It worked all right.

I'm so unhealthy now in the sight of most folks in this town, that I cal'late they go home and sulphur-smoke their clothes after they meet me, so's not to catch my wickedness." But the teacher shook her head.
"That doesn't seem reason enough to me," she declared.

"Just see what Mr.Atkins has done.

He never openly advocated anything in town meeting before; you said so yourself.

Even when he must have realized that you had the votes for committeeman he kept still.