Pensees: When Politics Gets it Right

When Politics Gets it Right

Here’s a little bit of tongue-in-cheek: politicians get it right sometimes!

Once North Carolina’s Zebulon B. (“Zeb”) Vance was out in the back country of his state campaigning for Congress and at a sudden turn in the road found himself in the midst of some church people having lunch outdoors after their worship service. When he appeared, the leader of the little flock greeted him cordially and invited him “to light and take a bite with us.” Vance accepted the invitation, fastened his horse to a tree, approached the congregation, and introduced himself as “Zeb Vance, Whig candidate for Congress.” All the time he was wondering, “What denomination is this? Methodist? Baptist? What?” But when he scanned the faces about him, he failed to get any light on the all-important question. “Mr. Vance,” said the leader of the flock as Vance sat down at the table, “what persuasion are you of?” Vance did some quick thinking. “My sainted grandfather was, during the later years of his long and useful life, a ruling elder in the Presbyterian church,” he said tentatively, but as he saw frowns and head-shakings, he went on: “But my father during long years of faithful service in the Master’s cause was an equally devout member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.” The frowns and headshakings continued, so he rallied himself for the last charge. “But, when I came to maturity,” he continued, “and was able, after prayer and meditation, to read and understand that blessed book myself, I came to the conculsion that the old Baptist church was right.” “Bless God!” exclaimed the old preacher, seizing Vance by the hand. “He is all right, brethren! Oh, you’ll get all the votes in these parts, Brother Vance!”

~Paul Boller, Congressional Anecdotes, p. 108