The Portland daily press., 1888-09-04

statements Of the patriotic people Of Ohio
would seem to indicate that Mr.. Thurman
was during the war In many respects such
an "Old Roman" as the one to whom Gen.
Baker and Senator Fessenden alluded. Ger
tainly he was not such a Democratic "Old
Roman" as was Stephen A. Douglas who
instantly upon the firing upon our flag, set
the prairies on fire with patriotism by the
today but two parties, patriots and traitors;
the quickest and surest way to peace is the
most stupendous preparation for war"
Mr.. Thurman said in Chicago that, 1--WE
are taxed from the crown Of our heads to the
soles Of our feet" and he referred to the
good old Democratic times in the past when
we were all SO prosperous because we were
not taxed. Those were good old times and
Mr.. Thurman Is old enough to remember
them. They in Ohio and Indiana and all
the Western States were in about the same
condition as we in Illinois. have here an
extract which l copied before leaving home
from FOrd's History of Illinois, good Dem
ocratic authority, which gives an account of
our condition in those good times. Governor
Ford says:
The pursuits of the people were agricul-
tural. Very few merchants supplied them
with the few necessaries which could not be
produced or manufactured at home. The
farmer raised his own provisions. Tea and
coffee were scarcely used except on some
grand occasions. The farmers sheep fur
nished wool for his winter clothing. He
raised cotton and flax for his summer cloth
ing. His wife and daughters spun, wove
and made 1t into garments. A little copperas
and indigo, with,the bark Of trees, furnished
dye stuffs for coloring. The fur of the rae
coon made him hat or cap. The skin OF
deer or of his cattle tanned in q neighb0r-
ing lanyard, or dressed by himself, made
him shoes or moccasins. Boots were rarely
made entirely OF WOOD without glass, nails,
hinges or locks, furnished the residence of
many contented and happy family. The
people were quick and ingenious to supply
by invention and with their own hands the
lack OF mechanics and artificers. Each
farmer. as a general thing, built his own
house, made his own plows and harness,
bedstead, chairs, stools, cupboards and ta-
Dles. The carts and wagons for hauling
were generally made without iron, without
tires and boxes, and were run without tar,
and might be heard creaking as they lum-
bered along the roads for the distance of
mile or more"
These were the good old Democratic times
in Illinois; times when we burned corn for
fuel; when cattle and hogs ran wild on the
prairies and in the groves, scarcely worth
branding or marking. Those were Demo-
cratic times. Mr.. Thurman talked Of every
thing from the crown of our head to the soles
of our feet being taxed In those Democratic
times there was nothing so dreadful to the
western people as taxes. With bated breath
men used to always couple two words to-
gether, death and taxes. Oh, with what anx-
iety we used to look forward to the last day
of redemption when our farms had been sold
for taxes. There is vast amount of land
now owned in Illinois then acquired by tax
titles. 1t took money to pay taxes. There
was no money. We managed to get along as
Governor Ford describes, but there has been
more worry and anxiety and sorrow caused
by the want of money to pay ordinary taxes
on real estate under Democratic rule in this
country than by all the tariffs ever imposed.
Times have changed since then. They may
not be equal to the good old Democratic
times. You don't now in Illinois find "the
residence OF many a contented and happy
family" made without glass, or nails or
locks. You don't find people dressed in
h0mespun colored with butternut. People
out there have quit wearing coon skin hats
and caps. They don't wear moccasins nor
90 barefooted The farmers do not now
make their own plows and harnesses and
bedsteads and other furniture They do not
make their own wagons. There has a
change come over them. Our houses in Illi-
nois are as good as yours in Maine. Our
farmers dress as well as any people in the
world. Our houses are as we'll furnished as
those of New England. We have the finest
agricultural implements that are manufac-
tured on the globe. Our wagons are marvels
of excellence and strength and utility We
never hear of people worrying about their
taxes [applausel and we would hardly have
suspected that we were taxed had not Father
Thurman so benevolently come out there
and told US. Long and loud applause and
cheers.