Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 2.djvu/238

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��MALAGA.

��Even to this day the doctrine of. indi- vidual rights is strongly asserted by the mass of persons of whatever party name. In the days of the prolonged supremacy of the Democratic party, the lines of party distinction were drawn so clearly that scarely a Whig was ever permitted to represent the town at the General Court. Once, in 1844, there was a kind of general compromise be- tween parties, and Moses Colby, a Whig, and Samuel Colby, a Democrat,were sent to the legislature together. For quite a number of years there was a com- promise on the subject of selectmen, and a general consent gave the Whigs an- nually one member in a board of three ; but this arrangement was broken up by a fancied or real attempt of the Whigs to take more than their customarily al- lotted portion of the chosen.

Till the year 1855, when the Demo- crats lost the general control of political affairs in town for the first time, the con- stantly prevailing superiority had pre-

��vented the practice or necessity of much caucusing. A few leading ones put their heads together and gave a definite impulse to the party movement. The process worked very well, except when now and then an accident would happen, as, for instance, when a refractory can- didate insisted in pushing his private claims at all hazzards. Caucusing, however, had been practiced more or less previously to 1855, but since this date the closeness of the popular vote has often led to a degree of figuring and planning that can be easily compre- hended by all accustomed to watch the movements of political leadership in New Hampshire during the last quarter of a century.

We have shown, in a previous article, that the Democrats of this town held a majority on the Governor's vote till 1865. However, in 1 85 5 , the American party elected two representatives — Paul R. George and Timothy Colby — and three selectmen.

��MALAGA.

��BY VIANNA A. CONNOR.

��[This article from Miss Connor, written from Malaga last summer, having been mislaid, after its re- ception, is published at this time as not without interest, notwithstanding the delay.— Ed.]

��The streets of Malaga always pre- sent an animated appearance. One never sees here that dead calm which pervades many of our northern cities in midsummer. At all hours of the day the air resounds with the sonorous voices of men and boys calling out whatever they may have to sell.. Fish of all kinds, fruits, live turkeys and many other things may be obtained in this way, with the additional entertain- ment of listening to a loud and heated discussion between the servant and vender regarding the price. If the latter

��chances to be a boy, he summons a flood of tears to his assistance, having acquired, as a part of his occupation, the faculty of crying when occasion de- mands. The servant, accustomed to mechanical weeping, is immovable and the youthful imposter is finally com- pelled to receive a fair price for his wares.

Every afternoon at five o'clock, an old man with a bright, cheerful face passes our window calling out "bar- quillos" in a clear, musical voice which makes itself heard at a long distance.

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