Taijitu World Building > Pre-Modern Era Fiction

Origins of the Republic of Megatridimensional Order (1780-1799)

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bigbaldben:
Petrus A Breath of Fresh Air, But Little More

Gerard Mandeville
Tuesday, May 14, 1780
Telembria Telegraph Editorial

Rathaleo, Telembria – There is little doubt that the candidacy of Philip Petrus is an invigorating breath of fresh air on the Telembrian political landscape.  Dominated by the Nationalist and Commonwealth parties, most voting Telembrians believed the possibility of a “third party” was a mere dream.  What other positions, after all, were there to take on the issues of the day that have not been fully addressed by the two major parties?  Petrus, fueled by plenty of money and honeyed words to the lower voting classes, has shown us, in the words of his campaign slogan: “There Is Always Another Way"

In ecoomics, Petrus has shown us that stable Nationalist financing of the government mixed with amendable finance of Commonwealth social programs are not mutually exclusive.  In civil rights, Petrus brings a fresh take of reasonableness to both parties’ increasing extremes of complete freedom vs. government control.  In lawmaking, Petrus presents an astoundingly detailed platform that defies conventional notions of the complexity of governance.  In foreign affairs, Petrus avoids labelling good and evil in other nations; instead opting for a tact arguably more fair than demonizing or beatifying foreign powers.

Petrus’ campaign has been a gentle, cleansing breeze and opens our eyes to new possibilities and different ways of thinking.  But with sweet air comes a reminder of how sour politics – our politics – has become.  Petrus has embarrassed us by pointing out our reliance on either/or propositions, and frightened us by exposing the corruption of the people we repeatedly elect.  There are more than a few citizens who do not respond well to embarrassment and fear.  The extreme wings of the Nationalist and Commonwealth parties have reacted with retreat into further extremism, as frightened wolves would back into their cave.

Take, for instance, Nationalist candidate Elsin I's most recent comments regarding Petrus: “I believe the limited success he has had is on the backs of the less educated citizens of Telembria, by filling their minds with fanciful notions that simply do not work in the real world.  Most educated people understand that experienced government officials are needed to navigate an increasingly complex political landscape.”

Commonwealth candidate Anda Fallow puts it thus:“If you look at the construction of his platform, it is shaky at best.  Thrown together by inexperienced carpenters, it is painfully obvious to the naked eye that his platform will not hold the weight of any decent Telembrian, and crowding on to it would be an act of insanity, as it would not but splinter into so many pieces.   It is, frankly, a waste of time that draws away real construction, real debate, and no more worthy of comment than a Durlothic fairy tale.”

To be a supporter of Petrus then, according to the esteemed candidates, is to be either uneducated or insane.  These are visceral reactions, attempting to dismiss Petrus out of hand, claiming that his views are so extreme that they do not qualify an opinion.  While this has worked in the past against fringe candidates like Howard Cobben in the mid-1700s, it does not appear to be working against Petrus, who is an infinitely better public speaker than Cobben.  Whatever one may think of his stances on political issues, Petrus does not strike one as anything but reasonable, while Nationalist and Commonwealth factions become increasingly shrill.

However, the reality is that the latest polling of the populace show Petrus a distant third, with only 24% of the vote (a high watermark for him) entering the late stages of the contest, with Elsin I and Fallow in a dead heat at 37% each.  Like Cobben, Petrus will likely be little more than a footnote in Telembrian politics.  Be that as it may, it is good – perhaps even proper – to give him his due.  May the freshness of his ideas, however brief, spur us to recognize just how stale we have become.

bigbaldben:
Mr. Philip Petrus
Lucid Party Campaign Headquarters
3800 Velsetto Drive
Rathaleo, Telembria

August 23, 1780

My dearest Philip,

I hope this letter finds you in good health and good spirits!  Though I miss you terribly,  I know it is but a small price to sacrifice for the good of the nation, which I know you have penultimate in your heart, second only to GOD’s will.

Marquette has done a fabulous job of maintaining the farm in your absence, though some of the workers have complained that he is a much harsher taskmaster than his father.  He may be overcompensating to atone for his inexperience, but then I always have thought you treated the workers too genially.

I have, of course, kept up with all your travels and speeches in the papers.  Depending on which newspaper I read, you are either Telembria’s savior or its doom.  Needless to say, the Gazette seems the more reliable of the two, giving more favorable coverage than the Post.

And now, my darling, I cannot put off any longer the main reason for my letter.  Though it pains me to know this will be a distraction to you, I feel I cannot in good conscience keep this from you.  Two nights ago, Ryne MacAlister and another police officer brought Rain Elyse to our door.  It seems she was drinking heavily and creating a disturbance and, well, not behaving at all like a respectable lady of nineteen. 

According to Mr. MacAlister, there was an argument of some sort at the local drinking establishment between Rain Elyse and five gentlemen (though they certainly were NOT), which turned into an all-out brawl.  I was mortified, to be sure; there was no part of me that did not wish I could sink unseen through the floor.  However, I believe there will be a part of you that will be (I hesitate to say it though I know it to be true) in some way proud of the fact that four of the five men ended up in Doctor Vietris house to be stitched up.  The fifth, Mr. MacAlister said, have escaped injury solely from the fact that, when the melee began, he was the one who ran and retrieved the authorities.

As you might expect, Marquette was furious at his sister, but even still, I had to talk to him for some time in a (thankfully) successful effort to keep him from heading into the early morning hours to exact some revenge on her opponents.

I am grateful to Mr. MacAlister for his discretion and it is only your friendship with him that saved us from incredible scandal, I am sure! 

Philip, please write to your daughter and exhort her to behave as her age and rank should dictate.  You are the only one she has ever listened to.  I am afraid my patience is at an end and when I spoke to her the next day, I found myself using words unbecoming.

Thank you, my love and I am sorry that I should relay this news; yet better me than some splenetic, spiteful reporter.

Your devoted wife,
Angeline

bigbaldben:

bigbaldben:
The Telembrian
September 21, 1786


"...election. The Act, which prohibits a candidate from campaigning if the
candidate is not a Commonwealth or Nationalist party member in good
standing, took effect in June 1782 in a non-publicized vote.  Petrus stated
his intention to run for national office yet again, in spite of the Act.  “I cannot,
with any good conscience, allow our government to repossess the liberty that
has heretofore been claimed, through much anguish, by the people of this great
nation.  I especially cannot do so, when that liberty is reclaimed for the false
assumption that the citizens are not to be trusted.”  King’s President Anda
Fallow defended the law and warned those who would “upon a whim, dis-
regard the sacred rule of law that has guided Telembrian principles since the ..."

bigbaldben:
[This letter is believed to be unread by the intended recipient.  It was found during renovations of a home in the heart of Rathaleo in 1841.]

Mr. Philip Petrus
Telembrian Justice Department
200 Palumbus Street
Rathaleo, Telembria

December 20, 1787

Dearest Father,

I trust this letter will find its way to your hands and that the fascist monsters who currently rule the government will not censure, as they have claimed not to do.  Rest assured, you are not forgotten, nor are your efforts in vain.  There is an outcry throughout Telembria for justice, and for your release from imprisonment.  I am my Father's daughter in my skepticism - as I have said, people will turn a blind eye to injustice after injustice until the sum is too great to be ignored or the people too few to make a difference.  The sum, I say confidently, has become too great.

And that is why I am leading the march on Rathaleo several weeks hence.  By the time you read this, we will already be on our way, 10000 strong, and demand to be heard.  We will be heard.  Our friends in other provinces are marching similar numbers, and we are doing our best to coordinate our efforts.  It is difficult over the miles, and we have lost more than one messenger to the President-King's army. 

Our spies tell us the King's army is gath'ring in Rathaleo, so we do not anticipate much in the way of a surprise.  However, our numbers are larger already than most of the estimates in the Telembrian and the Telegraph.  Trust me, Father, I have no youthful ideas that this will be easy, or even that many of us will return alive.  But we must.  Your imprisonment is only the last of many straws.

I must close, for I have much to prepare.  Mother sends her love and is busy baking and sewing for the march.  She frets as always, and as you know, I cannot fully reassure her.  But she is a woman of principle, and is steadfastly supporting the cause.  Marquette sends his love as well.

Your daughter,
Rain

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