Members in general aint to be depended on, I tell you.  Politics makes a man as crooked as a pack does a pedlar; not that they are so awful heavy, neither, but it teaches A man to stoop in the long run.  Arter all, there’s not that difference in ’em (at least there aint in Congress) one would think, for if one of them is clear of one vice, why, as like as not, he has another fault just as bad.  An honest farmer, like one of these Cumberland folks, when he goes to choose atwixt two that offers for votes, is jist like the flying fish.  That are little critter is not content to stay to home in the water, and mind its business, but he must try his hand at flyin, and he is no great dab at flyin, neither.  Well, the moment he’s out of water, and takes to flyin, the sea fowl are arter him, and let him have it; and if he has the good luck to escape them, and makes a dive into the sea, the dolphin, as like as not, has a dig at him, that knocks more wind out of him than he got while aping the birds, a plagy sight.  I guess the Blue Noses know jist about as much about politics as this foolish fish knows about flyin.  All critters in natur are better in their own element.

It beats cock fightin, I tell you, to hear the Blue Noses, when they get together, talk politics.  They have got three or four evil spirits, like the Irish Banshees, that they say cause all the mischief in the Province—­the Council, the Banks, the House of Assembly and the Lawyers.  If a man places a higher valiation on himself than his neighbors do, and wants to be a magistrate before he is fit to carry the ink horn for one, and finds himself safely delivered of a mistake, he says it is all owing to the Council.  The members are cunnin critters, too; they know this feelin, and when they come home from Assembly, and people ax ’em “where are all them are fine things you promised us?” why, they say, we’d a had ’em all for you, but for that etarnal Council, they nullified all we did.  The country will come to no good till them chaps show their respect for it, by covering their bottoms with homespun.  If a man is so tarnation lazy he wont work, and in course has no money, why he says its all owin to the banks, they wont discount, there’s no money, they’ve ruined the Province.  If there beant a road made up to every citizen’s door, away back to the woods (who as like as not has squatted there) why he says the House of Assembly have voted all the money to pay great men’s salaries, and there’s nothin left for poor settlers, and cross roads.  Well, the lawyers come in for their share of cake and ale, too; if they don’t catch it, its a pity.