Rockingham post-dispatch. [volume] (Rockingham, N.C.) 1917-1965, 1922-09-14
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Why Men Leave
Home
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
By JAMES P. MeGRATH
g, 1912. Western Newspaper Union,

Charley McDougall, for many years
unehallenged boss Of the Democratic
! party in Oldsville. chewed the stub Of
defunct cigar yiciously.
"You're right, McOomb," he said to
| his principal lieutenant. 1--WE got TO
! hand It to them. The Republican
tickets goin' to make clean sweep
/ Of Oldsyille at the elections And
there amt no way to stop 'em. Those
silk stockings have us balled up In
| to regular knot. We got to hand It
to EN-"
'.This Is the gentleman was speak
ing about to you," said. McComb. He
has the reputation Of being very ell
Client organizer"
MeDougall snorted, and turned his
gaze upon the mild-eyed young man
! with the fair hair brushed smoothly
back from his forehead, who returned
his look In calm, modest way that
somehow ought to have carried con-
yiction though 1t did not.
.'What was your last job?' snorted
| Charley McDougall.
II was for four years professor OF
applied psychology at Wimbledon In
| stitute," replied the other modestly.
Charley snorted again. '.That'n 60
lot here" he answered. "Say what
can you dor"
'If my knowledge of human nature
Is correct, as l claim 1t to be-" an
swered the young man, II can 30 dis
organize the Republican ticket as to
carry every one Of your nominees to
victory"
"Tan TIMBER said Charley McDou-
gall. Nevertheless he surveyed the
young man with shade more interest
than before.
"Mr. Saunderson was instrumental
In securing the prohibition victory In
Dudley three years ago." put In Nc
Comb. You'll remember the leader
| Of the vets Withdrew from the contest
on the day before the election"
Yep, I remember. Suffering from
boils, wasn't he?" -
Eyes and no." said Mr.. Saunderson.
This time the dryness Of his tone
decidedly attracted the boss interest.
"Well, what en- you dof" he de-
manded.
II make no further claims, offer
no promises" said Saunderson quietly.
"My price, however, is twenty-five
thousand dollars if Mr.. Coffin with
draws from the mayoralty contest !;
| fifty thousand for Democratic vic
tory at the polls"
"How much DOWN."
"Thirty-eight cents" said Mr.. Saun-
derson. "tt's my principal expenses
in advance. / need thirty-eight cents
for postage"
Charley MeDougall dug into his
pockets and fished up quarter, q
dime, and three pennies. 'It's yours
boy, on the terms indicated" he said
| But he followed the erect depart.
ing form Of the young man with q
J scowl. "That guys sure some four
fiusher," he said. They'll put 1t ell
over on US, McComb."
l Five days before the elections an
astounding thing happened. A letter
appeared from Mr.. Coffin announcing
that owing to the grave condition Of
his health he had been ordered com
plete rest, and must therefore with
draw from politics altogether in point
Of fact, he was going on a long SCI
voyage.
Il Hardly had this b0mbshell exploded
In the Republican camp when il wal
announced that Fisher, the deadly Re
publican candidate for district attor
ney, had been found dead In his bath
room, with a bullet through his brain
The wound had been selfinfiicted.
Before the buzz Of this scandal ha,
died away four other Republican can
didates disappeared. They simpl,
vanished from their homes and club
and did not turn up again.
The Republican organization wa
dissolving like snow in midsummer
This, combined with vague inslnua
lions that they had not dared to fac
certain impending charges Of CORFU
ton, sufficed to bring the Democrat
organization home at the election
II with q humping majority.
a IA the middle of the jubilations q
! Roskoffsky's, where forty-fve exultan
! Democrats sat down to dinner, al
! peared an erect young man with fai
hair brushed back from his forehead
In the joy of victory Professor Saul
derson had somehow been overlooked
Charley McDougall was not the ma
] to forget his obligations. The fal
young man was pressed into a sea
/ piled with private stock champaign
5 and, as a boisterous finale to the ey
5 ming, chaired round the dining roor
u How d'you do 1t, boy?' asked Cha
! ley, as he wrote the professor h
check.
The professor, slightly stimulated
5 the wine, gave his secret away.
81 n. : d. vfsar.t hn -