CHAPTER XV.

JOBE, OUT OF TROUBLE, IS UNRULY AGAIN.

JOBE he is jist as contrary and stiff-necked as he ever was. He acts as though he had never went through what he has went through since last Noo Years. He is beginnin agin to act towards me as if I was his inferior; as though it wasent me who stuck up for him and fought his battles in time of trouble—yes, stood by him when all creation, office-seekin canderdates and all, had forsook him.

He now says the reason he did not pay off that other mortgage years ago was because it wasent made “payable in gold;” he says he believes in payin debts in “sound money,” and that he now feels sorry that he dident git gold and pay what he did pay on it; that he feels as though he has cheated Mr. Richer by payin him in greenbacks and silver and sich.

He says that he would ruther pay seven per cent. interest in gold than six per cent. interest in paper money or silver.

Then he gits up and swells out his boozum, and says:

“John Sherman is the greatest financier on airth. He has brought us to a gold basis quicker than any other livin man could a done it. He has taught old Cleveland all he knows about sound money.” And so forth and so forth.

He goes on in this way day in and day out until I am sick and tired of it. He even wants me to come out and be a Republican, when he knows I have been a Dimicrat for nigh onto thirty-five years.

When he is tellin the neighbors about how much better it is to pay debts in gold, and about us a givin a “gold mortgage” to the banker, he always calls it his mortgage and his doins. He never even mentions my name when speakin of the mortgage, when he knows as well as I do that both the old parties, as it were, made that gold mortgage, and that it is “our mortgage” and “our doins” that made it.

But that is the way with Jobe. As long as everything is goin along without trouble he wants all the glory; but as soon as trouble arises he tries to blame me for gittin him in it, and calls on me for help.

Now, as Betsy Gaskins, I am ashamed of that gold mortgage, and if I could have had my way I never would have signed it. Ide a dide fust. But as a Dimicrat I must approve it, to be in line with my party, and I think Jobe is mean that he dont speak of it as “our mortgage” and “our doins,” when he knows the highest paid Dimicrats in the land is jist as much in favor of “gold mortgages” as John Sherman or Mistur McKinley or any high-up Republicans are.

Haint Mistur Carlisle, who is drawin $8,000 a year (for work he ort a be a doin in the money department at Washington), spendin lots of time makin speeches for gold mortgages down in Kaintuckey?

Haint Carlisle a Dimicrat?

Dont Mistur Cleveland set up of nites and write letters favorin “gold mortgages,” and some nites like as not lets Mrs. Cleveland sleep all by herself?

What more has John Sherman done, or McKinley?

Jobe thinks because McKinley has spent all spring outside of Ohio, talkin “gold mortgages” and workin to git elected to the best payin office in the country, that he is intitled to all the credit for bringin about “gold mortgages.” Now, I dont believe it, though he was so bizzy at it that he had to have his salary as governor sent to him by mail for months.

Suppose my dream was true, and instid of us havin to give the banker a mortgage drawin seven per cent. interest (“interest and principal payable in gold”), that we, that is, Jobe and me, could have gone to the county treasurer of Tuscarawas County and a borrowed the same amount of paper and silver money (the same kind we got from the bank) at two per cent. interest, payable in any money of the government. Who would it a hurt?

Wouldent it a been better for Jobe and me? Wouldent we a had only $36 a year interest to pay to the county instid of $126 in gold to the bankers? Wouldent we a had more money to pay toward our home or to buy store goods with?

If we could spend $90 a year for store goods that we now have to pay as interest, wouldent that help the storekeepers a little?

Which would be the best for the storekeepers, for Jobe and his likes to have to pay high interest in gold, or low interest in any kind of good money?

There is another question I would like to ask you.

It is this: If the pay of the post-offices is big enough to pay a feller to buy them from Congressmen, and pay big money for them, haint it about time that the pay of such post-offices was cut down?

Why is a feller’s time what is glad to clear $300 or $400 a year doin anything else worth $1,500 or $2,000 for keepin the post-office?

Does it hurt their character so much? And why is it that all them fellers what sells post-offices, and most of them what buys em, favor a gold basis and gold mortgages and sich?

Are they afraid they will have to go back to their old jobs and less pay if they dont holler as the big fellers holler?