Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1891-07-09
TO THE PEOPLE OF MARYLAND"
A Forcible Campaign Document Is
sued in 1908.

An Argument Setting Forth the Reason:
, Why Madison Should be Chosen
President First of
Its Kind
| In political maneuvers the people in
the comparative infancy of the Republic
more than eighty years ago, were not be-
hind the politicians of this, the closing
decade of the century. Political feeling
then ran high as now, and in their cam
paigns bitter feelings and acrimonious
/ discussions were INDUCED.
We have in our possession campaign
document issued in the Madison and Clin-
ton campaign in 1903, and is interesting
as showing the arguments supposed to
influence people in that day. 1t is in the
form of a circular, and is headed "To the
People of Maryland" The paper, though
wrinkled and yellowed with age, is well
preserved. The printing might be ex-
hibited as fair specimen of that of the
present day except that the old style IS
is used. The paper is well written, and
sets forth arguments why Madison, the
Republican candidate, should be chosen
rather than the Federalist candidate. As
is understood, the Republican party of
that day was much the same as the Dem
Ocratic party of the present day. The
writer first lamentS the retirement of
Jefferson, speaking of him in laudatOry
terms. He draws two pictures and asks
his readers to look upon them. By the
first picture it will be seen that the Dem
ocracy of that day, the same as now, was
whisky party, and believed that an
abundance of "booze" is congenial to
health and happiness. 1t Says: "The
Federal party imposed heavy tax upon
distilleries, and you could neither make
nor drink your own liquors without pay
ing government duty on every gallon.
This was evidently deemed the most
weighty of all the arguments as it was
first enumerated, and doubtless it |
carried conviction to the thirsty pa |
triots. But to convince the people that |
the party of Madison was in favor of |
whisky, the writer adduces this his
torical fact in another picture: "The Re-
publican party under Jefferson declared
that every man should make and drink |
his own liquors as he pleased, and re-
pealed this injurious law" 1t is proba-
BILE Madison got the whisky vote. This
would seem to dispel the idea that poll
tics were any purer then than now.
The other arguments brought forth in
favor of Madison are that the Federalist
party, under Adams, imposed stamp
act on bonds, deeds, ETC., and that the
revenue from these amounted to 100000
per annum; they imposed direct tax on
land amounting to S2,OO0,0O0; they laid
duty of 20 cents a bushel on salt; they
borrowed the enormous sum Of $780,,
600, and their credit was so low that they
had to pay the enormous rate of per
cent. interest; they passed sedition act;
they also created sixteen additional Fed
eral Judges, all of which the writer con-
demns in much the same manner as po- !
4uCoUlOilo olO OlOotOOu llOh
Then to show what the Republican par
ty under Jefferson did, the author, in the
other picture, cites the repeal of the {
stamp act, the direct tax, and the salt {
duty, by which he declares $2,OOO,OOO per
year was saved; that they had conducted t
a distant and expensive war with TripOli
with economy and good management;
that they had paid toward the Louisiana
purchase the sum of $2,750,O0O. 1t is al 3
so further alleged that the Republican 2
party of that day "held out the open |
arms of hospitality to the prosecuted of c
all nations, securing to them a just pro- 3
lection to person and property"
"The Republicans" he says, "have ever
courted investigation, and on their com
ing into power repealed the law of which :
the effect was to fetter the press and
extend impunity to corruption"
OF the result and the awful calamities
The Federalists would bring on the coun-
Try, he says:
"If you determine to vote for Federal
1Ou fOOO AOl q ogoOOhA VI Ca
Dense and taxation, and at once say to
,he world that the Federalists shall again !.
burden us with excise laws, a duty on
salt, and land tax. !
"If you vote for Republican Electors,
who will elect James Madison and George :,
Clinton, you vote for a system of econo- :
ny, relief from the taxation, and the alb
,Iition of useless office. .
"If then you wish to have excise Off
,ers prowling about your doors, to watch
very drop of whisky You distil; if you il
would rather be deluged by an army of
AK gatherers, counting your window
lights, and in the name of the govern
nent seiZing upon your substance as D
ribute for permission to till your own 7
ands; if you are anxious to see perpe
,etuity to public burthens, and national
lebt entailed upon your latest pOsterity; u
md if when you finch under these hard 81
hips, you are content to be punished if =
'ou give vent to your complaints, by +
he scourge of a sedition act, the assail- "
d by all tricks and chicaneries of Law
ome forward, vote for the Federal q
electors"
The document is signed "A Citizen of D
AS Madison was elected the /"
ountry was saved the dire misfortunes
e predicted. This campaign argument A
vas doubtless thrown broadcast, and was 81
robably the first of the kind in the pOlit v
cal compaigns of our country. v
JOHN CAsTLEMAN, the Oldest son of 9,
Jacob Castleman, of this place, died at +
lis home in Cleveland, Monday, June %. \
lie was recovering from long and
evere attack of typhoid fever. and re-
eived a backset. He was well-knOwn Il