The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1909-02-11
BIIkINS IN WASHINGTON.
The Major and President Discuss
Public Questions-North Carolina
Politicians Are Experts in Their
Linc-rre>idcnt and Bilkins Ride.
Mr.. Roosevelt Wants to Buy Bob.
Correspondence OF The Caucasian
Enterprise

Correspondence OF The Caucasian,
Enterprise.
Washington, d. C., Feb 9, 1903.
Mr. Preserdent," sez / the other
mornin' az We wuz sittin' talkin'
you hey the reputation Ov bein' one
Ov the brainiest men in the whole
country, an | believe hit IL true an
want 10 ask You one question be
fore leave fer New York. You all
soon ter retire frum offs an | guess
you air not SO careful erbout tawkin
on public questions"
"Certainlv, | will be glad to an
swcT. if / can" sed the Preserdent
What il it,"
Il wish ter ak you, Mr. Preser-
dent" ser I, (which il the gratest
evil. lickker or Drohibishun?"
THAT is a funny question:" sed
. Mr. Roosevelt. II never heard it put
that way before in all my life. What
are YOU driving at, Major"
Il am only a poor wayfarin' man
. a-seekin' infermashun." seq /. Down
in North Carolina, whar one Ov our
! leadin' sitiZens became even more ia
nous than he wuZ before, an he wuz
erway up toward the top even then.
! by remarkin' at a banquet or some
such gatherin: Mr.. Chairman, hit
, IL a long time between drinks" the
whiskey question heZ bin powerful
warm fer several years Lots Ov
what they call ''amyture pollytish-
uns' hev rode into Ofiises, awl the
way frum county commissioners ter
/ Governor an Congress an sich like
on the lickker question. In fact, in
North Carolina, the silver question:
the race question, the tariff an most
awI ov the Old-time issues. hev bin
laid on the shelf an the pollytishuns,
CRATE an small, with a few exsep-
tiOns. hev taken off their coats an
hcv shelled the woods till you can't
git enuff whiskey in the old State ov
North Carolina ter cure a dozen
snake bites.
Have they succeeded in reducing
the amount ov drunkenness an
crimeo" aXed the Preserdent.
"Oh, yes sez L. 'If you build a
dam across a stream, substantial
dam, the runnin' water below that
dam will be much less till the dam
breaks then-lOOkOut fer a big
| flood"
THAT IL a big question:" sed the
| Preserdent-"a big question. But
can agree with you on one point: the
politicians did show a great amount
of activity in climbin' on the band
wagon. They even displayed indie
cent haste, if | may put it that way.
Doubtless some of them were honest.
really thought it a good thing. But
| it is equally certain that another
large per cent Of them simply jumped
upon what they considered a tidal
wave an they will probably climb
down just as quickly if the wave
shows signs of gOin' to pieces"
4 believe We air nifty near ter
gether on that question:" sez 7. Hit
| keeps the devil busy ter keep up with
some ov the perlitical fraternity,
especially some Ov the North Caro-
lima pollytishuns. fer they air purity
nigh experts in that line. They air
! like the Irishman sed erbOut the flea
when you put your finger on him
he IL not there"
els your mule Bob in good trim
| terday?" aXed the PreSerdent. ''If
he is" seq he, Eve will take horse
back ride in the direction of Balti-
more. We have some good roads and
pretty farms out that way an you
will enjoy the trip"
Il thank you, Mr.. Preserdent." sez
| T. But I am goin' in that direction
| pretty soon, anyway. If you air will
in, I'd rather ride out in a western
direction frum the city an see that
part of the country"
"All right" seq he. eve will go
west. young man an see what we do
see"
Then he touched a spring in the
desk an a servant cum a-trOttin'
Rub down an saddle Major Bilkins'
mule and my black horse" sed the
| Preserdent Then turning ter me,
he sez: I'll go an put on my leg
gings an make some other changes
an then we will go"
Purity soon he cum back an wuz
ready. Come on now, Major, and
| will watch you ride Bob an learn
the game"
We went out an feller wuz hold
in Bob an a fine black horse by the
brides. We soon mounted an start
ed up through the city at fast gait
The horse the Preserdent wuZ ridin
wuz a fine PAGER, an Bob he struck
up that famous fox-trottin' gait that
I larnt him when I lived down or
Terrible Creek in Wake County
They il no gait equal ter the Terrible
Creek foX-trot fer horse or mule.
Come on. Major sed the Preser
: dent. fer I wuz fallin' behind.
''Awl rite" sez I, ''gist wait til
Bob gifts sorter Embered up an II
show you sumpthin' worth while"
Bob seq I, you hev got ter gi
down ter your knittin'. The Preser
dent il ridin' a horse than kin g'
purity nigh ten mile an hour fer tel
f hours. an he il lettin him out ter
day Don't you disgrace old Mort
Carolina" An Bob seemed ter TN
derstanC fer he sorter got scared a
a pile Of bricks that wuz at the sid
/ ov the street whar they wuz buildir