Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-12-23
DEMOCRATIC EMBLEM.
low the Rooster Game to be Adopted a
the Party Emblem by Democrats

44SW 9A4 SAS A0OoSOk haRROA ~ OS
adopted az political emblem The
story 10 told by Judge David S. Good
fng. a old resident of Greenfield Ind
4 generation ago Judge Gooding
vas one of the best known political
characters in the United States. He
was q war democrat of the most active
stripe, and his labors for the Union
ssuse were 20 highly appreciated that
President Lincoln had him slated for a
ministerial appointment or "something
equally as good" AS an elector- at
large Judge Gooding headed the Union
ticket in Indiana when Lincoln was
elected to the presidency the second
time. President Johnson appointed
Gooding to the marshalshiP of the Dis.
trict of Columbia. and while in that
sfics he became we'll known over al.
most the entire country.
When the judge moved to the town
OF Greenfield it was little pioneer
hamlet with only handful of people.
The place had no railroad and could
only be reached by the muddiest road
that ever traversed swampy country.
Not until fourteen years after the
judges arrival did the railroad make
its appearance. The absence of rail
roads, and the difficulty of travel, how.
ever. did not retard the development
Of the political spirit for which Indi-
ana II noted. From it's earliest settle.
Hent Hancock county. Of which Green
hsld 10 the county seat, became one of
the hottest political whirlpools in the
state. The boys from Hominy Ridge,
which was then the only part of the
county that was we'll out of the swamp
category, used to ride into town on
sieetion day and fight out their battles
With the town folks on the single street
81 the village. After the street fights
we're over they would exercise the
great American privilege of the ballot
boz. Then they would ride their horses
into the saloons, and after drinking all
shs whisksy in sight they would shoot
eat the lights and start for their homes
On the ridge like good. peaceable and
law abiding citizens.
All through the latter part of the
soc the wings had things pretty much
their own way in Hancock. For long
period they had experienced no diff.
Guilty in maintaining their ascendency,
bat in 1870 the democratic leaders of
the state concluded that it was high
tune for their party to make struggle
in Hancock county and attempt to
carry the election for state representa-.
tive.
Tom Walpols, a noted politician in
those days, was the candidate on the
whis ticket and Joe Chapman was his
democratic opponent. Chapman thought
he saw defeat in the air and was not
making much of an effort to capture
the Office for which he had been nomi-
mated by his party. The party leaders
ever at Indianapolis, only twenty miles
from Greenfield, and in the adjoining
county, were taking great interests in
the Hancock county campaign. and
when they saw Chapman ''lie down"
On them. az they would have dubbed it
In political parlance nowadays. they
became alarmed and decided some.
thing must be done to "brace up Joe"
40 they put it.
At that time the leading state organ
es the democratic party was the Indi-
annapolis Constitution. published at
indianapolis, and edited by George
Pattison. II was decided that Editor
Pattison should start in on the bracing
up process by writing vigorous letter
60 the weakening candidate. Pattison
at once sat down and wrote letter to
Chapman, urging him to get up. his
nerve and get out among the boys and
blow and buster and brag that he was
going to carry everything in sight.
Pattison urged him that was the way
10 carry elections. A part of this
urgent appeal ran literally: "Crow
Chapman, crow" Those were the
words that made the emblem OF the
democratic party, bnt little did Chap
man know it. and apparently cared
less. The plea from Pattison carried
no inspiration to the faint.hearted
democratic candidate for the legisla.
turs. In fact. Chapman thought so
l;Asla ns fha letter from the Constitu.