Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1860-07-19
Miseellaneolls.
John Hanks the Rail Splitter.
He Rtutes the .Statesman's Falsehood.

He Refutes the Statesman's Falsehood.
We thank the Columbus Statesman for
one of its falsehoods, for it has called out
a letter from Mr.. Lincoln's fellow rail maui
er, John Hanks:
FDIroR OF THE DECATUR CHRONICLE
DEAR SIR:-Tbe following item appeared
in the Columbus Statesman a few days
ago, which l take from the Cole County
Ledger:
"HANKS AGAINST LINCOLN"
"We were informed day or two ago by
delegate to the Baltimore Convention,
who called at our Office, that John Hanks
the man who assisted Abe Lincoln to make
those rails about which the Republicans
are making such terrible hubbub, has an
nounced himself opposed to the election of
Lincoln. Hanks, who has never been a
Democrat, is against the Republican nom
inee because he knows Lincoln to be a
humbug, and nothing else. Hurrah for
Hanks!'
To this article desire briefly to reply.
If my choice for President, or how shall
vote as between the candidates for that
office, is worth considering at all, l claim
it as a simple right to be correctly repre-
sented. am but farmer, and regret to
say not an educated one. have never
been candidate for any Office, nor do l
expect ever to be; whilst l can with all
truthfulness say this, yet have never been
negative man in politics. From my boy
hood have been constant voter with the
Democratic party in all essential elections;
have thought that party to be upright
and straight forward in all the principles it
has really adopted. So late as 1853 vo-
ted for Mr.. Douglas and against my old
friend Lincoln. For forty year. have
looked upon the party with pride and hail
ed its success with pleasure; but as Mr..
Douglas made speech in Decatur in 1858,
and in my hearing spoke so pleasantly and
honorably of the OLD Wbig party and Of
Mr.. Clay, its leader, after having for fifteen
years, in discussing general politics, when
l used to love to listen to him so well, spoke
so complainingly and so abusively of that
party and Of Mr.. Clay, charging upon it
and him many bad and mean things, until
listening at him learned to look upon
both as dangerous and full of evil, the
thought struck me that for the future l
would never judge of party or its leaders
by what an opponent might say, and this
conclusion l mean to follow the balance of
my life. How foolish it is to abuse a par
ty because my friend may do SO and SO,
and then praise the same party because that
friend may change and do SO; he may be
designing-I would in all probability be
dupe. Ever since Mr.. Douglas made that
speech in 1858, be has been abusing the
Republicans just like be used to abuse the
old Wings. l am tired of this kind of
warfare; 1 think it is not right to do SO, and
as Mr.. Douglas further said in that speech
that he was. in the habit of sometimes
changing his politics, l did not know but
that is was about time to begin excuse and
cease to abuse the Republicans, and made
up my mind to let him 60 in time. Now,
as 20 entirely changing my politics can
DO say have done this, but for the life of
me can see nothing in the Republican
party that any honest Democrat can Sc
riously oppose. 1t is true, were they such