sunshine sketches of a little town-第30部分

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DRONE　AND　HONESTY　the　wind　carried　it　away　into　the　lake。

The　fight　was　really　between　Smith　and　Bagshaw；　and　everybody　knew　it
from　the　start。

I　wish　that　I　were　able　to　narrate　all　the　phases　and　the　turns　of
the　great　contest　from　the　opening　of　the　campaign　till　the　final
polling　day。　But　it　would　take　volumes。

First　of　all；　of　course；　the　trade　question　was　hotly　discussed　in
the　two　newspapers　of　Mariposa；　and　the　Newspacket　and　the
Times…Herald　literally　bristled　with　statistics。　Then　came　interviews
with　the　candidates　and　the　expression　of　their　convictions　in　regard
to　tariff　questions。

〃Mr。　Smith；〃　said　the　reporter　of　the　Mariposa　Newspacket；　〃we'd　like
to　get　your　views　of　the　effect　of　the　proposed　reduction　of　the
differential　duties。〃

〃By　gosh；　Pete；〃　said　Mr。　Smith；　〃you　can　search　me。　Have　a　cigar。〃

〃What　do　you　think；　Mr。　Smith；　would　be　the　result　of　lowering　the　ad
valorem　British　preference　and　admitting　American　goods　at　a
reciprocal　rate？〃

〃It's　a　corker；　ain't　it？〃　answered　Mr。　Smith。　〃What'll　you　take；
lager　or　domestic？〃

And　in　that　short　dialogue　Mr。　Smith　showed　that　he　had
instantaneously　grasped　the　whole　method　of　dealing　with　the　press。
The　interview　in　the　paper　next　day　said　that　Mr。　Smith；　while
unwilling　to　state　positively　that　the　principle　of　tariff
discrimination　was　at　variance　with　sound　fiscal　science；　was　firmly
of　opinion　that　any　reciprocal　interchange　of　tariff　preferences　with
the　United　States　must　inevitably　lead　to　a　serious　per　capita
reduction　of　the　national　industry。

〃Mr。　Smith；〃　said　the　chairman　of　a　delegation　of　the　manufacturers
of　Mariposa；　〃what　do　you　propose　to　do　in　regard　to　the　tariff　if
you're　elected？〃

〃Boys；〃　answered　Mr。　Smith；　〃I'll　put　her　up　so　darned　high　they
won't　never　get　her　down　again。〃

〃Mr。　Smith；〃　said　the　chairman　of　another　delegation；　〃I'm　an　old
free　trader〃

〃Put　it　there；〃　said　Mr。　Smith；　〃so'm　I。　There　ain't　nothing　like
it。〃

〃What　do　you　think　about　imperial　defence？〃　asked　another　questioner。

〃Which？〃　said　Mr。　Smith。

〃Imperial　defence。〃

〃Of　what？〃

〃Of　everything。〃

〃Who　says　it？〃　said　Mr。　Smith。

〃Everybody　is　talking　of　it。〃

〃What　do　the　Conservative　boys　at　Ottaway　think　about　it？〃　answered
Mr。　Smith。

〃They're　all　for　it。〃

〃Well；　I'm　fer　it　too；〃　said　Mr。　Smith。

These　little　conversations　represented　only　the　first　stage；　the
argumentative　stage　of　the　great　contest。　It　was　during　this　period；
for　example；　that　the　Mariposa　Newspacket　absolutely　proved　that　the
price　of　hogs　in　Mariposa　was　decimal　six　higher　than　the　price　of
oranges　in　Southern　California　and　that　the　average　decennial　import
of　eggs　into　Missinaba　County　had　increased　four　decimal　six　eight
two　in　the　last　fifteen　years　more　than　the　import　of　lemons　in　New
Orleans。

Figures　of　this　kind　made　the　people　think。　Most　certainly。

After　all　this　came　the　organizing　stage　and　after　that　the　big
public　meetings　and　the　rallies。　Perhaps　you　have　never　seen　a　county
being　〃organized。〃　It　is　a　wonderful　sight。

First　of　all　the　Bagshaw　men　drove　through　crosswise　in　top　buggies
and　then　drove　through　it　again　lengthwise。　Whenever　they　met　a
farmer　they　went　in　and　ate　a　meal　with　him；　and　after　the　meal　they
took　him　out　to　the　buggy　and　gave　him　a　drink。　After　that　the　man's
vote　was　absolutely　solid　until　it　was　tampered　with　by　feeding　a
Conservative。

In　fact；　the　only　way　to　show　a　farmer　that　you　are　in　earnest　is　to
go　in　and　eat　a　meal　with　him。　If　you　won't　eat　it；　he　won't　vote　for
you。　That　is　the　recognized　political　test。

But；　of　course；　just　as　soon　as　the　Bagshaw　men　had　begun　to　get　the
farming　vote　solidified；　the　Smith　buggies　came　driving　through　in
the　other　direction；　eating　meals　and　distributing　cigars　and　turning
all　the　farmers　back　into　Conservatives。

Here　and　there　you　might　see　Edward　Drone；　the　Independent　candidate；
wandering　round　from　farm　to　farm　in　the　dust　of　the　political
buggies。　To　each　of　the　farmers　he　explained　that　he　pledged　himself
to　give　no　bribes；　to　spend　no　money　and　to　offer　no　jobs；　and　each
one　of　them　gripped　him　warmly　by　the　hand　and　showed　him　the　way　to
the　next　farm。

After　the　organization　of　the　county　there　came　the　period　of　the
public　meetings　and　the　rallies　and　the　joint　debates　between　the
candidates　and　their　supporters。

I　suppose　there　was　no　place　in　the　whole　Dominion　where　the　trade
questionthe　Reciprocity　questionwas　threshed　out　quite　so
thoroughly　and　in　quite　such　a　national　patriotic　spirit　as　in
Mariposa。　For　a　month；　at　least；　people　talked　of　nothing　else。　A　man
would　stop　another　in　the　street　and　tell　him　that　he　had　read　last
night　that　the　average　price　of　an　egg　in　New　York　was　decimal　ought
one　more　than　the　price　of　an　egg　in　Mariposa；　and　the　other　man
would　stop　the　first　one　later　in　the　day　and　tell　him　that　the
average　price　of　a　hog　in　Idaho　was　point　six　of　a　cent　per　pound
less　（or　more；he　couldn't　remember　which　for　the　moment）　than　the
average　price　of　beef　in　Mariposa。

People　lived　on　figures　of　this　sort；　and　the　man　who　could
remember　most　of　them　stood　out　as　a　born　leader。

But　of　course　it　was　at　the　public　meetings　that　these　things　were
most　fully　discussed。　It　would　take　volumes　to　do　full　justice　to　all
the　meetings　that　they　held　in　Missinaba　County。　But　here　and　there
single　speeches　stood　out　as　masterpieces　of　convincing　oratory。
Take；　for　example；　the　speech　of　John　Henry　Bagshaw　at　the　Tecumseh
Corners　School　House。　The　Mariposa　Times…Herald　said　next　day　that
that　speech　would　go　down　in　history；　and　so　it　will；ever　so　far
down。

Anyone　who　has　heard　Bagshaw　knows　what　an　impressive　speaker　he　is；
and　on　this　night　when　he　spoke　with　the　quiet　dignity　of　a　man　old
in　years　and　anxious　only　to　serve　his　country；　he　almost　surpassed
himself。　Near　the　end　of　his　speech　somebody　dropped　a　pin；　and　the
noise　it　made　in　falling　fairly　rattled　the　windows。

〃I　am　an　old　man　now；　gentlemen；〃　Bagshaw　said；　〃and　the　time　must
soon　come　when　I　must　not　only　leave　politics；　but　must　take　my　way
towards　that　goal　from　which　no　traveller　returns。〃

There　was　a　deep　hush　when　Bagshaw　said　this。　It　was　understood　to
imply　that　he　thought　of　going　to　the　United　States。

〃Yes；　gentlemen；　I　am　an　old　man；　and　I　wish；　when　my　time　comes　to
go；　to　depart　leaving　as　little　animosity　behind　me　as　possible。　But
before　I　do　go；　I　want　it　pretty　clearly　understood　that　there　are
more　darn　scoundrels　in　the　Conservative　party　than　ought　to　be
tolerated　in　any　decent　community。　I　bear；〃　he　continued；　〃malice
towards　none　and　I　wish　to　speak　with　gentleness　to　all；　but　what　I
will　say　is　that　how　any　set　of　rational　responsible　men　could
nominate　such　a　skunk　as　the　Conservative　candidate　passes　the　bounds
of　my　comprehension。　Gentlemen；　in　the　present　campaign　there　is　no
room　for　vindictive　abuse。　Let　us　rise　to　a　higher　level　than　that。
They　tell　me　that　my　opponent；　Smith；　is　a　common　saloon　keeper。　Let
it　pass。　They　tell　me　that　he　has　stood　convicted　of　horse　stealing；
that　he　is　a　notable　perjurer；　that　he　is　known　as　the
blackest…hearted　liar　in　Missinaba　County。　Let　us　not　speak　of　it。
Let　no　whisper　of　it　pass　our　lips。

〃No；　gentlemen；〃　continued　Bagshaw；　pausing　to　take　a　drink　of　water；
〃let　us　rather　consider　this　question　on　the　high　plane　of　national
welfare。　Let　us　not　think　of　our　own　particular　interests　but　let　us
consider　the　good　of　the　country　at　large。　And　to　do　this；　let　me
present　to　you　some　facts　in　regard　to　the　price　of　barley　in
Tecumseh　Township。〃

Then；　amid　a　deep　stillness；　Bagshaw　read　off　the　list　of　prices　of
sixteen　kinds　of　grain　in　sixteen　different　places　during　sixteen
years。

〃But　let　me　turn；〃　Bagshaw　went　on　to　another　phase　of　the　national
subject；　〃and　view　for　a　moment　the　price　of　marsh　hay　in　Missinaba
County〃

When　Bagshaw　sat　down　that　night　it　was　felt　that　a　Liberal　vote　in
Tecumseh　Township　was　a　foregone　conclusion。

But　here　they　hadn't　reckoned　on　the　political　genius　of　Mr。　Smith。
When　he　heard　next　day　of　the　meeting；　he　summoned　some　of　his
leading　speakers　to　him　and　he　said：

〃Boys；　they're　beating　us　on　them　statissicks。　Ourn　ain't　good
enough。〃

Then　he　turned　to　Nivens　and　he　said：

〃What　was　them　figures　you　had　here　the　other　night？〃

Nivens　took　out　a　paper　and　began　reading。

〃Stop；〃　said　Mr。　Smith；　〃what　was　that　figure　for　bacon？〃

〃Fourteen　million　dollars；〃　said　Nivens。

〃Not　enough；〃　said　Mr。　Smith；　〃make　it　twenty。　They'll　stand　for　it；
them　farmers。〃

Nivens　changed　it。

〃And　what　was　that　for　hay？〃

〃Two　dollars　a　ton。〃

〃Shove　it　up　to　four；〃　said　Mr。　Smith：　〃And　I　tell　you；〃　he　added；
〃if　any　of　them　farmers　says　the　figures　ain't　correct；　tell　them　to
go　to　Washington　and　see　for　themselves；　say　that　if　any　man　wants
the　proof　of　your　figures　let　him　go　over　to　England　and　ask；tell
him　to　go　straight　to　London　and　see　it　all　for　himself　in　the
books。〃

After　this；　there　was　no　more　trouble　over　statistics。　I　must　say
though　that　it　is　a　wonderfully　convincing　thing　to　hear　trade
figures　of　this　kind　properly　handled。　Perhaps　the　best　man　on　this
sort　of　thing　in　the　campaign　was　Mullins；　the　banker。　A　man　of　his
profession　simply　has　to　have　figures　of　trade　and　population　and
money　at　his　fingers'　ends　and　the　effect　of　it　in　public　speaking　is
wonderful。

No　doubt　you　have　listened　to　speakers　of　this　kind；　but　I　question
whether　you　have　ever　heard　anything　more　typical　of　the　sort　of
effect　that　I　allude　to　than　Mullins's　speech　at　the　big　rally　at　the
Fourth　Concession。

Mullins　himself；　of　course；　knows　the　figures　so　well　that　he　never
bothers　to　write　them　into　notes　and　the　effect　is　very　striking。

〃Now；　gentlemen；〃　he　said　very　earnestly；　〃how　many　of　you　know　just
to　what　extent　the　exports　of　this　country　have　increased　in　the　last
ten　years？　How　many　could　tell　what　per　cent。　of　increase　there　has
been　in　one　decade　of　our　national　importation？〃then　Mullins　paused
and　looked　round。　Not　a　man　knew　it。

〃I　don't　recall；〃　he　said；　〃exactly　the　precise　amoun