Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-10-04
The Good Old Democratic Times.

The Hon. Clark E. Carr in one Of his
speeches in Maine said:
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 be-
cause we were not taxed. They in Ohio
and Indiana and all tb- western states
were in about the same condition as we
in Illinois. [ have here an extract which
/ copied before leaving home, from
Ford's History Of Illinois, good Demo
cratic authority, which gives an account
of our condition in those good times
Governor Ford says:
1.-The pursuits Of the people were ag-
ricultural. Very few merchants sup
piled them with the few necessaries
which could not be produced or manu-
featured at home The. farmer raised
his own provisions. Tea and coffee
were scarcely used except on some grand
occasion. The farmers sheep furnished
wool for his winter clothing. He raised
cotton and fax for his summer clothing.
His wife and daughters spun, wove, and
made it into garments A little copperas
and indigo, with the bark of trees, furn-
ished dye stuffs for coloring. The fur
of the raccoon made him hat or cap
The skin of deer or of bis cattle tanned
in a neighboring lanyard, or dressed by
himself, made him shoes or moccasins.
Boots were rarely seen, even in the
towns. And log cabin made entirely
of wood, without glass, nails, hinges, or
locks, furnished the residence of many
contented and happy family. The
yon,la ioI- iro 10
ply by invention and with their own
hands the lack of mechanics and artiff-
GERS. Each farmer, as general thing,
built his own house, made his own plows,
and harness, bedstead, chairs, stools,
cupboards, and tables. 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 numbered 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 Democratic times. Mr..
Thurman talked of every thing from the
CIOWu VI OII uGuAt W IllG SDlcS Ol OuT
feet being taxed. In those Democratic
times there was nothing SO dreadful to
the western people rs taxes. With bated
breath men used 20 always couple two
words together, death and taxes. Oh,
with what anxiety We used to look for
ward to the last day of redemption when
our farms had been sold for taxes. There
is vast amount of land now owned in
Al Nv =
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 sor-
row caused by the want of money TO pay
ordinary taxes on real estate under Dem
ocratic 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 F'the resi-
Gence of many contented and happy
family" made without glass, or nails, or
locks. You don't find people dressed
in homespun, colored with butternut.
People out there have quit wearing COON
skin hats and caps. They don't wear
moccasins nor go barefooted. The farm
ers do not now make their own plows,
and harnesses, and bedsteads, and other
furniture. They do not make their own
wagons There has. change come over
them. Our houses in Illinois are as good
as yours in Maine. Our farmers dress
as we'll as any people in the world. Our
houses are as well furnished as those of
New England. We have the finest ag-
ricultural implements that are manufac-
tured OF the globe. Our wagons are
marvels of excellence and strength and
utility. We never hear of people wor-
rying about their taxes [applause], and
we would hardly have suspected that we
were taxed had not Father Thurman so
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