Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-10-19
EVENING CHAT

LlNHHVS NJ
Reading of newspapers published in
PENNSYLVANIA fifty and one hundred
years ago fails to show that the cam
paiGn methods of those generally
styled strenuous times in politics diff
fered materially from what are being
employed in the present clamorous
campaign except in the matter of cash
ana communications. They did not
have as much money and they were
unable TO send night letters or to call
people up on the telephone. but no
one can fail to note that some of the
things said about candidates in 1914
ana 1864 are strikingly like what is
being hurled about the Keystone State
IN the campaign which will come to
an eagerly desired close two weeks
from tomorrow. To be sure, there
were some different issues. There was
not much said about local option,
child labor and woman suffrage. but
the same charges about bosssm. using
of governmental machinery for po-
hucal ends and of not running the
government the way some people, who
We're eager for control, thought il
should be run through the speeches
of the long dead orators And il
would appear that much of the broth
erhood OF man" sentiment was in use,
although not employed as fervently as
to-day. Simon Snyder, who was the
hrst OF the German Governors so
called. was having hot time OF, il
because of financial measures and
there was much solicitude for the
homes OF the people that might be
swept away in some imaginary cata-
clysm manifested by the orators of
IeI4. In the use of invective, in in
sinuation and hatred of opponents
some of the orators and editors of a
century past appear to have been pro-
totNpes Tor some of the present day
in both ends of the State, to say moth
ing OF certain counties in the middle
pennsylvania has always been noted
Tor the partisanship of its people in
political matters, a striking illustration
OF which Is the statement that in some
parts of Alt BerkS" they are still
voting for Jackson. The campaign has
neen under way since last January
with occasional intermssions and
what is in store for the people of the
State in the next fortnight will be
really like old times when men of ma
uonal fame hutted into the State fights
OF Pennsylvania to secure the advan-
tage OF their aims two years ahead
and when Presidents sent their fore
most men to the keystone state to
secure endorsement of their policies.
And they always seem to have used
plenty OF vigorous words to EN-
tighten the proletariat.
The old canal lock between Harris
burg and Steelton, just below the fine
plant OF the Elliott-Fisher Company,
Is furnishing good bit OF entertain-
ment for people these days. The lock
is full of fish and as there is always
a good supply of water the banks are
lined every afternoon by men and bows
after the fishes that swim so tanta-
liZingly close to the surface. In the
few places in this county where the
old PENNSYLVANIA canal survives in bits
there are always fish to be found and
Lochiel lock is no exception.
Speaking of locks. few people know
that the Walnut street lock of the old
canal in Harrisburg was the object of
considerable formal ceremony when
built and that the people thought so
much of it that they called it the
Penn lock and when the cornerstone
was laid the Governor of Pennsvlva-
MIA, who had as his guest the Gov
ernor OF Tennessee, the heads of de-
partments, legislature, bench and bar.
county and borough officers. citizens
and militia were present and it was
made an event of moment among the
Masonic fraternity. This was back in
the spring of 1927. and while the
original lock was torn away to make
room for some changes in the canal
before the Civil War vet il was so
near as to really form the site. And
OF this lock not a Vestige remains and
there is nothing even to mark the site
by which the tremendous traffic of the
railroad which succeeded to the canal
rolls increasingly.
Another interesting dip into the mast
tells of the excitement in Pennsvl-
Nanla and especially in Harrisburg lust
one hundred years ago. This was the
time when word came to America of
the demands made by the British COM
missioners to negotiate the treaty All
Ghent. 1t had been supposed that
thlhgs We're going along very well, but
the British suddenly sprung some new
matters. the text of which furnishes
very interesting reading to the person
VINO cares to look up what was han
pening here and in Belgium and
France and other countries much in
the news century since This State
had Just been Relieved from the specter
OF British invasion and the men who
nad gone from Dauphin and Cumber-
land counties to aid in repelline the
British after they burned Washington
were home again when word came
that Notwithstanding the retreat of
Ross and Cockburn and McDonough's 8
victories on Lake Champlain the war
was likely to be renewed more fiercely
than ever The citizens of Harrisburg
held meetings and men were pledged
to the government, the scenes of earlier
in the year when men were enlisted
for service in Maryland being repeated
to certain extent. This time one
hundred years ago the people of Har-
risburg were considerably stirred nm
over the prospect. of war coming into
their State. Another interesting coin
cidence is that it was just fifty wears
ago that Harrisburg was hearing Nof
the successes OF Sheridan in the
Valley.
WELL KNOWN PEOPLE