Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1916-10-18
(By Annesley Burrowes)

the Pontchartrain last Thursday even
ing. The dude looked at the manu-
facturer over the top of his cocktail
and said:
"I'd call him fool!"
"Of counsel" said the manufacture
er.
who's a fool" asked the doctor,
who had just come in.
"That working fellow, down in Ala
bama," answered the dude.
The doctor looked puzzled. II be-
lieve there are several of them in
that state" he murmured.
"You know!" said themanufacturer,
impatiently. "The gink who earns
six dollars a week, and sent five Of
it to Hughes campaign fund. He
said he earned mighty little, but he
wouldn't grudge five to help elect
good man president" The manufac-
turer laughed.
"a man that only earns six dollars
week should be buying shoes for
the baby" added the dude.
ooh, / don't know!" remarked the
doctor. perhaps he didn't have
baby, or it was grown up, and was
earning SO day, and raising fam
lily of its own"
''Then he ought to buy himself a
coat" grunted the manufacturer, de-
risively."
"Again!" protested the lawyer,
mildly, "they don't often need coats
in Alabama. A shirt is enough, and
that fve-spot would have bought ten
of them. What would a man want
with all those shirts?"
Anyway" said the dude, in decis-
i've tones, "he ought to have stayed
out. A man who can only earn six
dollars a week! What difference does
it make to him who's elected presi-
dent, or who stays home. If he has
no baby and doesn't want coat, then
he might better spend it on couple
of small kegs"
Hold hard Hold hard, Freddy"
grinned the doctor. did you earn
six dollars last week."
FREDDY doesn't care who's elect
ed, either" brumbled the manufac-
turere. He didn't vote last election"
The dude blushed. "Say, Midas"
he demonstrated plaintively, cant
you cut that stuff about me not vot-
ing? You know | was two up in
match game with Jenkins, and |
couldn't quit in time to get to the
polls!"
anyway, you're wrong" put in the
doctor. "The ix-dollar-a-week man
has a bigger interest in the election
than you have, or that Midas, of the
gum-shoes, that sits besides you has.
What does it matter TO you fellows
who's in, or who's out? ? You, Fred
dy, collect your rents just the same,
even if they are a bit lower. The
gum-shoe man, over there, gets his
even if the dividends are cut a bit.
Both of you get your four meals a
day, with liquid trimmings. Even
when times are at the hardest, i
don't notice that any of you sell your
motor cars, or take in roomers to help
pay the rent. Do you?"
mo" admitted the manufacturer,
"but-"
But" interrupted the lawyer, "it's
different with the Alabama man. If
the wrong party gets in, and times
get bad what happens to him? His
six dollars a week shrinks to four
dollars, and he has to quit buying
shirts at fifty cents apiece. And per-
haps it goes to nothing, and he has
to stand in the bread line, and take
his soup through an iron wicket"
Eyes, but"
"And if the right party gets in"
the lawyer rushed on, perhaps that
fellows six dollars will go to nine.
Then he can paint his cabin, and
mend the broken panes, and eat rump
steak occasionally, and take in a pic
ture show Saturday night. That
opera does TO you, with a limousine
to take you to the door, and bird
and a bottle to follow"
"RunkiD pxplairnad the rnani1fac
turer, contemptuously
"Look here" persisted the lawyer;
did you ever sit through Lohengrin,
or Der Fliegende Deutcher, without
wishing it was a game Of auction,
with the boys?"
"No, l didn't" growled the manu-
facturer, but"
"There you are, then, You never
see those X-dollar-a-week fellows
sneaking out for a Scotch-and-soda
between reels, or a bottle of beer,
either. Admission cents means
too much to them. Talk about those
men being fools to put their money
in a campaign fund.- The campaign
is of more consequence to them than
it is to you. If fellow like that
puts Lis five dollars on the best man,
it's the finest investment he can
maker"
"That's right" put in the doctor.
"The life and health Of the poor man
depends on good government. But
government doesn't matter to Midas.
All he loses is few dolIarsl"
"And there's Freddy, of the Golf
Sticks" added the lawyer. eff he op-
ly had six dollars week, he'd sell
his vote and influence for a good
cigar"
ooh, can that stuff" grumbled the
dude. I'm just as good citizen as
you are"
The manufacturer laughed noisily.
"You fellows might be right" he adj
mitted, eff such a man had any judy
ment. But if he had judgment, he
would be getting more than six
week. If a man can't earn more than
that, it's a cinch that he wouldn't
know statesman from horse
thief"
There was a moments silence, and