The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1904-06-10
OLD LANDMARKS NO. 81
BY John Danner,

Among the first able lawyers in Can
ton was Hon. Daniel A. Starkweather,
who came here in 1928 and was one OF
the most eloquent and popular law
yers of those days. The business for
lawyers in those early days was not
large, but Mr.. Starkweather soon
stepped to the front for full share
of the best practice.
In the early history of Canton we
had the reputation of having some Of
the best lawyers in the state, among
them we're John Harris, Dwight Jar
Wis, Hiram Griswold, George w. Bel
den and David A. Starkweather. The
three first named were active Wings,
while the two last named were strong
and influential Democrats. For some
time Mr., Starkweather and Mr.. Jar
Wis were partners in law practice, un-
der the firm name of Starkweather and
Jarvis; in later years Mr.. Jarvis remov-
ed to Massillon where he died, but Mr..
Starkweather remained in Canton until
his death.
Mr.. Starkweather was a man of
much public spirit, and was at all
times ready to help any movement cal
culated to build up Canton. He was
in partnership for some time with
Dwight Jarvis in the practice of law
and while they were both able and
successful lawyers they always were
divided politically. At the time these
men were in the height of their prac-
tice in Canton, the two political par
ties of those days were the Democratic
and Whig parties. The Republican par
ty in later years was the re-organiza-
ton of the old Whig party and taking
the name of Republican party, the dom
inant issue of which was that slavery
should not extend any farther.
This reorganization of the old polit-
ical party that had so long been ar
rayed against the Democratic party
quite a revolution in political
parties, many from the Democratic par
ty going over to the newly organized
partly, while many of the
Wings went over to the DEM
ocratic party. John G. Fremont was
the first Republican candidate, and the
great issue was that slavery should not
extend any farther.
The old Abolition party stood for
the abolition of slavery, but not so
the Free-Soil party. They simply con-
tended that slavery should not go
foot farther; the best men in the party
fully realized that if slavery was COM
PEELED to remain within the old
bounds, it would soon come to an end,
and in this they were right, as our his
tory shows.
Now that we have no slavery this
old bone of contention has passed
from our political issues forever and SO
it will be for the selling of intoxicat-
ing liquors for beverage purposes. To
some it appears almost impossible
that such a condition of things shah
ever exist in this country but the
shape things are taking in this country,
in the southern states, point
very clearly to this condition of
things, and for this all good and patri-
otic citizens should labor and vote,
without regard to old party issues
which long since passed into history.
"The greatest good to the greatest
number of people" is an old and much
cherished principle by all good citizens
Without regard to locality or sex, and
he time is rapidly approaching when
he old heathenish plan of putting the
intoxicating cup to the lips of oui
leighbors under the sanction and pro
ection Of law will have passed forever.
1t took long and expensive struggle
O get rid Of human slavery, but it is
gone fovever, and the time is not far in
he future when it can be said there is
lot legalized dram shop, or sa-
Don, in this great and free nation of
'urs. Let party prejudice be put aside
md seek only the best good of the peo-
pie, and we must all arrive at this
lust conclusion. One nation, and no
saloon, should be the watchword of all
good citizens, no difference of what ma
ionality they are from. Our hope lies
n this.