ing but thieves and rascals. Just look at
the whole thing. It's founded on lies and corruption and scoundrelism.
That's their foundation. They start out on it, and it ain't reasonable to
expect anything better of them. Good Lord! If I thought Tom Scott would
join the Democrats, I believe I'd blow his brains out in his crib this
minute."

Tom's part in this discussion was that of a large-minded and strictly
impartial listener. This was the position he invariably assumed when
surrounded by political argument. He was not a politician. His comments
upon political subjects being usually of a sarcastic nature, and likely
to prove embarrassing to both parties.

"Yes," he said in reply to the Judge's outpourings, "you're right. There
ain't a chance for them, not an eternal chance. You can't expect it, and
it ain't all their fault either. Where are they to get their decent men
from, unless some of you fellows go over? Here you are without a liar or
a fool among you--not a durned one--made a clean sweep of all the
intellect and honesty and incorruptible worth in the country and hold on
to it too, and then let out on these fellows because there isn't any left
for 'em. I'm a lazy man myself and not much on argument, but I must say
that's a weak place in your logic. You don't give 'em a show at the
start--that's their misfortune."

"Oh, go to thunder!" roared the Judge, amiably. "You don't know the first
thing about it and never did. That's where you fail--in politics. The
country would be in a mighty poor fix if we had many fellows like you--in
a mighty poor fix. You're a good citizen, Tom, but you ain't a
politician."

"That's so," said Tom. "I ain't good enough for your party or bad enough
for the other, when a man's got to be either a seraphim or a Democrat,
there isn't much chance for an ordinary fellow to spread himself."

Whereupon the Judge in an altogether friendly manner consigned him to
thunder again and, evidently enjoying himself immensely, proceeded to the
most frightful denunciations of Thatcher and his party, the mere list of
whose crimes and mental incapacities should have condemned them to
perdition and the lunatic asylum upon the spot without further delay.

While he was in the midst of this genial loud-voiced harangue, his wife,
who had been in the back room with the baby, came out and, on seeing her,
he seemed suddenly to forget his animosities and the depraved political
condition of the country altogether