The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-01-01
THE POSTUM
PARTY
By M. QUAD
copyright, 1916. by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.l

disc hall in response to circular let
ter from Brother Gardner:
Judge Persimmon Longbody of Ten.
nessee, who held the office of constable
once for thirty days and knows how
good ii is.
Colonel Cabiff Rocky of Kentucky
who sweeps out the postoffice In Louis.
4 vile, but had far rather be postmas
ter.
Brassbound Johnson of Maryland,
who has led his cohorts against many
melon patch and will again, by thun.
/ der!
Major Bloker of Ohio, who says that
| taking a chicken off the roost without
a squawk Is an art.
Several other delegates were to be
on hand, but the constable rallied in
| force and drove them back.
| Brother Gardner stated that the
meeting was for the purpose of put
ting presidential ticket in the field at
an early date and the party would be
called "the Possum party" The mat
ter was thoroughly discussed and set.
tied, and there was an adjournment to
later date.
There was a mighty gathering al
Paradise hall Saturday evening, and,
acting on the suggestion Of Brother
Gardner, about fifty members had
brought their wives with them. 1t had
been announced on the bulletin board
that the Hon. Crabtree Jones of Ala
bama would deliver a political speech
and the audience was ready to give
him an enthusiastic greeting. He ap
peared promptly at the hour named
and was introduced by the president
amid vociferous applause.
Respectable fellow citizens" began
the orator as he got his feet planted ON
the proper spot, two weeks ago dar
was a-bornin in dis famous hall which
has made talk fur 100000 people.
Ii was de bornin of a new political
party.
MY fr'en's, had bin waitin' thirty
vars fur de dawn of freedom. | hev
bin waitin thirty vars fur de birth OF
de Possum party.
"F'reemen of free land, patriots who
ar takin' yor fust breath Of liberty.
I'm lookin' at dat stuff possum which
we have adopted as our sacred emblem
an arter which we hev taken our
name. [Typhoonic yells.l Oar has
eber bin bond Of sympathy between
de culll man an de possum. Dey
haven't had a show wild de big game.
Dey has had to keep still till folks look.
ed upon EN- as dead. [Signs of groans
and repressed agitationl However,
it's gwine to astonish a hull continent
de way dat possum win let go an
drap down into de row an demand an
fight fur his sheer of de spiles. LWhirl.
winds of applause, during which the
stove fell over unheeded.l
.Yo' jest git out yo'r pencils an
figger a mint Deres ober 100000
black men in dis kentry who am emit
tied to walk to de polls on leckshun
day an cast vote. If dey but hang to
gether yo' can't count EN- out nor keep
'em back. Dem 100000 votes am
gwine to be cast for principle, but
doan' make no mistake bout principle.
We used to think dat it meant votin'
on sartin lines an dat George Wash
ington, Abraham Lincoln, de constiti-
shun of de United States an seberal
odder things was mixed up wild it, an
we walked up an put in our votes as
If each an cherry one was gwine to
save de kentry. But we rarned it
from de white man. ICries of 'Yo' bet
we heypI We hev Earned dat he sots
put on political campaign wild a cart.
oad of principles TO glib away free
gratis an punctuate his speeches, but
when de ballots am counted up he lays
Town his principles to pick up his of
ice.
I'VE am gwine to take flyleaf from
lie white mans book Wen stick to
principles, but wen look out fur de
piles as well.
My fr'en's, daylight has cum at last
ur us. Yves got our bundles packed
n hev started on de road. Yves got
Ieaded right an Yves only to keep on
o find de bee tree an be ON hand
when de honey am divided up, Wells
or honey.l Keep yo'r eye on de pos.
um an yo'r brains in yo'r heads an
oil win victory dat Bunker Hill
ouldn't hold candle to. General
oarseness, but prodigious applause.l
want a word mo- befo' / close. Dis
N to be a plain, airnest campaign on
ur part. We amt gwine to say much,
ut what we do say will hit de barn
oah like load of buckshot Doan'
It de idea dat big words am gwine to
clip yo' win what belongs to yo'. Be
J dis meetin' opened tonight | heard
faydown Bebee obsarve dat de malig
mt innuendo of de torrid affilashun
ould enhance de generality of de POM
,sity. He probably meant well, an
ebbe his observation has helped us
git started, but / hope he won't do
ag'in. Doan' nobody do it. Dis am
, dictionary campaign. No. no.l IL
III be plain puddin' an milk at home
/ plain English when yo' am walkin'
, and down wild a possum badge on
fr breast an a flag of liberty in yo'r
md. Muffin counts quicker nor hard
dan TO call a man a liar, am de
am so simple dat a child kin
iderstand it. / will now return yo'
: thanks an bow my gratitude fur
welcome handed out TO me-"
rhe orator sat down amid applause
at broke windows and put out lights.