Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1886-07-15
The Claims Of Hon. j. d. Taylor for 6
denomination to Congress.

Ohio State Journal of Thursday, has the
following among other things concern
ing the Congressional career of Hon. j I.
D. Taylor:
Shall Guernsey county be allowed the
usual courtesy of second term for her
ex-representative, Col. J. D. Taylor of
Cambridge?
AS matter of individual judgment
can but answer affirmatively. He mer
its the honor besides for his legislative
worth and ability.
At the time he was elected to fill DR..
Updegraff s unexpired term the pre-em-
inent industry of our district, its wool,
was literally in the hands Of the enemy.
The doctor had been by common consent
constituted the especial champion of
wool. A large wooI-grower himself,
Jealous and alive to his own interests as
we'll as the similar interests of his con,
stituents. and thoroughly experienced
and posted in legislative skill, both en-
the floor of the House and in committee,
he was the proper man for our leader.
Naturally we felt that in him we could
successfully oppose the Eastern monop+
olists who we're endeavoring to crush
us. Most unfortunately, however. his
fatal illness prevented his presence here
at the opening of congress in December
1892, and as a consequence there was no
fight made against Eastern lobbyists
from then up to the advent of Col. Tay
lor the latter part of January, 1888, hard
ly six weeks prior to ths adjournment
March 4. Except what was done by
Gen. Robinson, a firm friend of the wool
grower, the wool tariff was wholly n e.
elected, and we had no organized head
or front, while the enemy was perfectly
organized, and combined, and through
this immense advantage had captured
| the committee.
Such was the condition of our wool
interests when Col. Taylor arrived in
| Washington. The necessity for prompt
and immediate action was imperative,
and without delay he sounded the alarm
| by letter to the State Journal and by
| letters and kilograms to prominent citi-
zens throughout the State. From this
time forward there was no cessation of
effort. Before the committee and on
the floor of the House, as well as over at
the Senate, everyt hing that his skill and
| experience as lawyer and his position
as member could suggest was brought
to bear, but without avail, for it was TOO
LATE. No one familiar with parlia-
mentary matters can entertain the
slightest doubt that the wool fraud of
Forty-seventh Congress would have
ben defeated had DR.. Updegraff or Col.
Taylor been here On the ground when
Congress convened in December, 1892
1t is in the committee room where all
such deVilment is done, and once any in
terest is strangled there, miracle only
will snffice to resurrect it. Apropos of
tEis: To me it is an ineXplicable mystery
why the wool growers of Ohio were not
more keenly alive to their own interests
prior to the danger signal given by Col.
Taylor. The Ohio wool industry was
crushed by the Forty-seventh Congress
because there was no one here to fight
for their protection at the critical time,
when safety depended upon leadership
and activity. | do not speak of this dis
astrous episode in a spirit of criticism
to any person. 1t is too late to condemn.
We were beaten by an organized enemy
simply because we lacked leadership
But it is not too late to pay our tributes
to onr deceased champion, and bis sue
cessor. who gallantly endeavored, as a
leader of the forlorn hope, with all pos
sible skill and ability, to retrieve disas
ter. | was with Col. Taylor, as l had
been with DR.. Updegraff in the prior
session, and my warm appreciation of
his efforts in this memorable contest for
our wool interests during the last six
weeks of the Forty-seventh Congress,
arises from my personal knowledge of
details in and out of the committee
rooms.
1t was the first instance during years
of observation in congress, both as law
yer and a newspaper correspondent, that
[ had seen d newly-1edged member go
sQuarely to the front to fight lobby inter
ests directed by able lawyers and unlim-
tied funds. am positive that had he
been on the ground January l, he would
have defeated every scheme and combi-
nation of our opponents and prevented
the fraud and SWlndle.
La the forty>eighth congress Colonel
Taylor exhibited the same untiring, in
defatigable effor for the interest for his
district. We-have large soldier element,
and its drafts on the time of our member
are peculiarly onerous. In addition to
other important reports, the committee
ON territories saddled upon him the bur
den of investigating and reporting upon
the Mormon elephant, which involved
necessarily very great amount of labor.
The able and yoluminouS report made by
him on this twin relic of barbarism does
not exhibit tithe of the labor arising
through examination of papers and witt
neSses. One of the latter was Bishop
Simpson, whose views had the pleasure
of listening to, as be gave them at length
to Colonel Taylor at the latter's house a
few months only prior to his death.
One advantage possessed by Mr.. Taylor
over many congressman, and Though
which he was enabled to perform so much
hard work, arose from his abstemious
habits. In no position does teetotalism
serve better purpose than in congress,
and as rule the measure of members
labor is in inverse proportion to thel
amount of stimnlants absorbed. In so far,
then, as true public worth is concerned,
there is sound reason for Colonel Taylor's
return. l am satisfied that the great
mass of our people will be pleased by his
nomination and that Harrison county
will show the same solid front for him in |
1886 that they did at the polls in January
1888.
We cannot understand why the resto-
ration of the district does not restore the
right by courtesy for a second term.