Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 15.djvu/279



RECOLLECTIONS OF E. L. APPLEGATE 259

attempted explanation or interpretation of it would be more likely to befog than elucidate, he exclaimed, "Well, well; no light to be obtained here ! You are like the great multitude just read right along, swallowing it as you go, without taking into consideration what has gone before, or thought of what may come after in the book you are perusing. What an unre- flecting and inconsiderate generation ! Does not the book in which the golden rule appears admonish us that we must think no evil of our fellow men ; should have charity for all and put the best possible construction upon all their acts?" It was admitted that such was its teachings. "Well, then," he contin- ued, "am I not bound to believe that whatsoever a person does to me is what he wishes me to do to him. Is not this assump- tion a fair logical deduction from the premises?" It was sur- mised that some incident had caused him to weave this web, and some one asked him for the reason of his inquiry. "Well," he replied, "a few days ago a neighbor rode across my pasture, left the fence down and permitted my cattle and horses to stray away. When the fact was discovered by me this teaching of Holy Writ came to my mind, was deeply pondered, and the more I pondered the more charitably disposed I became, until at last I reached the conclusion that what he had done to me was what he wanted me to do to him, and therefore I rode across his pasture, left his fence down and let his stock stray away." In June, 1872, the regular biennial election of county officers occurred. "Lish" deposited his vote early in the morning at the polling place for Mohawk precinct and then came to Eugene to be at Republican headquarters when the returns were com- ing in. One of the candidates on the Republican ticket was not his choice. His favorite, although a staunch Republican, was running as an independent candidate. "Lish's" mental attitude being generally known, he was accused upon his arrival in town of not having voted the "straight" Republican ticket. He vigorously resented the allegation, and vehemently averred that he voted it as straight as a shingle. About midnight a messenger from Mohawk came to Republican headquarters bearing a report of the result of the election in that precinct.