
when you talk keep your mouth shut
about the $500 paid John by the city:
the people don't care anything about
that. When 1t comes your turn you
can say that while you are earnest in
your own religious convictions that
you are liberal in your Views. and
grant the right OF all the people to
worship In their own way, and that
for that matter all of us are a good
deal like you are. Keep on talking as
long as the people will stand 1t, but
! on the first demonstration of their
| displeasure conclude your speech with
thanking 80 intelligent an audience
for their indulgence and duck your
| nut" before anybody shoots
Barry-"Shall tell them the his
tory of an open town in Durango
and tell 'em that Clark will close 'em
| up tighter an beeswax? II the fel
lers in town understand 1t they won't
care what we say. think we ought
to do something to get votes. or else
\ we'll fall in the consomme."
Willis Barry. you have some
queer ideas. The people will stand
about so much fooling. think maybe
we'd better not take you along. You
might stay here in town and whoop II
up about Jeffersonian Democracy
when the people come in. and when
we speak in town you can help the
ladies' to get seats where they can
hear good"
Finally John came in and said he
had been SO busy that he hadn't had
time to stand up again and had told
the Democrat to run the same piece
again about the smelter. He said.
II want you fellows to keep crack
ing 1t into the smelter every time you
meet anybody from the country. OF
course. good many people here In
town are onto us, but you can do a
lot of good with the country people
for they won't stand for anything like
paying more taxes than the smelter'
Barry-"Lets mix the railroad up
too. or any old thing that will get
votes"
Willis-'T see. Barry. that you will
have to stay In town. You haven't
got the modern Democratic idea at
all. You might have done for a lay.
man during the days of Thomas JET.
ferson, but you are not onto the kinks
OF the present day. II you'd 60 with
us to Thompson's park you'd get us
all run out of the country and there
are other places where you'd get us
mobbed. don't want to take the
chances myself. I've Just been telling
Barry he'd better stay in town, John,
and he can tell Democrats to stay
with their party at this critical time.
he can tell people that don't read
much that he followers OF Jefferson
stand today in one solid phalanx with
the followers Of Lincoln. and confine
himself to national politics and their
blatorfr lOre I think he will Anime