“We want lawyers, and bankers, and railroad owners, and monopolists, and speculators, and bondholders, and mine-owners and sich as our law-makers. These are the fellers what know all about farmin and teachin, and sellin goods, and diggin coal, and buildin houses, and workin mills, and makin things. Yes, Betsy, the fellers what do them things haint got sense enough to know anything about the things they do. Its the fellers what dont do them that knows all about them. [Illustration: “THE FUST TIME FOR NIGH ONTO TWENTY YEARS.”] “Now, Betsy, this bein the case, if you are a goin to wear bloomers, I want you to color that white leg black and work for the strait ticket, so, if the Dimicrats git in, we will have the same kind of men to make our laws as we would have if the Republicans git in. We must unite agin them Populists, Betsy, or the fust thing we know they will be a gittin in and passin them laws what Coxey is wantin passed, and then people what work for a livin will go to askin $1.50 a day—and a gittin it. I repeat it, Betsy, we must unite.” I was silent. Jobe, continerin, says: “Betsy, think over this and lets us two old parties hereafter live in peace and unite our efforts in keepin things jist as they are, and not go to complainin of hard times of our own makin.” It bein late, and not wishin to git into a argament with Jobe so soon arter his return to my boozum, I retired in silence, but I cant jist say that I swaller all of Jobe’s logic without peelin. I think I shall defer the colorin of that white leg for a few days, until we have discussed the subject further, and until I have obtained the full consent of the white leg side to the colorin act, remainin for the time ondecidedly yourn. CHAPTER XXVIII. TROUBLE WITH BILLOT. THERE may be hopes of my bloomers survivin the election, but I tell you it takes stitchin and soin to do it. That State platform ort a been like the county platform, or else the county platform like the State. Then my bloomers would a been all alike—both legs made of the same kind of stuff—and wouldent a needed this whippin and stitchin and soin. Jobe is in a fix agin. Our interest falls due the 20th of October, and you remember it is payable in gold. [Illustration: “Billot jist laffed at him.”] Well, what do you think? Jobe sold his hay and wheat to Billot, the miller, and took Billot’s note for $37.60, and yisterday, when Jobe went to git his money, Billot counted him out paper money for the amount. Jobe told him that he wanted gold. Billot jist laffed at him, and told Jobe that paper money was legal tender in sich bizness as this. [Illustration: “Jobe he got mad and called Billot a Populist.”] Jobe told him that we was on a “gold basis,” and that he had to have gold to pay Banker Vinting his interest. Billot said he had nothin to do with Jobe’s interest or Banker Vinting; that Jobe could take that paper money or nothin.