The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-04-26
GROW. CHAPMAN. CROW!
How the Rooster Became the Demo
CRATIC Emblem.

@~-N N~@O~~~@ ~~N@@-~~% --~U
cratic Emblem
Washington. April 2s.-The following
communication appeared IN the Wash
ington Post a few days ago:
In a recent issue of the St. Louis Re
public is an article purporting to have
been taken from the washington Post,
giving the origin Of the famous Demo-
cratic watchword. Grow. Chapman,
Crow, and how the rooster became the
emblem of Democratic victory. In the
article mentioned Representative Chap
man, Of Alabama, says:
g Years ago there was a Democratic
editor out in Indiana named Chapman.
The campaign was duh and It looked as
if the Democrats were certain to lose
The Democratic governor appealed to
crow he said, and Chapman croWed 50
Justify in his paper, and claimed the VIC
tory so confidently, that the Democrats
woke up and won the election.
That Chapman was an editor is
great mistake that has been repeated
in the press of the country for so years
He was a farmer and politician, ana
lived near Greenfield, Hancock county,
Ind. In the interest of historical ac-
euracy, and to give an authoritative
statement of how the rooster became
Democratic emblem. beg leave to sub
nit a letter written to Hon David s.
most prominent lawyers and public men
of that state, and who was twice the
Democratic nominee for congress in the
Thirteenth district. This letter. was in
answer to my request to give the origin
Of Grow, Chapman, Crow" The fol-
loving is the answer that received:
Greenfield, Ind, March 10, 1886.
M. Y. Chapman, Esq.
Dear Sir:-In answer to your request
to be correctly informed as to the con-
nection of your father, Hon. Joseph
Chapman, with the origin Of Grow,
Chapman, Crow" I will say that l am
quite certain that the following state
ment is substantially correct, TO wit; In
May, June, or July. 1870, Thos. Walpole
was the Wing candidate and Joseph
the Democratic candidate for represen
tative in the legislature, and during the
canvass Chapman seemed to be grow
ing Respondent Whereupon George Pat
tisOn then editor of the Constitution, a
Democratic paper published at Indian
apolis. wrote a letter addressed to VIM
Sebastian, then the Democratic post
master at Greenfield, Ind. in which ne
was requested to encourage Chapman
in the contest, and in which letter
about these words occurred; Tell
Chapman to crow; crow, Chapman,
crow" The letter was opened and read
by the postmaster and left opened or
the postOfhce table, and while so lying
and in the temporary absence Of the
postmaster from the room he was re-
ported to have read and copied the let
ter. At all events, the letter was soon
thereafter published in the Indianapolis
Journal, If the files of the Journal
have been preserved the letter can be
found therein at some date between
April, 1910, and August 1910. There
may possibly be some slight in the &C
curacy therein, but nothing material
am, DAVID S. COOLING.
Immediately had the files of the Jour
nal examined and discovered the original
letter and one supposed to have been
written by Walpole when the original one
ter in question, but which I omit here for
the present. The following is the original
letter:
Mr. Sebastian P. M.-Dear Sir:
I have been informed by a Democrat
that in part of your county 80 Van Buren,
me know if such is the fact. Hand this
letter to Gen. Milroy. I think such a de-
plorable state OF facts can not exist If
so, l will visit Hancock and address the
people relative to the policy of the Demo-
cratic party. I have no time to spare, but
[ will refuse to eat or sleep or rest so long
done fr,- ,Ta,7fss
sake stir up the Democracy. See Chap
man; tell him not to do as he did hereto
alarms; he raust crow: we have much to
crow over. I will insure this county to
give a Democratic majority of 200 votes
GEORGE PATTISON.
Joseph Chapman, the Grow. Chapman
crow died in the Mexican war. The rea-
sion that he was an editor was the fact
in the early 50s George W Chapman and
Jacob Page Chapman moved from Terre
Haute to Indianapolis and took charge OF
the Indiana State Sentinel and ran 1t as
a Democratic paper, and at each Demo-
cratic victory they ran up a rooster to
their masthead and repeated the famous
expression. NJ v. CHAPMAN
Coffeyville, Kan.