Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1907-07-04
Ancient Echoes or,
Whose Fault Was 1t?
Written for the REPUBLICAN
bv M. G.. Montgomery.
CHAPTER 1.


1t was the seventh of Novem-
Der, 1885, when the writer Of this
article first saw the light of day.
My first recollection of political
doings was ia 1910, when | was
five years of age. 1t was the
Harrison and Tyler campaign.
One of our neighbors had a
threshing bee in which the men
we're using the old skull cracking
fail. We kids, who had accom-
panied our parents, in looking
around for fun procured pole.
on which we tied white rag,
and hosting it, we started a war
dance around it shouting hur-rah
hu.ru, for Tipicanoo, and Tyler
too.
Our enioyment was short lived
however, for the threshers made
raid on the pole and our i'm
promptu flag was ingloriously
trailed in the dust.
In 1912 several events trans
pired that made lasting i'm
preston on my mind. A rebel
lion broke out in Rhode Island,
but l little knew at that age
what rebellion meant, still it
made such an impression on my
mind that l ever after hated the
| word.
There arose trouble over the
dividing line between the British
POSSESSIONS and the United States
which caused nsiderable talk
of war. The democrats took up
the war-cry of"ifty-four, forty or
fight
] learned later what the figures
meant. Then came the burning
question of slavery. John G.
Calhoun canvassing the southern
states advocating the doctrine OF
state sovereignty. VIM. Lloyd
Garrison, a bitter abolitionist
and editor of the Liberator,
spreading his doctrine Though
the north by scattering broad
cast his papers which were
greedily perused by friend and
| Toe. Thus was gulf opened be-
tween the North and South that
nothing could close but the life
blood of martyrs.
In 1914 James K. Polk and
Dryden were elected. do not
recollect anything transporting
worthy of note outside the
slavery question which would not
down, although there were many
called the peace party who strove
with all their power to allay the
threatening storm, but alas, the
hand writing was on the wall.
In the year 1920 Missouri was
admitted into the Union as {
slave state and at that time bill
was passed called the "Missour
Compromise" which prohibited
any more slavery north of para
lell 5000 which was the soutl
line of Missouri.
The slavery party now bega
to see that they had consented t
an act that would eventually de
stroy the prestage they held owe
i the north. To help themselve
out of the dilemma they sa'
their chance to extend thei
territory, and against the judg
ment of some of our most compt
tent public men, among whoi
was Daniel Webster, Henry Cla
and host of others, war wa
declared against Mexico, wh'
:. through the intrigues of tt
/ filibuster, Sam Houston, ha
! already lost Texas which had b.
| came annexed to the Unite
| States as territory.
| The Mexican war was a sho
| and decisive one and in 49,
| peace was declared and the Uni
| ed States paid to Mexico $25, 00C
| 900 and Mexico in return ceedt
| to the United States Californi
! Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and pa
| of Wyoming, Colorado, Kans
| and New Mexico. Now was T
| newed the jangle over SLAYER
| Mexico had declared the freedo
of all slaves in her domain al
some wanted the territories lie
free as when ceeded to l
Others proposed to extend t
Missouri Compromise from t
i Rocky mountains to the Pacific
Both propositions were rejecte
The obstinancy of both Nor
and South was becoming
acute that it was almost out
the question to find a CONFRONT
acceptable to both. =. There n
= been a bill introduced in I