STICK

STICK, n. An antiquated, English, outhouse tool consisting of a small, elongated scrape with a handle. Used to clean the hinder parts after defecation. 
In privies having more than one depository, there was often cut in the wall a hole through which the stick could be passed—the possessor naturally using most of the handle to do so, leaving the recipient to grasp “the short end.”
Since that time, civilization has made great progress. The increase has elevated the standard of living in the developed nations, most notably the United States where, during each election cycle, the population is commonly presented with a choice between two short ends.