The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1884-01-26
Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
LETTER FROM HARTFORD COUNTY.
A Review of the History of the Demo-
cratic Party Continued-General
News and Other Items.
BELA1R. Nd. Jan. 21st. 1ss


News and Other Items.
BELAIR, Nd, Jan. 21st, 1884.
Editors Union In the years intervening from
1910 to 1874 the Democratic party of Maryland
openly and de6antly repudiated the State debt,
and refused to pay the taxes levied to satisfy the
same. These taxes were known as "the direct
tax" They were to pay a debt which the State
had honestly and fairly contracted for the pur-
pose of raising money to assist in the constructions
of the B. & O.. Railroad and the Susquehanna
Tide-Water Canal. The Democratic party as such
took the ground of reputation, and we'll remem
Der the trying scenes through which some Of our
tax-colectors passed during those Troublesome
times. To add fuel to the flames of Reputation
the Democratic press of the State openly deciSaed
for non payment of the State tax and their motto
was, We hang our banner on the outer ,oaU and
inscribe thereon mo taaes.'"
we'll remember an incident competed with the
days of reputation in my county, and there are
two of the parties shall refer to who now reside
in your town. The tax-collector for Belair dis
trict had seized the goods and chattels of one of
our staunchest Democrats, and had advertised
them for sale at the Court House door, on a GER
tain day. When the day arrived there was col
lected together large crowd of repudiators, who
threatened to lynch any man who attempted to
bid When the collector assembled the steps of the
Court House and offered the goods for sale Mr..
John McFadden bid on them. Immediately q
rush was made for him with the cry of "lynch
him." star and feather him, i" "ride him rail,
&c., and poor McFadden was compelled to fee for
safety to the most secure place he could find This
spot happened to be the law Office of the Messrs.
Yelott-Coeman and his brother George, the lat
ter now one of the honored Judges of our court
These gentlemen kindly offered poor McFadden
all the protection they could, and with threaten
ing to shoot any of the mob who dared invade
their premises they succeeded in keeping this
band of repudiating lynchers at bay, until wiser
and cooler judgments prevailed to quiet the ex-
citement. I know when Judge Yellott reads this
it will recall this trying scene more wildly to
mind than I can portray it. Suffice it to say that
none of the goods were sold on that day.
After great deal of political excitement. one
of the ablest lawyers of the State at that time, and
who had rather advised and encouraged the repu-
diators in their mad schemes, came out openly in
favor of paying the taxes, and through his coun-
selling reputation died out. This is more
chapter of the patriotic Union loving proclivites
of this great Democratic party.
We next find them during the administration of
Mr.. Polk from 1915 to 1S49, endeavorng by every
means to pave the way for his successor whom
they should name. Gen. Scott had been rising
star in the Wing galaxy, and to defeat him, if
possible, they endeavOred to disgrace him in the
estimation of his countrymen. They sent him
down to Mexico with a handful of raw recruits
with orders to push on to the Mexican capital, and
after success had crowned his efforts they actually
suspended him from command and superseded
him with newly -fedged Democratic general
who had never unsheathed sword or heard the
crack of rifle, and the great general, the soldier,
the warrior, the hero of his country's military
glory and honor, was brought home under arrest,
upon charges so frivolous and contemplate, pre-
ferred by an inferior officer, that they not
prosecuted, although Scott claimed and demanded
trial. But their plans failed this once, for dur
ing the Mexican another light had shown forth
in the Wing camp. Old Rough and Ready, tn.
hero of Beuna Vista, the conqueror of Santa
Anna, whom the Polk administration had actual
ly sent home under passports to take command Of
the Mexican forces that he might lay Gen. Scott
10 and forever crush his aspirations for the Pres
idency, Gen. Zach. Tayler was the growing Wig
light that was to eclipse the Democratic aspirant
and succeed Mr.. Polk. He defeated Gen. Cass in
1S4S. Gen. Scott by this time had outlived bis
false accusors and traducers, and Congress had
bestowed upon him a military title that no other
soldier of his country had ever borne, save the
Father of his Country. He became the Wing
candidate for President in 1852, but was defeated,
although he received ,3S5,000 votes on the popu
lar vote, but he was denounced aboltionist
through the South although Virginian, and he
only succeeded in carrying three Southern States,
viz Maryland, Tennessee and Kentucky. The
slavery question by this time had assumed gigan-
tic proportions. The Democratic party led the
familiar with the Missouri compromise question,
the Kansas difficulties &c., and of the election of
Mr.. Lincoln to the Presidency in 1860, squarely
upon the agitation of this slavery question. In
my next shall have occasion to look at this ques-
ton of the "cause of the civil war" and shall
view it from an impartial standpoint.
notice in the proceedings of our State Legis-
lature, among other items, that an order was pass
ed donating to each member of both Houses and
to each of the Chief Clerks and Journal Clerks and
Sergeant alarms, $50 worth of postage stamps
This is big thing. Let US examine it for a mo-
ment. Thirty dollars will buy 1900 stamps
These would mail as many letters. There are 26
Senators and 81 Delegates; total III. There are
Clerks and Sergeants- at Arms, would make o
more. Total receiving stamps, l23. If to use
this amount of stamps these 1913 would have to
write about 1S4 500 letters during the session of
80 days. This would require each man to write
about l62 letters each day of the session. Now,
don't you think that is over-taxing the average
mental calbre of the present Legislature? And
of course you know this letter. writing must be
done during the daytime, for at night our legisla
tors must 20 in search of soda cater ginger ale
that your correspondent says is the proper name
to call IL by when you want something Stout
Now suppose these 1S4, 500 paper missiles should
average an ounce apiece, we would have just
tons 153 IL lbs. of brain matter to be carried over
the State by post carriers to disseminate the
views of our law makers as to who should be Sen
ator who should be Treasurer who should be
Police Commissioner, and who should Fl the va
rious smaller places among the loaves and fishes
to be distributed to the faithful. To be compelled
to write half dozen letters day is big task for
the average man, but when you compel him to
write l6 day it is too much. No wonder we
don't have more legislative news. Now if Gov.
McLane's eight hour bill should become law 1
suppose our legislators won't want to work more
than two hours day. Well, it is an age of
progress and new ideas, and the greatest one is to
get the biggest pay you can for the least service.
RAMBLER.