Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1880-07-28
Letter from an Old Jaeksonian Democrat
of Greenwood Township.
NEAR EN-STAR TAVERN,
July "a, 1880.

A~Ean OEN EN- ol An ANEhN,
July "a, 1880.
My Dear Mr.. Editor IL guess you know
that never at any time in the life of living
farmers have the Saturday nights been so
welcome as the past five. Down here We
relished the past five Saturday nights as
much as CID Andy Jackson relshed his
corn-co5 pipe. You see, hay making, corn
working, wheat cutting and oats harvest
have kept us farmers so busy that We have
not had time 10 more than take a little
sleep, and work all day. 1t was nearly as
sharp work as when Old Hickory was cut on
a campaign after the red coats. Sometimes
he did not get his boots off from one Satur-
day night till another. 1t was hand this
harvest on the youngsters that wanted to
spark the girls, and many tired one, after
working hard all week, went off on Satur-
day night sparkling excursion, which lasted
till nearly Sunday morning, and some C:
them kept it up over Sunday, and when
Monday came it was for truth blue Mon
day.
Well, we are about through with the har-
vest, and thought that on this mellow Sat-
urday evening I'D go to the Stars and see the
mellow friends. We had a good time. We
have brass band down here that can toot
more music than little, and play Sc The
Girl that Left Behind Me-" swecter than
anything you ever heard. By the Eternal,
as Old Andy used to say, it is astonishing
how they can blow it. We bad fresh new
talk about the ladies. We talked about the
census and the causes that lessened the pop
ulation some three hundred in the lower
end in the past ten years; but | will write to
You particularly, some time, about the talk
about the ladies' and the census. The most
talk Of all wss about politics. 1t was high,
you can bet your best. Ny old Jacksonian
friends were stirred up, and the way they
talked Hancock boom was a caution. I
guess it was the music that moved them so.
The eyes of the old veterans, that is, /
mean, the old Knights of the Golden Cir
Gle, fairly danced 10 the tune of the Green
wood Band when it blowed such nice music.
But when the music was over it was plain
TO my eyes that to them at least it isn't Just
so nice to take soldier who got his fame
fighting in the war that they declared a
great outrage and a great failure. The
knights never took their charges back, and
they only now want to make use of Han
cock TO make good their saying. But they
are agoing TO eat crow. They shouted
against putting soldier into the Presiden-
tial chair they turn about and eat crow,
and shout for Gen. Hancock. Oh! shades
of Oh, Andy, have my old friends come to
that lie, US not be so fast. Stop, think,
and, by Jovel tie truth is that there was a
good deal of sham about their call for a
civilian President, for you must recollect
that they did their best to manufacture SYM
pathy for such rebel statesmen as Generals
JEFF Davis, Beauregard, Breckenridge, Polk
and others. I'll tell you what it is, my old
Jacksonisn friends down here are the keen
est double-enders to be found anywhere,
and they'd surprise Old Hickory himself If
he ould live in this neck of timber. The
thing that cropped cut and struck the hard
est, was the impression that they are get
ting up that the army under Hancock is to
do something, if Congress will get up dis
agreement with the President next March.
couldn't just understand the whole ar
rangement. / am not certain that they have
it real clear themselves, but they expect the
Brigadier Congress to get up some sort Of a
rumpus with Hayes, and then Hancock is to
side with Congress and use such part of the
army as he can command, and call for
troops. All the old rebel generals are ex-
pected to flock to his standard. You can
bet your life that's their plan if they can
get up such muddle as at the last Presi-
dental election. If they have majority of
the electors of course their man will be-
come the President, and then with a Con-
gress they will undo by legislation what was
done on the field of battle for freedom.
They will say that as the population of the
country has greatly increased, the business
of the Supreme Court has increased, and
they will create as many judges as they need, !,
and they will frame cases and carry them up
to the Supreme Court, and get decisions
against the currency, the banks, and the
amendments to the Constitution, and then
where are you. You will have to swallow
it or rebel They hope, when reaction
sets in, to make it a deluge that will wipe
out all, and more than was gained for free
government by the war. The safe way is to
vote for Garfield. Old Andy never trusted
the notification leaders after they tried to
rebel, when he was President, and if he
could speak TO US he'd tell us not to be
fooled into voting for the old rebel element,
under the sham of a soldier who fought for
free government. Who knows that Han
cock is not a soldier of fortunel He may
be patriot, but the soldier of fortune will
fight on either side if interest dictates. He
is like a lawyer; whichever side he is with
he will consider his client, and he will fight
for bis client
could write you a longer letter, but it is
getting late. l will write to you again.
Good night.
Yours, truly,
BARTON SPEAK.