The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-09-18
PIONEER LIFE IN INDIANA.
Political Campaigning in the "Good Old


inc Oiu
Times"
The Hon. James o. Clarke of Kansas has
been interviewed by the ST. Louis Globe Demo
crGt to the following effect: have now reached
the advanced age of ninety-two years, and
when look back over the last three-quarters
of a century many interesting "reminiscences
of pioneer life are recalled. One thing par
ticularly notice is that the whisky traffic now
exerts its influence in politics in a manner en-
tirely different from that of half century ago.
The most exciting political campaign | ever
witnessed was won by the use barrel OF old
peach brandy The year before Indiana was
admitted into the Union ] was living with
my parents in Franklin county, that
state, near the present site OF Corners
vile. The chief political leaders in
the county were Lawyer Brown and
Col. James Brownlee, and the voters were di.
vided into two nearly equal factions, known
respectively the Brownies and the Brown
leeites. At all elections the candidates were
expected to provide plenty OF free whisky for
the voters, and IL was a rare occurrence for an
election day TO pass by without corn juice IN
politics causing bloody fight. In the fall of
1915 an election was called to elect delegates to
a convention which was 10 meet in COrydon
then the capital the following June for the
purpose of adopting a constitution preparatory
TO admission of the state. Brown and Brown
lee announced themselves as candidates.
and the hottest campaign ] ever expert.
enced was Inaugurated. Churches were
broken up and neighborhoods and family
feeling became so bitter that years were re-
Qured to eface the effect of the quarrel. A
few weeks before the election Col. Brownlee
sent his two young sons and myself with n
team and wagon 10 Cincinnati 20 get a barrel
of peach brandy for election purposes. The
trip occupied about week, but we returned
home and secreted the barrel IN a cave on the
Brownlee farm without the object OF our trip
being learned outside. The old colonel threat
ened to horsewhip us If we opened our mouths
on the subject Oh course we kept The secret
Col Brownlee knew that his rival had provided
barrel OF common whisky for the Brownies,
and, anticipating the effect the sudden tapping
Of barre Of "old peach would have on the
voters, he smiled contentedy rs he thought
of the certain discontinue Of Lawyer
Brown. On election day Brown opened
his barrel first and started regular
boom, and for time IL appeared that he would
win the victory. But later the Brownlee boys
brought the barrel Of old peach brandy 10 the
polls. The head was knocked in, couple OF
gourds were hung the sides and the crowd in
yited 10 20 for il. The news that Brownlee had
opened a barrel OF real "old peach" spread like
wild6re and the way the HoOsiers swallowed
that delicious nectar would put 10 shame old
BdcchW himself. The Brownies gathered
around the Brownlee barrel, and the faction
following Brown, who had furnished only COM
mon whisky, went 20 pieces. Col. Brownlee was
easily elected. The following year, when the
colonel left home 20 attend the convention, he
shouldered his gun and made the trip TO Cory
don on foot, the only highway TO the territory
capital in those days, being an Indian tran
blazed out through the vast forest which Gov
cred the intervening country.