Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-09-01
NEXT
A HARRISON VOTER OF EIGHTY.
SEVEN.
What Old Mr.. Davenport Remem.
bers About Tariffs and
Things.

The notice in the RECORD UNION of the
visit TO the city of the veteran voter, Mr..
Reed, Of Fairfield, who has entered upon his
eighty-frst year, brings to the front another
old-tme Harrison man, who goes Mr.
Reed seven years better, and will in few
days enter upon his eighty-eighth year.
Rufus Davenport, of 1915 street, is not only
& veteran Wing and Republican from away
back, but back of away back. He comes
up an active old man, doing his regular
days work and holding his own with men
twenty years his junior. He is representa-
tive of the dawn of the century, which had
not more than opened its eyes upon the age
of progress, and had but little while
closed the door upon departing 1899. when
he was born. He came into being in 1901
near Augusta, Me. He was AZ years of age
when gold was discovered in California
and taking his washbowl on his knee, set
out for the modern Ell Dorado, landing
here early in 1849, thus winning whatever
honor attaches to argonautic venture
and pioneer enterprise. He mel the
usual experiences OF miners
life, and battled with its vicissitudes
until 1858, when, after decade of absence
he went back to Maine gathered his family
about him and returned in 1859 to Califor-
mia, settling in Sacramento county, near
the Tule House. For twenty years he
has held his residence in this county or in
this city, voted the Republican ticket. and
kept up his lick day by dav as a hard
working man to the present hour.
81 haven't had $50 doctors bill to pay in
all my life, )" he said, in response to an in
quiry.
No, never drank liquor; and use to-
bacco in no form. Neither do l drink coi-
fee; and have not for forty years, save on
rare occasions"
"Oh, yes, I'm kept pretty steadily at
work. I'll be entering my SSth year pretty
soon now, but I'm still at work-this time
helping fit up the Sacramento county ex-
hibit in the State Fair. l went to farming
when came back, in 1859 Pm a turner
by trade and mill-builder. I've built two
mills in this county"
MY youth Well, in 1908, when Mr.
Reed you talked about was being born.
was so stout lad that they bound me out
to learn trade at seven years apprentice
ship. [ didn't like my master, and told
hiu so, and he altered the indentures and
let me go, and | went 4 little while after
the war with England came on, and the
Indians got after our people, acting as
allies for the British. They caught my old
master near Augusta, aDd came near
killing him Thjle their prisoner. beating
and malIeating him shamefully. ! learned
my trade and made q good living at it,
When that Fairfield boy of so was wearing
r0undabouts l was voting"
Who for? Why, for John Qaincy
Adams, TO be sure, and I've ever since
voted Whig or q Republican ticket I
voted for Adams, the coalition candidate.
in 1924 and again, as a National Republi-
can in 1928 l voted for Henry Clay in
'32. Old Tippecanoe Harrison in 1886,
and in lS40 helped to elect him. | voted
for Harry Clay in 1914, z ach Taylor in As
General Scott in 80, John G. Fremont in
'56, Uncle Abe in 1860 ana "a. General
Grant in '6S and ~, Hayes in 76 Garfield
in 80, Blaine in "a, and, God willing, I'll
help in 1888 elect the grandson OF the man
| voted for in 1870"
And let US hope you'll do the same for
his re- election in 1892"
Maybe, maybe. I'm pretty well along,
you know"
No, didn't get into the war in 1861. l
was pretty near 90 then, you know; and
had this stiff leg, and that would have
barred me out, anyhow"
The tariff? Why, I've been talking
abont that for sixty years. I've always be-
ieved in protection. Don't l remember
when, under low tariff, we had to scratch
gravel awfully hard and scrape axhelves in
the chimney corner o nights to be able to
live fairly and pay taxes. Then when the
war tariff came on, and has been left on,
with few fall-downs here and there what
country ever prospered as has ours? Don't
| see what it has been since then, and don't
you think | remember the pinching times
before, eh ?"
About the surplus under high tariff =?
Well, look here, if we hadn't it here, un-
der free trade it'd all be over in England,
wouldn't it? Then, why don't they use it
to pay the debt and stop the interest Yes,
sir, I'm a protectionist from ever so far
back didn't understand it so well once as
l did later, but | was always there"
What changes do / remember? Oh,
dear me. all of 'em. Yes, was eleven
years old and goin' on twelve when war
oroke out. Yes; l remember when Cen
eral Harrison fought the British and In
dians down at Detroit, and Colonel John.
son killed Tecumseh, and when the British
ships cane and captured Easiport up in
Maine. 1 was thirteen then. We used to
pay shilling TO carry 9 letter in the mail
forty miles then, and Isl cents-three six
pences-if the letter went.a hundred miles
now they go all over the country for two
cents. Indianapolis, where General HaT-
riSon lives, was begun as a Western settle
meDt when ! was STRIPPING fellow O!
eghtesn. and then we bad only twenty
stars in the flag, that Congress adopted tue
year before"
Yes, l remember all the early great in
ventions and how they astonished us-you
know all about the later ones"
In 1920 we had hard time. The foreign
goods came in on rs SO heavily that we
couldn't manufacture much in the States.
and all our business suffered and we had
paper money till you couldn't rest. and
half of it wasn't good for anything but the
paper-mill. That was the year when we
talked protection to American nnanufact-
ures, and wanted internal improvements
just as we do nov. | wasn't quite voter
then, but no one can forget those hard
times. That was the year Maine came
into the Union as a State. | was
nineteen then, and don't l remember
how at that time workshops shut up all
over the country and we all suffered from
low tariff
II remember when the first daily mail
was put on from New York for little Way
into the country. | was twenty then. |
was twenty three Wnen General Lafay ette
came over. The next year was when we
began to strike fire with pine stick in d
bottle of acid and cotton, but most people
used flint and steel and tinder till matches
came around. In 1928, Adams ran on a
high tariff platform, but Jackson whipped
us-it was u hot campaign then, the South
was against protection, You know, just as it
is now. | remember when Horace
Greeley started the New York Tribune
fortv-seyen years ago and when they built
Bunker Hill monument. and had the Dor1
rebellion in Rhode Island"
Mr.. Davenport's memory carries him all
over the ground of most precious memory
and progress in this century, and while a
rather reticent man, his recollections are
easily quickened By suggestion He is a
member of the Veteran Cluo of 1910 voters.
He would march with the club tonight but
for his crippled leg, but all the same is for
Harrison and Morton, walk or ride.
Mr.. Reed, of so, now having been shad-
owed by Mr.. Davenport, of 81, we await a
Harrison man OF 90.