The Complete Works of Artemus Ward — Part 1: Essays, Sketches, and LettersWard, Artemus
General
The Complete Works of Artemus Ward — Part 1: Essays, Sketches, and Letters
Ward, Artemus
American wit and humor
Messrs. Senter and Coffinberry, two esteemed citizens, are the
candidates. Here's a faint attempt at a specimen scene. An
innocent German is discovered about half a mile from the polls of
this or that ward. A dozen ticket-peddlers scent him ("even as the
war-horse snuffs the battle," etc.), see him, and make a grand rush
for him. They surround him, each shoves a bunch of tickets under
his nose, and all commence bellowing in his ears. Here's the ticket
yer want--Coffinberry. Here's Senterberry and Coffinter. What the
h--l yer tryin' to fool the man for? Don't yer spose he knows who
he wants ter vote for, say! 'Ere's the ticket--Sen--Coff--don't
crowd--get off my toes, you d--d fool! Workin' men's tickets is the
ticket you want! To h--l wid yez workin' men's ticket, 'ere's the
ticket yez want! No, by Cot, vote for Shorge B. Senter--he says
he'll py all the peer for dems as votes for him as much more dan dey
can trinks, by tam! Senter be d--d! Go for Coffinberry!
Coffinberry was killed eight times in the Mexican war, and is in
favor of justice and Pop'lar Sovrinty! Oh gos! Senter was at the
battle of Tippe-ca-noo, scalped twelve Injuns and wrote a treatise
in Horse-shoeing! Don't go for Coffinberry. He's down on all the
Dutch, and swears he'll have all their heads chopped off and run
into sausages if he's lected. Do you know what George B. Senter
says about the Germans? He says by -- they're in the habit of
stealing LIVE American infants and hashing 'em up into head cheese.
By --! That's a lie! T'aint--I heard that say so with my own
mouth. Let the man alone--stop yer pullin--I'll bust yer ear for
yer yet. My Cot, my Cot, what tam dimes dese 'lections is. Well
yez crowd a poor Jarman till death, yer d--d spalpanes, yez? Sen--
Coff--Senterberry and Coffinter--Working Men's--Repub--Dem-whoop-h-
l-whooray-bully-y-e-o-u-c-h!!
The strongest side got the unfortunate German's vote and he went
sore and bleeding home and satisfied, no doubt, that this is a great
country, and that the American Eagle will continue to be a deeply
interesting bird while his wings are in the hands of patriots like
the above. Scenes like the above (only our description is very
imperfect) were played over and over again, at every ward in the
city, yesterday. Let us be thankful that the country is safe--but
we should like to see some of the ward politicians gauged to-day,
for we are confident the operation would exhibit an astonishing
depth of whiskey.
Hurrah for the Bar--Stangled Spanner!
1.63. FISHING EXCURSION.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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