Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1916-01-28

A GUILTY
CONSCIENCE
A Story of Partisan
Politics
By F. A. mitchell


oO
gogues who, he asserted, were cor
rupting the masses. Money" he said,
lis flowing like water. There Is a man
in this audience who l know has re-
ceived 100 francs for his vote. Just
think of it-100 francs for the surren-
der of the Invaluable privilege he en-
joys under the republic of expressing
his wish in national affairs!"
After the meeting the speaker, Victor
DarouX. was sitting in a restaurant on
pie of friends. p%artaking of a supper.
He vas just raising a glass of wine to
his lips when a man stepped up to him
and said:
M. Daroux. | am the bearer of q
message to you from my friend M.
Charlier. He demands a retraction
from you in tomorrow mornings jour
nails of your accusation In your speech
this evening that he has sold his vote.
In ease you refuse
Daroux. who was staring in wonder
at the speaker, broke in
"Why does NJ. Charlier assume that
| referred to him in my r%emarks?"
Because you looked directly at him
when you made the accusation"
Daroux was celebrating what to do
in the matter when a waiter approach
ed and informed him hat a gentleman
I'm another part of the room desired to
speak to him privately. Excusing him.
CnIf Ilotot,y rpauf - thtJ naxyonrnnr
M. DarouX." said the man, Il repre-
sent Nj. Armour. He demands an i'm
mediate retraction of your accusation
made this evening that he has sold his
vote for 100 francs"
Daroux was tempted to laugh, but
the speaker was so serious that he re-
Trained.
"Why does nj. Armour assume that l
referred to him in my remarksT" be
asked.
Because you were looking directly
at him."
Daroux was silent a few moments.
then said:
And if ] refuse to %retract2"
"In that case M. Arnoux expects that
you will give him the satisfaction due
from one gentleman who has wrong
fully accused another"
Let me have your address," said
Daroux. II will send al early reply"
Returning to his table. Daroux re-
ceived the same announcement from
M. Charliers friend of what was ex-
pected In case of a refusal to retract
and called also for his address. The
man had scarcely gone when a third
came and demanded a retraction for
M. Blanc for the same Offense and re-
ceived the same answer as the others.
ut seems" said Daroux to his
friends, that If a guilty conscience
counts for anything there has been a
good deal of vote selling"
During the next half hour three more
men demanded a retraction Of NJ. Ia
roux for accusing them of selling their
votes, and the accuser, after being In
formed hat a refusal would be fol
lowed by Il challenge. called for the
party's address and promised to send
an early reply.
ut does not seem SO remarkable"
said Daronx after the last man had
been disposed of, that SO many men
have sold their votes, but that the price
In each case should have been a hun
dred francs. l had heard before ris-
ing to speak that 10000 francs had
been distributed among certain infu-
entail voters, but l did not know that
q hundred francs was the current price
paid. l fancied that some n of the
persons bribed might be in the meet
ing. and Ii occurred to me to fire an
effective shot by making a pointed ac-
cusation. 1t seems hat | have killed
half a dozen birds with a single stone"
These words were spoken to friends
who were with Daroux when the ava
lanche of demands for retraction fell
upon him. One of the party suggest
ed that If the matter we're properly
handled sufficient capital might be
made out Of 1t to win the election.
DarouX vas running for the corps leg
islatif. but his opponent was so lavish
with money that he had no hope of be-
ing elected. However, those gentle
men now gathered about him at the
restaurant were shrewd politicians, and
they set themselves to find a method of
procedure by which the incident at
home might be used to turn the scale
In his favor.
1t was decided to stave off the mat.
ter till the day before the election,
which was to take place In four days.
The day after the demands for Salts
faction we're made no reply was sent.
The second day each one of the con-
that M. Daroux refused to retract. A
reply to his refusal was returned by
each one of the six men accused in the
shape of a challenge to mortal combat.
Daroux chose six seconds to repre-
CONT him and Sinco hninG tho chal--