Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise., 1936-05-08
"Chirps'' ~
from the
Democrats Pen
from the

Well, Sir, somebody told me they
had an election in town on Monday
last, so after l was SO informed,
thanked my informant and went down
and voted for-well, blest if I haven't
almost forgotten who was running.
had some business which took me
past one of the polling places-Squair
Riley's Court House-and, seeing the
doors and windows open, I drew my
flivver up to the curb, got out TO
see what sort of trial was going on
in the hope I could get some interest
ing police news. When l went in,
looked around for the prisoners, but
couldn't exactly tell which one was
under arrest. Looked to me as II
the whole place should have been raid
cd, the way pennies, nickels and dimes
were tossed into one mans hands,
whom I took for the stakeholder OF
some gambling stunt. Pretty soon l
decided that as time was hanging so
heavily on their hands they'd all con-
cluded to toss into a pool enough
money to buy sufficient booze to get
soused on. However, when I learned
they weren't going to invest in any
thing but some bottles of "Coke," l
left, craving something stronger for
myself.
I then went in search of my own
voting hangout after was told about
the election, and when I at last, To-
Gated it, l was still in doubt about
what was going on. saw mighty
suspicious quartet seated around
table with some square pieces of
cardboard in their hands, on which
were printed very mysterious spots
and faces. Some of the boys looked
like they were real provoked, too, the
way the poor cards were slammed
down on the table, and / heard some
remarks about tricks, from which /
inferred somebody. was being imposed
upon. / found out that it was only
another way of killing time. Down
dC UIIc OLlACA PAoNO1 ~ "NS N~'
here it was "poke (r)."
But soon marked the short ballot
and went on my way pondering over
the various and varied situations as
one plods his way down the avenues
of time. How do you like that figure
Of speech?
Well, the election is over. hope
some of those I saw in the polling
places won't become slaves of any bad
habits, by reason of slipping into vices
as a result of unemployed time. So
far as the election is concerned it
doesn't look as if either candidate
voted on was very popular. Colonel
Breckinridge didn't influence many
lead pencil tips, and, by the same tok-
en- Colonel Roosevelt didn't either.
Around the polls it looked like Sun
day, and the only indication Of an cleo
ton / noticed was the blinds pulled
down at the county dispensary.
Now, somebody is going to ask how
in the world knew that. All ! can
say is, must tell the truth, and those
boys who were quenching their thirst
on Cooke" in the booth / mentioned
told me about it and while they didn't
say so, judged they thought the
bottled stuff they were driven to, was
a mighty poor substitute for the real
and only.
You know, I think the people here
should ought to be ashamed of them
selves. Just to think, presidential
primary on hand, and I'll bet not half
the voters here knew anything about
it. What was the matter with the
politicians. There wasn't any more
pep and life around the polls than
there is about the machinery left in
the building where the Shoe Manufac-
tory was. All the life left in that
project has been transferred to Snow
Hill. That burg is everlastingly get
ting something from Pocomoke. Don't
know whether they feel proud about
it or not. Depends.
But Monday didn't appear to be
either Breckenridge or Roosevelt day.
Some people must have gone a-fish-
ing; they couldn't go to the dispen-
sary. Just how they made out, I
don't know. Sometimes I've heard of
fishermen going to such places for
bait. But, when all is said and done,
pre-ordained results are bad for big
polls.