The more they knocked, the more oleo-margarine became his beaming
Countenance, for he knew that Calumny avails naught against a White
Tie in the Hot-Bed of cut-and-dried Orthodoxy.
He played the social String from the W.C.T.U. to the Elks and was a
blood-brother of the Tin Horn and the acidulated Elder with the scant
Skilligans.
In order to keep the High-Binders and the Epworth Leaguers both on his
Staff at one and the same time, he had to be some Equilibrist, so he
never hoisted a Slug except in his own Office, where he kept it behind
the Supreme Court Reports.
When he went out the third time for the same Job, the Voters saw it
was no use trying to block him off, so he landed.
In the full crimson of Triumph, with new Patent Leather Shoes and as
much as $40 in his Kick at one time, he never forgot for a moment that
he was a servant of the Pe-hee-pul and might want to run for something
else in the near future.
He tempered Justice with Mercy and quashed many an Indictment if the
Defendant looked like a grateful Geezer who might be useful in his own
Precinct.
No one dared to attack him because of the fact that he had delivered
a Lecture to the eager young souls at the Y.M.C.A., in which he had
exhibited a Road Map and proved that adherence to the Cardinal Virtues
leads unerringly to Success.
At the age of thirty-two he broke into the Legislature and began to
wear a White Vest, of the kind affected by the more exclusive Bar
Tenders. Also a variety of Shroud known as the Prince Albert.
He was fearless in discussing any proposed Measure that did not worry
the Farmer Vote in his own District.
As for Wall Street and the Plunderbund, when he got after them, he was
a raving Bosco. A regular Woof-Woofer and bite their heads off.
About the time he came up for re-election, a lot of
Character-Assassins tried to shell-road him and hand him the Gaff and
crowd him into the 9-hole.
They said he had been flirting with the Corporations and sitting in on
Jack-Pots and smearing himself at the Pie Counter.
Did they secure his Goat by such crude Methods?
Not while the 5-octave Voice and the enveloping Prince Albert and the
snow-white Necktie were in working Trim.
He went over the whole District in an Auto (one of the fruits of his
Frugality), and everywhere that Sylvester went the American Eagle was
sure to go, riding on the Wind-Shield, and a Starry Banner draped over
the Hood.
He waved aside all Charges made against him. To give them serious Heed
would be an Insult to the high Intelligence of the Hired Hands
gathered within Sound of his Voice. He believed in discussing the
Paramount Issues.
So he would discuss them in such a way that the Railway Trains passing
by were no interruption whatsoever.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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