The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1899-08-04
LOOKING BA CKWARD.
"reminiscences of Chester County by
Former Citizen of Cecil.
WHEATLAND, Mo-, June 30, {

people OatH speaks o.
l know you do not look over your
shoulder, but it may not hurt you to take
This one look behind. I'll not bother you
with the story of Lougwood's rise-Ive
they preach, there is no deVil.
If Geo. Alfred Townsend knows no more
about the other interesting things he
writes of than he seems to of Bayard
raylor's status among the people he dwelt
with, he has nothing to trammel his
His story of the antagonism
of the Square" people to Bayard Taylor
is on wrong base entirely. While it is
true that the inspired priests of abolition
from old John Brown to Benny Pyle were
in the political methods of
the early Republicans, just as many of
our day Pops" have no faith in the
Chicago platform or Mr.. Bryan, yet like
the former they are the leaven of the
whole loaf. There was no personal
then more than now between
those striving for the same ends by diff
ferent ways.
My personal acquaintance with the
Square dates from 1850, when Gath was
likely in his childhood. At that time the
reformers were dividing their time be-
tween abolition and temperance the last
a local matter. There were men there
who while abolitionists were not tent
perance, as there may have been temper
ance men who were not abolitionists, but
the great body of fanatics held to both.
Bayard Taylors father, Joseph, was a
man of modest requirements, one of those
Chester county growths natural i'll the
economies ofthe Quaker influence backed
by the penurious maxims of Poor
Richard.'
Years before my time the hotel and
stage stand in Kennett Square belonged
to and was kept by a brother-in-law OF
Joseph Taylor, who sold it at good price
to Bernard Wiley. In 1851 Mr.. w, who
had grown gray in catering to the wants,
imaginary and real, of the travelling
public, found himself facing most intol-
Grant spirit, determined to take from him
the public franchise of supplying grog to
the thirsty. Among these temperance
fanatics none was so uncompromising as
the man to whom he had paid his money
for the hotel, good will and appurtan-
ances. While Mr.. Wiley was man OF
peace and his wife Martha was my boyish
idea of the embodiment of Martha Wash
ington. Yet this temperance row worried
them greatly. The little community was
in fact redhot. The question Of license
or no license was to be settled by local
election.
The election came off and the township
went dry, but like you in Cecil it would
not stay dry, for it came back to be fought
over and over again until to each other
tine partisans in their persons represented
about all the meanness ofhumanity.
Well during all these years, while the
Taylors and connections were holding up
the temperance flag, Bayard Taylor was
seeking fortune and fame. At last he
came back with his honors thick upon
him, the pride ofhis people and the
boast Of his kin, (Which were numerous
but holy horrors, he came back a whiskey
man, he drank beer and looked it. Had
Mr.. Wiley been there he would have
pushed back his hat and stuck out his
chin. This my dear Gath is why Bayard
was varied upon and not because of his
help in forming the Republican party,
which was probably not more than yours
or John w. Forney's, only lie did not
wait until the party had a comnissary
before he enlisted in it as "Gath" did.
Gath says-"his brother Franklin Tay-
lor who died in uniform" and this is
what he chunks editors with as history.
DIR. Frank Taylor, man so we'll known
that even Gath should not misscall him,
did not die in uniform, nor ever was in
one as a soldier, nor ever did rise to de-
fend Bayard Taylor for his friendship for
Lincoln from the attacks of anybody.
At Kennett Square it was not slavery
and polygamy" but slavery and whiskey-
Frank Taylor was the comrade of Bayard
n that first European pilgrimage of which
We have the record in his first and best
book, and like Bayard he had learned the
ways of polite society and WINGED under
he fire of these temperance fanatics at
he Longwood meeting. Now after
orty years this Cath" hiding behind
he shadow of Lincoln, perverts history to
lisparage those who listen to the truth
poken against McKinleyism.
Poor Bayard Taylor built his house at
BENNETT Square" why not say poor
3ayard Taylor was raised on the slim diet
If an old time Chester county Ouak err;
hat against the teachings of his youth he
'dopted the larger beer rations of his
ierman associates and died at Sc years,
ustifying the hard backed reformers
round his home, who OH their slim fare
i've on to say to their bright grandsons,
while lager may be health and long life
o Dutchman it's death to a Yankee or
quaker. J. A. R.