Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-11-02

I feared I would not be able IL elected
tosbe worthy of the trust reposed in me
by my constituents.
Unfortunately the next morning an
article over my name was published
citing different reforms l proposed to
carry out Ii elected and immodestly
giving various reasons why / was espe-
cially qualified to represent the dis
trict. The article met Eleanor's eye,
and l saw by her changed manner that
she was much affected by it. Some
thing must be done. I feigned great
displeasure with whoever dared pub
lish anything over my name without
my consent; ~whereupon Eleanor asked
me If l would publish a denial of what
had been written. l got out of doing
so by stating that IL elected | proposed
to carry out the very reforms men
toned in the article. If l r%epudiated
1t I would deny what l hoped to effect,
which would cost me the election.
This not only satisfied Eleanor, but
gained her my sympathy as a badly
treated man. The dear girl was much
concerned about the interference OF
my political friends and suggested that
I reprimand them severely and forbid
them aver to do SO again. / shuddered
to think what would be the result if
she should know l had written every
word of the article that had shocked
her.
This was only the beginning of the
equivocal positions In which I was
placed In the Eyes OF my beloved dur
ing my candidacy. She was constantly
looking In the papers for some compli-
mentary mention of me. and whenever
a paper supported me she was delight
ed with the dattering illusions to me.
One article referring to me as that IL
lustrious patriot who had sacrificed SO
much in consenting to become a candi-
date for Office pleased her exceedingly.
But the pride and joy were all taken
out of her when / vas accused Of hav-
ing engineered the election of a man
for comptroller who had robbed the
city of 81, 5000. 1 explained the mat
ter away by denying that l had had
anything to do with the comptroller's
election, and fortunately she believed
AhSs La 4 OCCh SdiACu uPOh " 0Ao
prove the charge l should have found
it a difficult matter. l was not a Pc
cuniary gamer by supporting a rascal.
but l knew he was a politician of a bad
stripe.
Compliments were mingled with
slurs. I was frequently referred to as
"that political hummer" "that gum
shoe politician and in other terms
that were very painful to my betrothed.
I explained to her that In politics there
were men who resorted to the most
shocking devices and that their innu-
endoes must be borne, for they usually
kept within the law in their aecusa-
tons. Nevertheless the stigma at
tached to me was bound to have some
effect upon her. l could see notwith-
standing her efforts to conceal the facts
from me that the attacks upon me
troubled her.
The voters Of the principal part Of
my district We're of what in political
p~arlance are called silk stockings. This
constituency l might have managed in
a dignified manner without descending
into muddy politics. But unfortunately
the district extended into a location the
residents of which were of the lowest
degree. My managers reported to me
that in this locality | was considered
an aristocrat and the candidate Of
aristocrats. If wished to win l must
do something to placate this element.
I told them to do what they thought
best in the matter and gave them my
check for 81, ZOO to be expended in any
way they thought proper.
They concluded to have a grand rally
for thistle Seventh-ward, and since
1t was In the early fall the meeting
should take place In the open air. A
vacant block that had been turned into
a park was chosen, and the thousand
dollars was expended for beer, with a
liberal allowance of whisky and cheap
cigars. Realizing that the winning
over of this constituency would not be
accomplished by a simple appeal to
reason, l forbid my managers to tell
me of their plan, In order that l might
not be able to reveal it to my fancee-
Since she lived in the suburbs and was
not accustomed to attend political
meetings, l counted on her not know
ing what would occur In a rally in the
Seventh ward.
It. was arranged that l should not
reach the meeting until a fair proper
ton of the spirits had been imbibed.
This was carried out, and when I
stepped upon the platform to address
the meeting / was greeted by a chorus
Of appreciative yells. To further win
the favor of those present l told them
that 1 believed In the right of a free
American citizen to break the law
whenever it had beenspassed to curtail
his individual rights, and the citizens
of the Seventh ward were not account
able to the Sixth-a silk stocking ward
adjoining-as to what hour they went
to bed.