The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-06-29
CHECKERS.
1t Was His Speech That Elected
Labor Candidate.

day when I came along to a highway
crossing, there's folks in trouble up
the road, and it looks like a case of
calling for your well-known kindness
OF heart"
1t was a buggy which had broken
down on the highway and injured two
men who had been riding in it. There
was a political campaign on, and both
the men were political speakers, who
were on their way to attend an open
air meeting. 1 went to the nearest
farm house for help, and after they
had been assisted there one of the men
said to me:
II am due at the meeting at 2
o'clock. I am down to speak on the
labor question. If you'll get on to the
horse and ride into town and let it be
known that I can't show up, I'll give
you 81. I've been two weeks prepar-
ing my speech. and it's a corker, and
it's too bad I'm knocked out like this"
Have you any notes with you?" I
asked.
t'Of course
How should it be If 1 should look
them over and take your placer"
Say, man, are you a tramp or
what?" he asked as he looked me
over.
Something of a tramp, bit more of
a hobo, sauntering over the country
for the benefit of his health. I've made
a political speech or two in my time,
and I'm pretty well up on the labor
question:
by George. But it might dot
might do! If you could get through
with it, it would make a great hit
Look here, now, I'll give you the names
You ride on and go to them. If they
are satisfied that you can make
speech. and you carry it off all right,
I'll guarantee you SO. Don't fool
wit it, though
He handed me the notes, and after
glancing over them to see the line ne
had taken I told him I'd tackle a
speech. The farmer hitched up a
horse to drive me to town and fetch
out doctor, and 1 had 40 minutes
to post up in as we drove along. The
men L was told to see looked upon the
matter as good joke and rushed me
ahead.
There was about 400 electors at the
meeting. 1t was a laboring man run
ming against a lawyer for a country
office, and when 1 got up in my rags
represented labor to the ground.
Everybody laughed and hooted for the
first three or four minutes, but grad
ually they gave me a show.
didn't make much use of the notes
except statistics. 1 simply drew a pic
ture of a breadwinner toiling from day
light to dark to get on, with ambition
cheering me in less than Is minutes
I held the crowd for an hour, and
when I left the platform every man
wanted to shake hands with me- ]
had a hundred invitations to take a
week off. and the two chaps who had
put me up handed me $40 apiece; anf
taken all around, it was what you
might call a serious occasion. 1 got
away as soon as 1 could and resum-
ed my journey, and three weeks later
when I was in Indiana, 1 read in the
papers that my labor candidate had
come in under the wire winner
fattered myself that I had contributed
somewhat to bring about the result
but I only did it to -oblige, you know.
1t was the $40 I got out of that po-
litical picnic that got me into trouble
a week later. One day when 1 struck a
small town after tramp of 20 miles
the feeling came over me to get a
shave and a haircut, and then to sit
down to square meal and to sleep III
a regular bed. 1t was a foolish idea
and 1 should not have given way tc
it, but I went ahead and brought dis
aster. 1 had got cleaned up and had
my meal and was smoking a five-cent
cigar on the hotel veranda, when the
landlord sends word to the constable
that he had a suspicious guest in his
house. Up comes the constable with
his silver star all FURNISHED up for the
occasion, and says:
Stranger, I'm on to your racket, anG
you must come with me. Don't resist
If you do, / shall shoot you dead in
your tracks,!
What's my racket" 1 asked.
Bank burglary. But 1 shall nip ii
in the bud. 1 spotted you as you come
into town. Put your wrists into these
handouts and come along!"
It's no use arguing with a country
sheriff or constable. They are always
looking for fees, and always have big
thing on hand-in their minds. I've
been arrested hundred times over on
suspicion, and have found it a waste
of breath to say a word. When we
got to the lookup, he put irons on my
legs and sat outside the door all night
and for few hours he was the big
geSt man in the town.
In addition to a big revolver he was
armed with a shotgun, an AK and a
crowbar, and every hour or two he
pounded on the door and informed me
that he'd blow my head off at the
slightest sign of attempted escape.
Next morning I was arraigned before
a justice of peace. He was fat and
baldheaded and solemn, and he put
me down as a desperate character. He
started right in to land me in Jail, but
I handled my case and inside of 10
had him all tangled up. l
also had the constable guessing what
L might get lot raise InprlS-
and then 1 resumed my jour |
ney My entry was very tame, but my
departure was almost a triumphal
procession.
1t might have been three months
later and 200 miles away, that / at |
tended a public meeting in a town one |
night. 1t had been called by the tax
payers, and there were several hot de- I
bates over contemplated improve
ments. The chairman wasn't as wen
ha oh have hQRn. and
when an amendment was offered to /
resolution he insisted on putting the /
resolution to vote first.
A dozen voices cried out that ne !
was wrong, and a dozen more that he +
was right, and they were having /
nice old row over 1t when got up and /