21 8 Life and Sport on the Pacific Slope 



to submit his cheek to the virgin blade of a lady- 

 barber? Not I assuredly. She answered quite 

 composedly: "Oh, I practised on my husband — 

 he didn't mind." And the public "doesn't mind" 

 the practising of the journalist, not even when the 

 pen pricks or stabs. It (the public) demands some- 

 thing stimulating, pungent, well-spiced, and if the 

 pepper makes it sneeze, what of it ? 



But you cannot explain all this to the travelling 

 Briton. 



Politics in the West, even more than in the East, 

 is a profession, a profession moreover that exacts 

 undivided energies and which unfits a man for 

 other callings. No citizen is so stupid and in- 

 capable as to be ineligible for state service as a 

 candidate, but the people, as a general rule, are 

 unwilling to entrust their interests to a gaolbird. 

 I remember two men who were candidates for 

 the office of District Attorney. One had served 

 before, the other was a young man conducting his 

 first campaign. The veteran was speaking in a 

 small town, and after setting forth his own claims, 

 he spoke as follows of his opponent : " My friends, 



I understand that Mr. X is in every sense a 



worthy and honourable man, but I ask you to re- 

 member that he has never been tried — he has 

 never been tried!* 



"That's so," exclaimed a voice. "You've been 

 tried, old man, hav'n't you? And convicted too, by 

 Golly!" 



After due inquiry it appeared that the veteran 

 had, indeed, been indicted for horse-stealing, and 

 convicted. He was not elected. 



