said the gentleman from
the state house. "Well,
if he does, he will get but few votes in Clay county if he ever runs
again" said several of the men. However, the governor appointed
only two of them, one at the penitentiary and one at another state
institution; and, had he known the facts as they were, he would never
have appointed them. One of them came to the prison to enter upon
his duties. He came into my office, held out his hand, and professed
to be delighted to see me. I turned and walked away from him, for
rather would I take the slimy form of a rattlesnake into my hand
than to touch the hand of this man. And the other party? He is not
much better. For some years he drew a salary from the state, but
was too busy masticating tobacco to do any real work. I have heard
him insult men because they were republicans, and I have heard him
apply his pet nick-name, that of "tape worm" to those that
he disliked - a filthy old man, a disgrace to our state. As I have
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stated, my own sins
are many. I have been wild and shiftless in my younger days; but I challenge
those two gentlemen or anyone to prove that I have ever lowered the dignity
of my office by either grafting from the inmates, directly or indirectly, (and
I have had many chances to do so) nor have I lived in open adultery
with a woman while having a wife and children of my own, for I never
succeeded in getting a wife - not to speak of two, and 1 have never
made "dates" with the
wives, sisters and daughters of the prisoners, on the pretence
that I possessed sufficient influence to get their relatives out
of prison; nor have I been a "chippy chaser" on the dark
streets of Lincoln, for most of my evenings were spent at the desk,
adjusting matters on the books that were left open by my predecessor,
who, however did not forget to draw his salary check. And snake number
three, what became of him? Why, he appealed to Warden Fenton for
the position as steward at the prison. When the
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