Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1909-03-12
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SOWING TO THE WIND.
A True Story from Life of Man Who
Failed. 4.

G. N. Broadhurst tells the following
story in the Home Herald and declares
that it is strictly true. He says Mr..
George Smith was the leading mer-
chant of the city of NJ. His big
department store was well managed
and largely patronized. 1t was COM
mon saying among his friends that
Smiths store was a gold mine which
was making him rich" He aspired
to be the wealthiest man in his city
municipality of a little more than
1000 population. An increasing de-
sire to be the city's next mayor was
also burning ambition of his life.
He ranked high in religious circles
and was president of the official board
of the church to which he belonged.
Mr.. Smith had a model family Mrs
Smith was a brilliant and accom-
plished woman, admired by her large
circle of friends. She was also very
active and efficient in both church and
temperance work Their two chill
dren, John, a fine young man of 10,
and Mary, II and beautiful had just
graduated with honors from the high
school,
Ten saloons, whose revenue flowed
into the municipal treasury, and whose
stream of destruction swept into the
homes and lives of a large number
Of its inhabitants, were thoroughly
intrenched In NJ. A local option
election was to occur Tuesday.
At the breakfast table in the Smith
home Tuesday morning, Mrs. Smith
suggested to her husband the proprie-
ty of advising his corps of clerks who
possessed the right of suffrage to go
to the polls and vote in the interest
OF temperance.
I certainly shall do as you sug-
gest" said the husband.
Reaching his Office in the great
store building Smith sat down in the
chair at his desk and threw himself
back in a restful position.
Just then the office door opened and
Tom Jones, the leader of the political
party with which he was tenaciOusly
affiliated, stood by his side.
Smith," said Jones, sympathetical-
your position, and study this question
from your viewpoint, and the invaria-
BILE conclusion at which / arrive is,
that if this town goes local option
to-day, your loss financially will be
immense, and politically you are
,.,,iDad Won hove roocbod tho o01doo
opportunity of your life If you will
only improve 1t your political and
financial ideals can be realized. You
are, so you told me the other day,
trying to buy a stock of goods from
a merchant in the town Of s., ten
miles from here. Take Foster and
Black, two of your clerks, with you
to help inspect the stock. They will
both vote dry if they stay. Leave on
the nine o'clock train, with the under
standing that you are to return on the
train that arrives here at three this
afternoon. Accidentally miss that
train. Your next train will arrive
here at eight. The polls close at six.
The 'drys' will lose three votes and
the vets will win the day" And Tom
Jones, the party boss, left the Office.
The polls closed at four, and by
seven o'clock the votes were all
counted and it was discovered that
the saloons had won the victory by
only one vote!
Mrs. Smith, with the W. G. T. U.
ladies, had worked hard all day, and
only returned to her beautiful subur-
ban home at the closing of the polls
When the telephone brought her the
message as to the result of the elee-
ton, she sat down in a large rocking
chair and wept as if her heart would
break
At this time John came into his
mothers room
Mother" he said Il want to take
sister driving this evening The eight
o'clock train is reported half an hour
late, so We will have plenty of time
70 go for good drive before we go to
the station to drive father home. With
your consent, | will take the black
team ana the carriage.
Certainly" replied his mother;
'the drive will do you both good"
The saloons and their supporters
were mad with excitement, crazed with
rum
John, | am afraid the horses will
run away; they are getting scared.
Can you hold them?"
- think so" he answered, as he
wrapped The lines around his hands
and gave them harder pull Just
then drunken man drew a revolver
from his pocket and fired it in the air.
This SO frightened the horses that
they became unmanag cable
John, entangled in his lines, was
dragged and beaten into a shapeless
pulp against the brick pavement. Mary
was instantly killed by the collision
The minister was at the train to |
meet the belated train and break the
awful news to the stricken father
"Oh. my God! Is it true?" he ex-
claimed
He went home a broken hearted |
man, and when months later the nomi-
nation for mayor was offered him he
exclaimed:
Mayor | would not accept the
Office under any consiG GRAFTON. | am
forever openly and publicly on the
sile of Ell pcrance and right. | vel
III tarily placed the curse of rum on
this city, on ny home. because l re
fused to vote. have sowed to the