The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-10-18
THE ORIGINAL oeJec1op
John Grammar, One Of the First Manu-.
of the Illinois Leeislatura

O"'S'""L O6JECTOR.
John Grammar, One Of the First Memb.,.
fthe Illinois Legislature.
In the early history of Illinois one q,
its southern counties again and apain
elected to the Legislature a man with
the suggestive name of Grammar VIII
such a name one naturally associate.
education, culture and some deoreo -,
refinement. but John Grammar. wbosa
long period of service in the Illinois
Legislature terminated more than b,lt
century ago, could neither read nor
write, while his manners corresponded
with his rough. pionesr surroundings
He was elected to the first Territorial
Legislature of Illinois in 1912. but nm
fortunately. in the then new, unsettled
state OF the country, this honor found
MIN without a suit of clothes fit for a
lawmaker-elect to appear in. But
Whatever may have been LACKING IN
John Grammar's makeup, he was GER
talnly not deficient in a peculiar kind
OF energy. and to overcome the
one obstacle that stood betweer
him and his entrance upon
public life he. with the aid of his stall
wart boys, gathered a large quantity of
hazelnuts, and took them on lone
journey to the Ohio saline, where thew
were exchanged for kind of blue
cloth, called ''strouding," that was
chiefly used by the Indians for breecb.
clouts. Immediately upon Grammar
return with his hard-earned purchase
the neighbor women were called upon
to assist in making the new garments
but. to the disappointment of all con.
cerned. the discovery was made that
the pattern was provokingly scant The
amateur tailOresses measured the cloth
first lengthwise. then crosswise. and
finally cornerwise but in no way could
enough be found for a coat and papta-
looms There was no time to repair
the mischief, so the women, presuma-
bly, at the suggestion of Grammar.
whose subsequent history proved him
to be full OF expedients. finally decided
to make what in its day was called a
'bob-tail' coat, to be worn over a LONG
pair of leggins." the latter also made
from the strouding.
Accordingly, with coat shortened be.
low. and leggins. which correspond to
pantaloons, shortened above. and I'M
dergarments made from the skins of
wild animals. Grammar first appeared
at Kaskaskia. the original capital of
Illinois. Whatever st&e relative impor-
lance Illinois capital city In 1872, its
hotel accommodations must have been
extremely limited as the honorable
members of the Legislature were all
compelled to sleep in one room. True,
both branches of the Legislature at the
period referred to contained total of
but twelve MEMBERS; nevertheless
twelve persons in one sleeping room
must have made nights rest any
thing but refreshing.
John Grammar, while unable to read
and write, WAS nevertheless the pos
SCISSOR of much native shrewdness, and
soon developed into genuine polti-
clan with burning desire to continue
in public life. This desire he chose to
crafty by remaining in the Legislature
as long as possible. But to remain in
the Legislature the one thing needful
above all else was to retain favor with
his constituents. 10 retain this favor
John Grammar early in his Legislative
career adopted the plan of opposing
every new measure proposed. He
shrewdly reasoned that If the measure
passed and became popular law no
one would take the trouble to inquire
who opposed it. If, however, the
measure after its passage became for
any reason unpopular the people would
be sure to find out what members sup
ported it and refuse longer to give them
their suffrages. In the event of bill
failing to pass and subsequently finding
favor with his constituents, Grammar,
when candidate for reelection, ex-
cused himself by saying that had he
known their wishes in the matter his
vote would have been cast in support
of the measure instead of against it;
finally he promised. if reelected, to
give the matter his hearty Endorsement
should it again come up for considera-
ton. This general plan of opposing
all new measures in little time came
to be the usual practice of many legis-
lators. but the originator of this method.
hence the first collector" was John
Grammar. Chicago Tribune.