entitled tales of politicks and its practitioners , recounted for general divertissement by a horace ploughman , the book purported to be a complete account of the subsequent discussion : is it not a striking factum , sagely observed missouri congressman girard bonifant , to the group of elected eaters dining with him in january of 1867 , as told by ploughman , that we gentlemen partook of taliaferros stew september last , and withal the great noise made against our persons in the late contest , still we are again in vicinity , one and tother . ''