of ruin discard even for a moment the armor of honesty and truth.



AN ASPIRANT FOR CONGRESS


A few years ago, the "Hon." John Whimpery Brass, of Georgia, one of
the "thoughtful patriots" of the period, who now and then found
time to lay aside the cares of statecraft to nurse little private
jobs of his own, allured by the seductive offers of "Wogan & Co."
of New York City, wrote to that somewhat mythical concern proposing
to become their agent for the circulation of the "queer." Even
after receiving the first installment of their wares, the honorable
gentleman did not comprehend that the firm dealt exclusively in
sawdust, not in currency. He wrote again, complaining that, after
a journey of sixty miles over a rough road to the nearest reliable
express office, he found nothing but a worthless package, marked
"C. O. D.," awaiting him. Did Wogan & Co. distrust either his
parts or fidelity? He ventured to assert that no man in the State
could serve them so effectually. He had just run for Congress, and
though beaten at the polls by "fraud," intended to contest the seat
with the chances of success in his favor. The mountaineers among
whom he lived did not care whether the money in their pockets was
good or bad so long as it circulated. He could put thousands of
counterfeits afloat without the slightest fear of detection. His
constituency believed in him and would stand by him. Currency was
very scarce in that congressional district, and it would really be
doing his people a great favor to give them more. After setting
forth the mutual benefits to accrue from trusting him, he appealed