The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-20
M E N , w O M E N
 A ND T H I N G s


 Unless you have recently freshened up your knowledge of the fight which ragged about the constitution, you will fail to understand the above playful reference to historical fact which at one time loomed large in the thinking of our fore fathers.
 Contrary to current belief it was not "the gentlemen from Ohio alone who made whisky state and a national ques- tion for if l read the signs of the times aright the question, while settled ac- cording to certain politicians and pub licists, like Banquos ghost will arise to plague the two gentlemen from Ohio ii their presidential aspirations.
 Please understand that I am not mak- ing this doleful prophecy as prohibition ist, but merely as one who has studied past campaigns. l know that as much as both parties might like to let it be dead issue that it is sure to be live one in certain close states when the bosses" cast their drag nets for votes It ought to be closed question, but somebody will be sure to open a door.
 It was the home state of Boise Penrose that started the first instruction against the government, for in 1791, soon after the treaty between the states was made et- fective, that the first rebellion was fought out. Ir has come down in history as the whisky rebellion" It will be clearly seen by this that if the south was ever ''rebe1' that it but followed in the foot steps of the Keystone state"
 Better let sleeping dogs lie, you say. Well. we are more than a century away from the first rebellion, and 50 years this side of what some term the late rebellion, and as time melows con troversy, I'm not afraid of stepping on any ones toes when I say the next time any of your northern friends accuse your parents of fighting for slaves, just hand it back good naturedly that his forbears went to war for whisky.
 A tax had been levied on a commodity dear to the Pennsylvanian's heart, in deed on a beverage which was miles away from near beer for it evidently went to his head, and had "kicll" in it, or he wouldn't have tried to kick out of the government traces. know now that it's the fashion to minimize the insurrection, but it was no small matter. Ewing, in his Northern Rebellion and Southern Se- session." tells us that the movement was not suppressed until President George Washington called for 75,000 troops and sent Governor Lee of Virginia against the rebels.
 Now, I am sure I am going to get into trouble, for to be true to the facts l must set it down here that western Pennsylvania had been settled by tffe in- dependent, hard-headed, "Scotch-lrish" Gone of whom am which). They were intensely patriotic during the revolution. but they had traditional hatred against the exciseman, and the state of Pennsyl- vania had never been able to enforce such regulations. Revenue officers have never been popular in the hill countries. l Pennsylvania had protested against the passage of the federal law in 1791, and a meeting of it's opponents was he'd at Brownsville (Red Stone Fort) Julyx.7 of | the same year. Albert Gallatn was sec retary of the. meeting. If you are unfa- miliar with the story of this Swiss immi- grant you have missed one of the most notable instances of the rise of a for- egner in America. He came to this
 country before he was 20 years of age and located in New England.
 
 For long time the historians over looked him as good material, and then along came Henry Adams, the very same whose book, the Education of Henry Adams is now the literary sensation 4 of the hour, and really one of the most l interesting studies I have ever run across in the way of autobiography. 1 He lifted Gallatin out of his obscurity and caused even Henry Cabot Lodge to pronounce him the ablest republican (democraD of his state and add that in diplomacy no one sent from America abroad had exceJed him. save Benjamin Franklin.
 There were three main reasons why the western Pennsylvanians made such strenuous objection to the excise tax. First, they thought it an unholy invasion of their homes. Second, living in a remote section of the state they were accustomed to large amount of liberty of action, and did not care to surrender their free eNoAii HI t, oWlH tO pOoE lIdHSpOA tdtlOli facilities it was almost impossible lt market the grain save in portable tor rather potabe) shape. I'll not add a
 fourth and say, because they liked the taste.
 think it an indisputable fact that twhile it was true that the government
 needed the revenue, it gave Alexander
 Hamilton, the Secrtary of the Treasury
 his chance to hit blow at states rights In spite of meetings and protests the
 great federalist urged upon George Wash lington, the President. the importance of
 demonstrating once for all that the gov !ernment had power to pass a revenue
 of any states resistance. He took the ground that unless this was done. tht
 sooner the government went to pot ths better. He was an enemy to weak Con
 gresses and weak government
 The name whisky insurrection'' wa. 1given, to that war of generous propor tlons, for a war it was. and on a scale , lcoIceived by few. The attempt to en-
 force the tax led to stormy scenes ano rotous violence. Congress referred tn, law back to Hamilton for revision, ano
 he modified the act, but it failed to stor the dscontent, A commission tried tt !compose the situation but failed. A col . lector was tarred and feathered. An in spector's house was burned. Three coun ties alone of the insurrectionists sent H.. 900 men to the field.
 : Then President Washington issued proclamation ordering the rioters to obey , the law, and later all persons were com r manded to lay down arms But. I'll no