Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1868-07-28
Interesting Record of Half a Century
Personal.

4 IcISOudts
We remember we'll casting our
first vote for Martin Vanburen, in
1910. But that was when Democra.
cy perhaps meant something worth
voting tor
We also remember that day ofvot-
ing we tried TO electioneer for Van
buren,, though Harrison was the pops
ular candidate-the wings having
stolen march on account OF the cri-
sis then prevailing We bad cut the
following slip from newspaper writ
ten by Amos Kendall
"What is Democracy? AnSwer =
No man is q democrat who is low.
mean and possessing narrow, con-
tracted spirit. Pride is an enemy 10
democracy. 1t is the first and great
est mission of democracy to labor for
the poor, the despised, the oppressed.
It's natural standard bearer the flag
Of equal rights, and its pedestal rests
upon he rock of justice and humani
ty."
The above we read occasionally
to some young whig, we thought
with fine effect, and one of that party
voted the democratic ticket Of that
day thrugh our labors, which we
were highly delighted.
But we got terribly used up with
our printed slip from Amos Kendall's
paper, the Lexington, Ky, Erpositor.
An old abolitionist read 10 us and
others from a copy of the same paper
IS follows:
"NEGRoES WANTED
The highest price in cash will be paid for thirty ne
groes from 10 to % years old and of both sexes APP
ply to the Farmers and Traders Hotel, Lexington Aug
18th, 1874
1t is unnecessary to prolong our
account of this affair, further than to
say that we never after showed said
slip, What is Democracy"
Two years after we joined the old
man and voted his ticket voting we
remember for DR.. +. Julius Lenoyne.
the abolition candidate, for Governor
of Pennsylvania, and two years there
after for James q. Bilney, abolition
candidate for President.
We are reminded OF the above facts
by coming across some old files of
newspapers IN on: possession, among
them the original Erpositor, Amos
Kendall's paper, which may be seen
at the Herald office.
Since the times spoken of, we have
never ceased to look upon true dem>
ocracy as being just what Amos Ken
dali claimed for Though the demo
cratic party has been ever since a
cheat, fraud and the exact reverse
Of what Kendall claimed for it. The
advertisement, "NegroeS Wanted -
proved the damning villany of the
democratic profession, though not Of
democracy as it ought to be--for sa-
very and true democracy cannot
breathe the same air.
But our political change of sonti,
ment made it convenient that we
should find employment elsewhere,
for no man those days dared hire,
c0untenance or even protect true
democrat, such as Amos Kendall des-
cribed, Of course an aboltionist. We
gave up fine school because the re
port was raised and circulated that
we had said colored children had
rights in our school. w also SUR
rendered from necessity q clerk ship
because Of report that we lent aid
TO the underground railroad.
We returned TO Grant Coun y in
1916, and found employment as a
teacher at first, and after as q deputy
official in the County offices. In the
county then were 100 Liberty party
men who held the political balance
Of power in the county, the effect of
which was to cause both wings and
democrats to be exceeding cautious
and rather patronising toward the
abolitionists. We even dared to give
out a few abolition almanacs, though
were soon ordered 10 take them back
by some misguided democrats in Ian
caster, which we did rather than
stand mob. At that time Judge
Mills, S. Manhood, d. McCord, Henry
McAuley, john Laughlin and ourself
were then and for years after the on>
ly avowed and separate liberty party
abolitionists in Lancaster. Among
the active workers for freedom in
the county were Stewart Mckee and
Ovid Jones and his sons, A. G. and
0. S. Jones. McAuley has since apos,
tatisod, the rest all dead except Mills,
the younger Jones and ourself.
The foregoing is made up from our
private record, and its publication is
designed to show the progress made
in quarter of q century.