He is not to blame for this, but inspecting
his record I find that within a month after he joined the army he was
detailed for service in the hospital, and during the two years of his
connection with the army he was never engaged in a single battle, not
even in a skirmish."
Cries rose from certain parts of the hall in opposition to the speaker,
and Deacon Mason remarked that while it was perfectly proper to compare
the war records of the two candidates for the position, it must be borne
in mind that because a man was a soldier, or, rather, because he did a
little more fighting than the other one, was no reason that he would
make a better tax collector.
The Moderator's remarks were greeted with applause, and Strout's face
brightened.
"I am glad to see the Deacon's bound to have fair play," said he to an
old farmer who sat next to him.
"Waal, I guess you're more liable to git it than you are disposed to
give it," drawled the old farmer, who evidently was not an adherent of
the present incumbent of the office.
Mr. Tobias Smith continued his remarks:
"I acknowledge the correctness of the remarks just made by our honored
Moderator, and desire to say that I hold in my hand a third document,
which is a statement of the taxes due and collected during the past
twenty years by the different persons who have held the office of tax
collector.
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