The Sauk Centre herald., 1909-05-06
CHAPTER !.

a shiver of terror, that is, if you hap
pen to be maiden lady or a gentle
man with reversible cuffs. But your
shivers will be without reason. Prue
may read, and modest Prue's
mamma; for 1t isn't going to be
naughty story; on the contrary,
grandma's spring medicines are less
harmless. Yet there is a parable to ex-
pound and moral to point out; but I
shall leave these to your own discern
ment.
It has always appealed to me as
rather a silly custom on the story
teller's part to invent names for the
two great political parties of the
United States; and for my part, I
am going to call Democrat a Demo
crat and Republican a Republican,
because these titles are not so hal
lowed in our time as to be disguised
in print and uttered in a bated breath.
There is fortunately no lese-majeste
in America.
Men inclined toward the evil side
Of power will be found in all parties,
and always have been. Unlike So
ciety, the middle class in politics usu-
ally contains all the evil elements. In
politics the citizen becomes the lowest
; order, and the statesman the highest;
, and, thanks to the common sense of
the race, these are largely honest and
incorruptible. When these become
disintegrated, republic falls.
Being journalist and a philoso-
pher, l look upon both parties with
tolerant contempt. The very near
ness of some things disillusions us;
and have found that only one illusion
remains to the newspaper man, and
that is that some day he'll get out
Of the newspaper business. vote as
please, though the family does not
know this. The mother is a Repub-
lican and so is the grandmother; and,
loving peace in the house, l dub my
self Republican till that moment
when l enter the voting booth. Then
/ become an individual who votes as
his common-sense directs.
The influence of woman in politics
is no inconsiderable matter. The
great statesman may fatter himself
that his greatness is due to his ora
torical powers; but his destiny is
often decided at the breakfast table.
Why four-fifths of the women lean
toward Republicanism is something no
mere historian can analyze.
In my town politics had an evil
ENr cfx L
been mayor, and for six years the
town had been plundered. For six
years the Republicans had striven,
with might and main, to regain the
power :. and the right to
plunder. 1t did not matter which
party ruled, graft Qet us omit the
quotation marks) was the tocsin. The
citizens were robbed, openly or covert
ly, according to the policy of the party
in Office. There was no Independent
paper in town; so, from one months
end to the other it was loaded edi-
torial vituperation. Then Caliban re-
volted. An Independent party was
about to be formed.
The two bosses, however, were
equal to the occasion. They imme-
diately hustled around and secured as
candidates for the mayoralty two
prominent young men whose honesty
and integrity were unimpeachable.
Caliban, as is his habit, sheathed his
! sword and went back to his bench,
his desk or whatever his occupation
was.
On the Republican side they NOM
mated a rich young club man. Now,
as you will readily agree, it is always
written large on the political banner
that man who is rich has no incen-
tive to become a CRATER The public
is ever willing to trust its funds to a
millionaire. The Democrats, with
equal cunning, brought forward a
brilliant young attorney, whose in
come was rather moderate but whose
ability and promise were great. The
Democratic organs hailed his nomina-
ton with delight
I'VE want one of the people to rep
resent us, not one of the privileged
class" You see, there happened to be
no rich young Democrat available.
These two candidates were close
personal friends. They had been
chums from boyhood and had been
graduated from the same college.
They belonged to the same clubs, and
were acknowledged to be the best
horsemen in town. AS to social prom
inence, neither had any advantage
over the other, save in the eyes of ma
irons who possessed marriageable
(and extravagant) daughters. Will
Hard, the Republican nominee, was Q
handsome chap, liberal-minded and
generous-hearted, without a personal
enemy in the world. l recollect only
one fault; he loved the world a little
too well. The opposition organs, dur
ing the heat Of the campaign, dropped
vague hints regarding dinners to
singers and actresses and large stakes
In poker games. Newcomb, his oppo-
nent, was not handsome, but he had q
nne, clean-cut, manly face, an intrepid
eye. resolute mouth, and a tremend-
GUS ambition. He lived well within
HE fnnnvao the hf~h>ck