Doctor Hissong was announced as a candidate for the Legislature. John
Freeman, his opponent, was making a vigorous canvass for the nomination
before the democratic primary. Freeman, unfortunately, saw fit to inject
personalities into the campaign, and sought to throw the old doctor into
a violent passion, possibly leading him to his old weakness of resorting
to liquor, but Doctor Hissong made his canvass upon a high plane,
appealing to the voters from a standpoint of the duties and
responsibilities involving this honor, and ignoring the petty thrusts of
his opponent.
Major LeCroix gave a burgoo at his locust grove on the river, to which
all the candidates were invited. It was an occasion which brought out
an immense crowd of farmers and town-people. "Turkle" Thompkins had been
engaged to make the burgoo, and the river country could not boast of
another such burgoo maker as "Turkle", for the making of burgoo soup
requires an experience born of long practice and care. Thompkins always
selected the best meats, of beef, mutton, chickens and squirrels, and
vegetables of corn, tomatoes, onions, cabbage and potatoes. The boiling
of this delicious soup was begun the night before. Darkies were stirring
the great kettles as "Turkle" went quietly around, adding some new
ingredient here and there. Others could make burgoo--a certain kind, but
not the Thompkins kind, for there was a lusciousness about his burgoo
that filled you with a satisfaction never known before--a something that
soothed your aching pangs--something that seemed to put your heart at
rest with all the world, and recall the words, "Fate cannot harm me; I
have dined to-day."
Above the smoke of the kettles, the sky was blue and dreamy; the river
was winding like a thread of silver through the quiet valley. The long
table of rough boards, with the row of tin cups and great stacks of
bread, was an inviting spectacle. The farmers stood around in groups,
discussing political questions and cropping prospects until "Turkle"
Thompkins announced dinner. Then came a merry clattering of tin cups as
"Turkle" came by with buckets of burgoo, dipping it out with a long
ladle. What an appetite each individual seemed to develop for this
open-air repast. After the dinner, preparations were made for the
speaking. The spot selected for the speaking was below the grove, where
an elm stump answered for a platform.
The candidates for the county offices were called for, and each one made
a short talk, asking the support of the voters. Doctor Hissong's name
was shouted. Unbuttoning his long blue coat, he drew forth a large red
silk handkerchief and wiped the gathering beads of perspiration from
his forehead. Pulling down his black velvet vest, he made a courtly bow,
took a drink of water from a gourd and began:
"Gentlemen and fellow citizens--It gives me transcendent happiness and
unalloyed pleasure to lend my humble presence to this sublime and
significant occasion, and I cannot permit this occasion to pass without
availing myself of the opportunity that this magnificent and intelligent
audience affords of presenting myself to you as the candidate for the
democratic nomination for the office of representative in the Kentucky
Legislature. It has been the pride of my life to proclaim myself as a
patriot; that I am a descendent of one who helped to make this country
free--'decori decus addit avoto,' and I have felt that the realization
of this patriotism and its dream that has clung to me through life,
would be in getting a system of locks and dams on the Kentucky
river--that river that winds through an enchantment of rocky cliffs and
hanging foliage; by mountains, cedar-tipped and mossy-green; by rolling
meadows, where the velvet softness of the blue-grass enriches this
idyllic picture--this stream that is famed in song and story, a perfect
Switzerland of enrapturing and delicious beauty. Here a thundering
waterfall and fragile foliage bending over the foam. Here cool and shady
ravines leading up to tranquil Edens, the voluptuous bends through an
enchantment of bloom and wildwood, losing themselves among the
rock-ribbed hills. This stream, bathed in the effulgence of the dropping
sun--the mingling afterglow of sunset and the primrose bloom of the
first stars, unfolds then with its majestic splendors to the enraptured
gaze. We are held spell-bound, my friends, as we see the bright moon
riding the hilltops and shining overhead,
"'The bright moon shining overhead,
The stream beneath the breeze's touch,
Are pure and perfect joys indeed,
But few are they who think them such.'"
The rough and rocky points are softened under the magic and seem to lean
lovingly toward the stream. Ah, to keep all of this loveliness stored
from human eye--I mean to lock and dam this stream for all humanity who
wish to journey thence and revel amid these splendors. 'Sic passem;
semper idem.' Not one measly lock and dam, but a system of locks by
which navigation could be advanced from the mountains to the Ohio,
developing the great resources of that wonderous possibility, wherein
the bema procliamus of nature we might find another Arch of Hadrian, or
the Tower of the Winds; where mountain peaks may rise like unto the
temple of Olympian Zeus, or the far away monument of Philopappos. Yes,
gentlemen, I stand for locking and damming the Kentucky river! 'Civis
Romanus Sum' was the proud utterance of the noble Roman, and the
proudest of that proud and conquering race never proclaimed himself such
with greater delight than I, that I am an American and a Democrat. With
my feeling of patriotism runs my devotion to the democratic party. But,
gentlemen, in saying that I am a Democrat, brings forward the great
existing issues between the two leading parties of the country. I might
go into a long discussion of the principles of those two parties, but in
a nutshell I can define the differences of such vital import to the
voters of this land. The principles of the Democratic party
represent--er, well, they represent the principles which that great
party stands for, and the principles of the Republican party, ahem! Yes,
sir, gentlemen, the principles of the Republican party represent the
principles for which the Democratic party won't stand! So there you have
it, and I defy any man to dispute this argument. I will not go into
discussion of its principles here. I have sought public preferment at
the hands of my party, but 'Ego, spembat pretio nionemonio,' sometimes
that preferment was accorded, at least, upon one occasion. No man has a
right to complain when, under any form of government, the people
withhold their indorsement, but every citizen has a right to complain if
the downfall of an aspirant is accomplished by foul and unfair means,"
(this last statement was made while looking toward Freeman). "I have
passed practically all of my life in your midst. A man should be honest,
with a courage to face the great truths opening to him."
Freeman interrupted him at this point, "A man should be courageous
enough to own his own children!"
"You sneaking hypocrite!" shouted Doctor Hissong, "You let one of your
own sisters die in poverty and distress!"
"You are a damned liar!" said Freeman.
Doctor Hissong leaped from the stand, a derringer in his hand. The crowd
fell back. Freeman fired point-blank at Hissong, but missed, then turned
to run. Doctor Hissong brought up his derringer and pulled the trigger.
Old Brad shouted, "You got him in de laig, doctah, but he runnin' yit!"
Freeman's son, Henry, the one who kicked Coaly that day in school,
caught up his father's pistol which had fallen to the ground, but as he
turned toward Doctor Hissong, Shawn sprang forward, knocking the
revolver from his hand.
The older men separated the younger combatants, and the crowd broke up
and turned homeward.