Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 87, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 July 1898 — RETIRED STATESMAN OWNS UP. [ARTICLE]

RETIRED STATESMAN OWNS UP.

In All Trades Are Many Tricks, sad Sometimes In Politics. “I’m what you might call a retired statesman,” said the old lawyer, whose practice is chiefly that of a counselor. “But before the war I was in politics up to my eyes,” and his face grew younger with the memory, says the Detroit Free Press. “I was in Kentucky, and the first time I ran for congress 1 beat one of the best campaigners in that state, and no state has better. He was a veteran who had been over the course several times, and sneered at the thought of my being a serious opponent. He had the old system of being a hail fellow well met, gossiped by the hour with the women, kissed the babies while he was filling them up with candy and jollied along w ith the men as though each one was his especial friend. 1 knew it was no use to fight him at his own game, so 1 invented some new tactics. “Without the fact attracting any particular attention, it was made public that there were to be from three to five shootingmatchesand all-around tournaments in each county of the district. Nothing is dearer to the heart of the real Kentuckian. I was ah athlete and a good shot, and I was at every one of these contests. I knew just who to beat and who not to beat. When the county hod a champion it w-as proud if he always got the best of me, and I sounded his praises till the male population were fighting friends of mine. My opponent did not shine in feats of strength or skill, and I smoothly managed to create a sentiment wherever I went that the women had better send one of their own number to congress if they were to run the elections; for my part, I believed that the men should run the government. I won easily, and I kept right on winning until I left the state.”