Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1906-01-25

age of 81 Ex-Governor Taylor retlres
forever from the scene Of life's activi-
ties. His last days are as pathetic as
his first days We're pitiful. His mother
died when he was 3 weeks old and six
years later his father, Il sea captain,
was lost in nlid-ocean. He was born
practically without Il home and raised
among strangers. and he will spend his
last days in II home" that Is not Il
home, but a retreat for relies OF a past
generation.
Thirty years ago it was different
ccutive mansion at Madison, swept
into office by the granger movement.
one of the most unique uprlsings that
ever colOred the pages Of western MIS-
tory. 1t was the movement on the part
of the ''patrons of husbandry," rs they
were named by President Johnson,
who was the real promoter Of the
Grange as national organization.
Throughout the Western States. par
ticularly in Wisconsin,, the agriculture
lists, reduced to sore straits by the civil
war banded to gether in one great
brotherhood and the grange almost
took the place of church, club and
thcater. In Wisconsin the 'grangers'
fused with the Democrats in 1873, and
Taylor was put at the head Of the
ticket. tie only fusion candidate to be
elected. lie went into office like a cy-
clone. He whacked away at the rail-
! roads in his inaugural address, and
when the Legislature assembled he
passage Of II law that would relieve the
farmers from excessive rates.
In 1874 Governor Taylor began by
refusing all railroad passes and franks.
Then came the enactment Of the POT
| ter law, creating a commission to fix
| and regulate railway rates. 1t placed
| the roads under State control, limiting
| the charges for transportation of pas
sengers and freight and classifying the
| freight. a howl went up from the rail-
roads. They took the position of in
! jured innocence and some Of them serv-
ed formal notice that they would not
respect one of its provisions. Up rose
TaylOr's fighting blood. The contro-
versy was one of national extent and
consequence and the contention eX-
tended both to State and Federal
courts. the main question involved be-
| ing the constitutional power of the
State over corporations Of its own Gre
alton. 4 test suit went against the
railroads. and the court sustained the
| pOSition OF the State and rendered
! judgments against the corporations
The decision established finally the alb
solute power of the Legislature to mod
lify or repeal the charters of corpora
lions. Governor Taylor also attacked
been robbing the forests Of the State
When he became Governor in 1879
Mr.. Taylor was comfortably situated
so far as worldly goods go. He own
cd a farm Of 3G0 acres and had much
personal property. Since then he has
met with misfortune in nearly all his
ventures. Il fact that has brought him
to his present condition.
Misfortune in business attended the
iGovcrnor almost on the day that he
left office TO recoup his losses Mr.
Taylor turned to speculation and met
with almost uniform failure.
The early years of the farmer Coy
ernor" were filled with hardShips
With the family with whom he LIVED
he moved to jefferson County. y. V.
and at the age Of II was working il
the clearings from morning until night
digging ont stumpS and tilling a stony
soil. At IL he broke away from thi.
life of toll and in two years saveC
enough to enable him to enter the
Academy of Union College. Schenec
tady. Later he taught school in Ohio
and then settled on Il farm near Cot
tage Grove. Wis, working as a lum
herman and rivcrman in winter L
was as Il farmer he was elected Gov
|