The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1912-01-05
The REGULAR PARTY MAN
BY j. W FOLEY.

l Am the Upright Citizen-Tax-
payer Is my name; I'm one of the
City's Solid Men and I'm everywhere
the same; I've built the sewers and
paved the streets, and paid for the
parks, you see, and all the Con-
tractors, Bosses, Beats and Leeches
feed on me-you see, Pm Regular
Party Man-it's bred in my flesh and
bone, I've voted for every Republi
can since the party has been known;
always vote my ticket straight,
though at times It's bitter pill; but
never split 1t, and l may state that
| ] hope I never will. Now Smith,
next door Is Democrat, and another
Solid Man, who always knows right
where he's at-and he votes by the
selfsame plan; and Smith is an Ups
right Citizen, and his names Tax
payer too; and as one of the City's
Solid Men he's down on the Grating
Crew; and so am $50 we go to the
polls and vote straight down the line:
two square and quite well-meaning
men-and his vote Offsets mine!
Now I've talked with Smith and
he's talked with me, and we've talked
quite plainly too; and I've said to
him: "Now, Smith, you see, I'm
down on this Grating Grew; our man
is the man to win the fght-he's a
clean aud able man" And Smith
says: "Yes, 1 guess that's right; but
he's "a Republican. And l always
vote my ticket straight from A to z
that's how I've always done and its
getting late to change my methods
now. Our man isn't what he ought
to bel quite agree 10 that; but he's
the party nominee, and you know Pm
Democrat. So l guess I'll stick to
the good old ship and vote right
down the line" And Smith makes
one cross on his ballot slip-and so
his vote kills mine!
Smith talks with me 10 the self
same way, and he says: This paving
Job is a downright steal, I'm free to
say: and our mans pledged to play
hob with the deal they've made and
we ought to stand behind him to a
man" And l know our man has
made a tra1e-but he's Republican.
So say to Smith: ''I'd like to vote
for your'candldate, that's fat; but
somehow 1t sticks fast in my throat,
for he is a Democrat. And you know
I belong to the G, y. P.-the party of
Lincoln and Blaine-and 1t ought to
be good enough for me; so I'll vote
ther straight again." And so we go
to the polls and vote for the Gods OF
the Faith That 1s-it's not just good
but what's the odds?-and so my vote
kills hisl
Now Smith and /, we mean all
right and we want things on the
square; but when there's Regular
Party Fight, man must do his
share, My faith comes down from
Fremont's time and his from Jeffer.
son; and to cling to an old-time
faiths sublime-Do odds how the
paying's done! Sometimes l think
his mans the best-sometimes he
thinks mine is; bat I vote straight,
north, south, east, west aud be votes
straight for his. We quite agree on
little things, like the taxrolls and the
streets, the city schools, police, white
wings, and the health of milk and
meats; but when it comes to matters
big, like Regular Party Plank, why,
Smith is stubborn as pig and I'm
somewhat of a crank. And we'd like
to vote aike-and then we could
down the Grating Crew; but we're
tboth Regular Party Men-so what are
we going to do?-Saturday Evening
Post.
These evils which are set forth in
the article above may all be rectitied
so tar as Kansas is concerned II care
full attention is given to the qualihca-
tions and character of the men who