be cursed with a system similar to that introduced into the United
States by Burr and Jackson, and forcibly expressed by the words of
an unscrupulous politician, 'To the victor belongs the spoil.'"

Mr. Gurney became quite excited while he was making this speech,
for it was a subject upon which he had often thought, and with a
great deal of solicitude. In fact, it was about the only topic which
could have inspired him to speak with so much bitterness, and it
was also the only time any of his friends had seen him so animated
since his great bereavement. He was a man too broad in his views
to make principle subservient to party. He had a party, and believed
that it was necessary in the government of a country that such
should exist; but he would not be a mere tool and follow his leaders,
even though he could not endorse their policy. He said he would
not vote for a man whom he believed was unprincipled, even if his
party, through the caucus system, did make him their standard-bearer.
He was strongly of the opinion that men who were not pure in private
life should not be entrusted to conduct public affairs; and if the
party to which he gave allegiance chose such a man as their candidate,
he would not so violate his conscience as to give him his support,
for he would not trample his honor and principle in the dust for any
party.

As Mr. Gurney has given to my readers some idea of Judge McGullett
and Sheriff Bottlesby, I will give a sketch of Charles Dalton, the
one whose name had been associated with those two worthies.

He was the only son of Aunt Debie's youngest sister. This sister
had not married a Quaker, and in this respect differed from the
rest of the family. Her husband was, however, a farmer in very