The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-12-15
"A Cyclone
OF Ambition.
lcspyrIght 1903. BY American Press Asso-
einfion

date for Office he would have laughed
him to scorn. Thomas was the most
unassumlng man In the world. Small
bald, noarsighted. with a soft voice
and extreme gentleness Of manner. he
was especially unified for participa
ton In an exciting campaign.
One day widow, impecunious and
ambitious. hearing OF Mr.. Thompson
and his income, made up her mind "a
marry him. There are various ways
OF appropriating man. The widow
chose that OF carrying him by storm.
When the storm was over Mr.. Thomas
was a married man.
The wedding occurred five months
and two weeks before the election. AZ
the end Of a weeks honeymoon Mr..
Thomas took up his paper one morn
ing and read:
There is movement on foot to place
~Thomp Thomas. gum shoe politician of
the Seventh ward. In nomination for may
or. We hope Il will not succeed We
need practical business man for the po-
sition. not a drone.
Mr.. Thomas was nstounded Calling
his wife. he showed her the Item.
"Well," she said. II know I've married
drone. but | don't intend that my
husband shall remain drone. have
some ambition. and you are one.
We viii work together. Lam arrang-
ing for your candidacy myself"
but, my dear
II have the promise Of the boss that
you shall have the nomination. All
that is required is your check for ST.
600 for election expenses''--
Five thousand dellsrsw
(which win be well spent. You
have never taken amy stand IN the
town whatever, but the mayoralty
WHIP
Mr.. Thomas groaned. Then he
showed bit Of fight--the only fght
he had ever shown in his life-but
Mrs. Thomas so out-Hefoded Herod
in war Of words that her husband
was cowed. He did not consent to the
movement his wife had inaugurated
any more than man consents to be
drowned; be was simply submerged.
The $4,000 was handed In to the boss,
who after dspositing the lions share
to the credit of the Organization" be-
gan paying out the rest TO the heeIers.
Thompgon Thomas received the nom
nation. Judson Tadleben was put up
by the opposition boss, and the people
became greatly Interested In what they
considered their franchise as American
citizens. The morning after the NOM
ination Mr.. Thomas was surprised to
read In a journal-the mouthpiece of
the party he represented interview
with himself He was not aware of
having been interviewed and spoke of
his astonishment to bis wife. She In
formed him that 1t was a 'faked's in
terview for political purposes. Among
other things that had been put into his
mouth, was this:
.'Mr. Thomas, what arc your views con-
eeruing the trusts7'
II consider them unhciy alliances to
grind the faces of the poor
And how do you stand on the labor
question:
4 Ad0A nlAsA tt4G AAhBIGA A1 . fuAn anu
8 brother. II elected. / shall do all in my
power to advance his interests at the ex-
pense Of his employers"
Afr. Thomas was indignant what
pothouse politician put that in my
mouth" he said to his wife. u would
be an idiot to advance the Iaborer's
interest at the expense OF his employ
er.' Where would the laberer be If
his employer were degraded7'
mo pothouse politician wrote 1t, my
dear. ] was informed that your views
wauld be required, and / put that In
myself. You must stand well with
the laborer or you VIII be defeated"
Then came demands for more funds.
Mr.. Thomas refused, but one days bat.
tie with his wife WINS sufficient, and he
gave another check and another and
another till most OF his capital was in
vested In his candidacy for an office he
didn't want. But the crowning agony
was the abuse heaped upon him By the
opposition. When be read the follow
ing be tainted dead away:
There Is q man just now prominent be-
fore the public who. 1t Is rurnored. IL he
had hts Just deserts would be behind bars
rather than soliciting the votes OF his
coantryInen. Gould the opposition sink
lower than nominate enc who has sought
BY every means III his power to throw
duet about his past? Only q jury Of those
counfrymen could throw searchlight
upon that record he seeks to hide.
Az soon as Thomas could pull himself
together he went to the newspaper Of
zee and demanded to see the man who
wrote the article. "You mustn't mind
q little thing like that, Mr.. Thomas"
said the scribbler. smiling. "They say
alls fair In love and war. They forgot
to put In politics. "But I'll have the
law OF you "0h, we haven't mem
toned you. Good day, Mr. Thomas.
Hope you'll meet with success"
The morning Of the 18th Of November
came at last. A president was elected
with an eclat that diverted attention
from the minor Offices. Mr. Thomas,
looking in his morning paper for his
record, saw in one corner:
Thompson Thomas was defeated for
mayor Of -. Certain presidential votes
were needed. and some 1900 that would
have elected Thomas were traded for the
presidential candidate.
Mr. Thomas married life was Of short
duration. His wife. who had swooped
down upon him at the proper time to
dominate him for office, the morning
after bis defeat left him to enter other
fields of ambition. she had come like
Kansas cyclone, ragged fiercely, then
passed on. leaving a wreck behind her.
Mr. Thomas gathered up the fragments