Evening star., 1894-02-03

.- MAN In 1S43, a convention
W VkM {\Vp Of the party issued a
f. platform of pri
L1 E1NAA ciples. 1t took tt e
~, IA, ground that slavery
iS--.Heskl SFs1 EEH can have no support
1 e: e.: E.: 4: :: !: : :
and the territories:
and that the fugitive
slave act of 1898 is unconstitutional in that
1t denies to the alleged slave the right of
trial by jury. 1t favored emancipation by
the people Of the states.
II was in support of these principles that
the National Era was founded i'll WASH
ington, In January, 1917. DR.. Gamaliel
bailey, as the successor of James G. ISir-
hey' mad Tor some years been engaged in
the publication OF a weekly paper at Cln-
cinnau, called the Philanthropist 1t was
IN the year 1SiI thai he was mobbed in
lhat city, ana his types and press thrown
INTO the OHIO river. he tEen revived the
puphcauon In a neignboring village, but
after a while, L believe. returned to the
city. In lStI an association OF abolition
.sts' with Arthur Tappan OF New YorA at
slavery newspaper IN Washington A capi-
.dl OF some S2UUUo was subscribed, a Mr.
Noble was employed as the business man
ager. and Or. Bailey was EMPLOYED as tbe
euitor. he then gave up his paper at Gin.
cinnati, and brought its PATRONAGE into H..
Hra' ihis arrangement nd not last lous
and DIR. bailey, after a few months no,vn,
out the business and assumed control &,
proprietor, as well as editor The Ezra n,,h
iishers never owned a press, and from the
nrst they employed Messrs BaeI and b;an
charu' washington printers, to print the
paper on their own press the publisbar
furnishing the paper. The Era was a large
sheet' the price was 81 per annum, bur IT
liao no local support and no advertising.
IL had at no time more than four of its
'hlrty-two columns filled with standing
matter and this standing matter consisted
ol periodical prospectuses. A large circula
tioh was necessary to its support For that
uaS' II washington. the circulation of the
Era was regarded as a great success II
soon rose to 1900 paying subscribers. and
at lts best to 5000. The success of the
Era was all the way through its existence
IN proportion to the bitterness Of the On
position 1t encountered and to the prin-
ciples IL advocated Some months after il
was started certain abolitionists of The
north made futile attempt to run off
some seventy slaves from here, in a sailing
vessel.
The Printing Omce MObbed.
The editor of the Era was unjustly sus-
pected of being at the bottom of the
scheme, and the printing office was mob
bed The types were scattered and some
injury was done to the house. which stood
opposite to what is now the east front of
the patent office. The effect of this mob
bing was greatly to enlarge the subscrip.
ton list of the Era. Orders for it, with
the money, flowed in by the thousands, and
DR.. Bailey reaped a harvest
Mr.. Polk, who was President of the
United States at the time, did his duty
The clerks in the departments were among
the principal actors in the mob He threat.
ened to turn them out of office unless they
could make their peace with the editor of
the Era. They were prompt TO apoloyjZe
very humbly for their conduct and were
forgiven. Mr.. Lewis Clephane, still living
and a prominent citizen was the chief
clerk in the Era office at the time. He
retains vivid recollection of the events
After cespoling the PRINTING office the mob
moved around to DR.. Bailey's residence and
called him out. He resided at the corner of
e and Sth streets, where the Concordia
building now stands. He came to the door
and addressed the crowd. Daniel Ratcliffe.
a lawyer represented them. DIR. B. assert
ed his rights as a citizen to write and pub
iish his sentiments, and declined to yield to
the demand that he should cease to publish
the Era His door and windows were
open, ard the lights Were burning brightly
within. where his family and friends were
quietly seated. The passions of the mob
were soothed by the calm, dignified and
firm attitude of DR.. Bailey. and they went
OF In better humor than they came and
Ratcliffe became one of the doctors warm
friends. Col Seaton, editor of the Nation
al 1ntelligencer," and mayor Of the
ON stTee but was eonnea hs aea5 ,a his house nS
The families were on friendly, neighborly
terms, and Mrs. Seaton invited the Raileys
to spend the night at their house. in antici-
patton OF what happened, and the doctors
children were taken over and put to bed
before the mob came.
The Local Election
Washington. at that day, was in sympa-
thy with the south as regarded the slavery
question; but the presence of the United
States government was sufficient to tenn
per the public spirit, and to prevent any
very extravagant outrage by a mob. Capt
Goddard. the chief of police, acted nobly.
He stood in front Of the Era building, and
told the mob they could not enter unless
they did over his body.
The republicans organized an association
here in 1855; one of the first-Mr. Gle
phane, who kept the books. says-that was
organized in the United States. We COM
prised a full dozen men, at least If not a
bakers dozen. We met in the publication
office Of 'The National Era" which was
then located about where Lansburgh's store
on 7th street now stands. We had a ticket
out that year for the office of collector of
taxes. Mr.. Clephane was our candidate.
He received thirty-one votes-at least that
was all that was allowed him. But he saws
the votes for him in the more benighted
precincts were thrown out. 1 voted at or
near the corner of 18th street and Pennsyl-
vania avenue. My position was we'll known
to the canvassers, and l was approached by
both parties-democrats and know-noth-
ings-and urged to put on my ticket the
name Of one of their candidates for some
other place than that of collector For we
had but one candidate in the field. 1 was
by no means a know-nothing, and was
still further removed by the slavery oues-
tion from being a democrat, and my recoI- |
lection is that 1 put the name of a know |
nothing candidate, for something, perhaps |
surveyor, on my ticket. But 1 voted an
open ticket, while the democrats and know
were cutting throats and shoot |
ing each other
The next year. or 1t may have been later,
but before the war, 1 voted for somebody.
at the city hall, an open ticket. |
while the war ragged all around between the |
Dld particS These facts show that ub;lo |