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About The Powder River County Examiner (Broadus, Mont.) 1935-1965 | View This Issue
The Powder River County Examiner (Broadus, Mont.), 25 Dec. 1936, located at <http://montananewspapers.org/lccn/sn84036257/1936-12-25/ed-1/seq-3/>, image provided by MONTANA NEWSPAPERS, Montana Historical Society, Helena, Montana.
eee Stk Ap oat Snel dmc ie e858 24 8 eee Lem mee eRe 8s THE POWDER RIVER COUNTY EXAMINER ee = a | “Peace on Ea But There Wasn’t Much of Either in Some Sections of United States _150 Years Ago. By ELMO SCOTT WATSON , (pee on earth, good will to men! For ages that has been the theme of Christmas time the world over and, although the clouds of war now seem to be hovering low over Europe and the people of many nations abroad are hag-ridden by sus- picion and fear and dire pov- erty, America looks forward this year to a happy Christmas of peace and prosperity. But it has not always been thus in this country. One hun- dred-and fifty years ago there was little enough of either peace or good will in some parts of the United States, which was then still in its swaddling clothes as a nation. If, in the year 1786, you had sought good will toward their fellow-Americans among the citize.s of almost any of the Thirteen Original States, you would have found a surprising lack of it, even though they had but lately stood shoulder to. shoulder in fighting for their freedom from Great Brit- ain. And if you had visited western Massachusetts you would have seen the spectacle SS rth, Good Will to Men” f_of? tk - ¢ Pa ec Oey en Ae by . i ane Capture of Shays’ “Rebels” by State Troops. off their misfortunes, and the sheriffs and other court officers who did the actual seizures of property. By 1786 so great was the feel- ing against the lawyers that vir- tually all members. of that pro- fession were defeated in the spring legislative elections. More- over, the .new legislature was asked to regulate the lawyers and reform the courts. A bill to restrict law fees was passed in the house of representatives but defeated in the state senate. This fed the rage of an already in- flamed populace. ‘‘Was this a real government of the people and for the people when a little group of senators could check- mate the will of the elected rep- resentatives?’’ the aroused farm- ers, mechanics and other work- ing men began asking. By the time the legislature, blind to the needs of the people and deaf to their pleas for relief, went home, the men of Mas- sachusetts were ready for des- ing from the war came to visit with him, to talk over their war experiences and as the prob- lem of taxes and debts grew from bad to worse, to discuss ways and means of getting re- lief from an intolerable situation. ‘aa 3 By the time the legislature adjourned without making y attempt to provide that relief they were ripe for revolt and they looked to Shays as their natural leader. . Drillmaster for the Rebels. So he began drilling old sol- diers and new oneg-in the court- yard of Pelham tavern. Evi- dently his fame as a drillmaster had spread for there came re- quests from Worcester for him to come there to recruit, organize and drill “regulators for the sup- pression of tyrannical govern- ment.”’ During the summer of 1786 county conventions were held all over the state to give voice to grievances and draw up petitions to the legislature. On August 22 Shays’ Rebellion. in Massachusetts Was Protest of: People Drivento Despair by Poverty and High Taxes. the Supreme court in Springfield late in September, Shays knew that he and his men were in danger of indictment for stopping the lower courts. The only thing to do was to stop it also. So he led 600 men there, paraded his men in front of 800 militia com- manded by Gen. William Shep- ard, and sent in a request to the court for it.to adjourn. The judges did so forthwith. Next the legislature was called into special session but it vacil- lated between granting the peo- ple’s demands and upholding law and order. Finally it compro- mised by voting a bill to make taxes payable in produce. During this time Shays had been laying -low, hoping that the threat of his armed men would result in the needed reforms without actual re- course to arms. “When the goy- ernor called out 2,000 militia to guard the Cambridge court house while court convened, not a Regulator appeared to interfere. Civil War Looms. Taking courage from this fact, Bowdoin sent out posses to comb Middlesex county for leaders in the rebellion: Then Shays acted. He feinted a movement toward Boston which threw the state offi- cials into. a near-panic. Fright- ened conservatives began to won- der how long it would be before he dominated the state and whether the streets of their cities were to run red with the blood of civil strife. As Christmas ap- proached it was a gloomy time Stews parte oF owetasree co 9 > 3 eT aie = ™ 7 ® Making a Choice— Independence and Loneliness or Dependence With Ties of Affection T°? MOST persons there comes sometime in their lives the opportunity for a choice between independence and loneliness or ties and affection. The wise mature person thinks-long before choosing the former above the latter. There are many young people, however, who feel so sure of. themselves and their ability to ‘‘get along all right” that they are irked by the least restraint. They throw it off, only to discover later in life that affection’ is worth the curtail- ing restraint and dependence en- tailed. Companionship has been their portion up to the time of their decision that dependence is what they must have, at any cost. They have no idea of what lone- liness means. : Separation. “ The adult who is separated from his family because of distance, domestic estrangement, or who has outlived the other members, realizes to the full what it means to be alone. It is when estrange- ment causes the separation that there are times when the alone- ness is bearable or agreeable, but these times are interrupted by It's Easy to Crochet This Set of Lace Filet A bit of humble string—this gor- geous peacock pattern — and presto—you’re the proud owner of dainty filet lace chair sets, scarf ends, or buffet sets! Fascinating needlework, the K stitch sets off hours when the feeling of loneli- ness creeps over him (or her), and companionship, though with but a small degree of affection, is craved. Individuality. 4 Human nature is so constituted that people cannot live in the same atmosphere and always see eye to eye. There is wisdom in this plan. Individuality would be quelled if what any person thought ¢hew- ever beloved) could always accepted without dissent by those around him (or her). Nor can ac- tions of even those dear to us, in- variably meet with our approval, whether expressed or unex- pressed. It is when we learn to permit personal differences without cen- sure that companionship, in the home or out of it, develops best. Even when children are. young, they must be allowea a modicum of such freedom or when older they will long to break away, and if they do then there is loneliness in store for the youth, and sadness left in the home. Divorce. Married couples, when they con- template divorce, have the choice between independence plus lone- liness, or dependence, each on the other with affection restored, or remaining less than could be desired. It may be there is incom- patability, but it should be re- “membered that no two persons, married or single, can live to-~ gether under the same roof and always be congenial. However, this does not signify that at heart affection is gone. Separation means loneliness for one or both of them. Families. Within a family there is sure to be some dissension at times— young folk may quarrel and adults dispute. But when these times are over, the ties of affection, the as- sociations that intertwine, and the fabric of their lives so closely woven together, should prove a firm foundation for continued com- panionship. The door to loneliness of armed men marching over its ‘hills and through its val- leys, ready to plunge their state into the horrors of a civil war. For in December, 1786, the in- cident which has come down in our history under the name of perate measures. All they needed now was a leader around whom to rally for action to gain the rights which, they had under- stood from the Declaration of In- dependence, were theirs. They found such a leader in Daniel should remain barred. delegates from 50 Hampshire © Bell Syndicate.—WNU Service. -towns met in Hatfield for that purpose. Shays represented Pel- ham at the meeting which opened with the adoption of a resolution that ‘this meeting if constitutional’’ and closed with indeed for the commonwealth of Massachusetts. Then suddenly the rebellion collapsed. Governor Bowdoin summoned Gen. Benjamin Lin- coln, a Revolutionary veteran, to take charge of the situation. Pattern 5520 “‘Shays’ Rebellion” was mount- ing to its climax and Christmas time of that year saw, not “peace on earth, good will to men,’ but a people, driven to despair by poverty and high tax- es and a loss of faith in their government, resorting to armed force to right their wrongs. History has written Daniel Shays and his men down as “‘reb- els.’’ But make ho mistake about it—they were more than just a band of malcontents trying to overthrow a stable and just gov- ernment. Shays and many an- other had been “rebels” also in 1776—but they were known as “‘Patriots’’ then. When they took up arms again, it was for the same fundamental reasons that had driven them to revolt ten years earlier. The ‘‘rebels’”’ of 1786 were simply the “Patriots” of 1776, grown grimmer with hardship and aisillusionment and injustice. So they started their ‘ Shays. In the Fight for Liberty. When the news of Lexington and Concord spread through western Massachusetts in April, 1775, Shays was twenty-eight years old, but recently married and trying to make a living for himself and his bride on a little farm in that part of the colony. Born at Hopkinton of parents too poor to educate him, Shays had hired out as a farm hand in his early youth and had grad- ually drifted westward. He had managed to save a little money so when he came to the village of Pelham, where land was cheap, he was able to buy a few acres of thin soil on a bleak ridge above the bottom lands of the Connecticut valley. Shays immediately joined an Amherst company which dis- banded after 11 days. But he was in the fight for liberty for good so he re-enlisted. By the time he reached Boston he had been made an ensign and for bravery at Bunker Hill he was made a sergeant. During the five years he served in the Continental army, he was ifi the march on Ticonder- oga, he was at the surrender of Burgoyne at Saratoga, he served under ‘‘Mad Anthony’’ Wayne at Stony Point and he starved and froze with the other veterans of Washington’s army. On the promise that he would be made a captain, he enlisted a company but he had to wait “an address to the people now in arms.”’ But it advocated no violence. In contrast to its moderation was the action taken in the east- ern part of the state where Mid- dlesex farmers, meeting in his- toric Concord, gave voice to their protest in more violent language-_ They denounced the senate, pro- tested against the legislature holding its meetings in Boston (where it would be under the domination of the rich merchants and war profiteers), condemned the size of government salaries, the rate of lawyers’ fees and the costs of the courts. In parti- When he told Lincoln that the state had neither supplies nor credit to outfit an army, Lincoln stalked into the richest club in Boston and bluntly told the mer- chant members that if they wished to save the state from anarchy and their property from seizure by the rebels, they must finahce his expedition. This they hastened to do. By the early part of January Lincoln had equipped his troops, consisting of 4,400 men with a full staff of Revolutionary war offi- cers, cavalry, artillery and a sup- ply train for a six months’ cam- paign, and marched half way across the state. As he drew near, Shays sent a proposal for a truce but without waiting for a reply, tried to capture the Springfield arsenal and get the arms and munitions he would need to resist the invaders. The militia guarding the arsenal fired over the heads of the rebels. Then when they would not re- tire, they poured a volley into the rebel ranks which killed two men and wounded another. This was on January 25. The next day Lincoln’s army appeared on the scene, scattered the force of Luke Day, one of Shays’ allies,# and started to pursue the main body of the insurgenfS into the hills of Pelham. The Rebellion Ends. Outnumbered four to one Shays tried to make terms but Lincoln the design effectively. Even be- ginners will find this pattern an easy way to add to their prestige as needlewomen. In pattern 5520 you will find instructions and charts for making the set shown; an illustration of it and of all the stitches needed; material require- ments. To obtain this pattern send 15 cents in stamps or coins (coins preferred) to The Sewing Circle, 259 W. Fourteenth St., New York, N. Y. Write plainly your name, ad- dress and pattern number. SOOTHING TO TIRED EYES Modern li oe more more are findi oe rice in their ene neeay ' ng 3 a physician's proven value in proper care of eyes. In use _e > Murine at yourdrug store. LUDEN’S MENTHOL COUGH paons 4 5¢ HELP BALANCE YOUR ALKALINE RESERVE WHEN YOU HAVE A COLD! CLASSIFIED DEPARTMENT POULTRY SHIP YOUR POULTRY AND EGGS to NYSTRAND POULTRY CO., Batte, Mont., for top prices and prompt retura. refused to agree to any truce. That night Shays and his men slipped away under the cover of darkness and fied west through a snowstorm toward Petersham where he hoped to find food and shelter for his freezing, starving men. But Lincoln was hot on his trail and the next morning, while Shays’ men were enjoying break- fast in hospitable kitchens in Petersham, the state - troops biirst in upon them. A hundred and fifty of the insurgents were taken prisoners and the remain- der, Shays among them, scat- tered in the hills. Those that did not dare to go home accompanied their leader to Vermont where he lived for several years. When at last he was pardoned he moved to Sparta, N. Y. In his old age he for two years before the captain- cy was forthcoming. Meanwhile he had become _ conspicuous enough among the minor offi- cers to be one of a number who received swords at the -hands of Lafayette, the gallant young ation of the act of habeas corpus Frenchman who had _ joined which had been suspendec as ; Washington’s army. disorders throughout the state second revolt to put into prac- An Unwanted Sword. had grown. —_——— tice the abstract principles for Daniel Shays must have smiled Pap ware of this rising oar which they had fought in the grimly when the sword was pre- S wre 4 ty James Bowdoin ” first. ; ; sented to him. He had a sword. iaat ea arly inactive. George After the Revolution, affairs He didn’t need another one. What - oti n, seeing the precari- were: in a chaotic condition in he did need greatly was money eer Sha te of the new nation most states and especially in to send back ‘to Massachusetts ful ei f nfederation and fear- Massachusetts. Little “hard where his wife and children were + ‘Sthee 7 ate, wrote to ask why * money’’ was in circulation and in want. So dire was their dis- oe wae did not redress the increasing taxes could not tress that he did what seemed to grievances if they existed or sup- be paid in the depreciated: cur- him the logical thing to do—he proms sedition “if they did not. rency of the Confederation. What sold the sword. And because he Governor Bowdoin neither re- had been true of the Continental dressed or suppressed. cular they demanded redress from unequal taxation on farm lands and mercantile property, demanded the repeal of the riot act, passed by the last legis- lature, and called for the restor- 35c & 60c bottles currency during the Revolution “‘Not worth a continental’) was true of this paper money. Sol- diers coming home from the war found a mountain of debts await- thus violated the code of an “officer and gentleman,” = his brother officers ostracized hint. Soon afterwardsvhe resigned his commission and returned home where some of his neighbors—- courts to sit knew that the crisis was at hand. A Crisis at Hana.- it came time for the again, everyone When was granted a pension for his services during the Revolution but he lived in poverty until his death on September 29, 1825. Last year the citizens of Pel- . @ 20c tins Court sessions meant more sei= zures for debt, more men went to jail. So in many parts of the state, armed bands prevented the courts from convening. ham gathered in town meeting to vote on the erection of a sign for a new road which passes their ancient town hall, the oldest still:in use in the United States. Governor Bowdoin, ‘his hand This sign, according to their vote, forced at last, called out the was to bear the name: “Capt. militia to suppress the rebellion. |. Daniel Shays Highway,” thus But the militiamen were far out- perpetuating the memory of the numbered by Shays’ _‘‘regula- Patriot of °76-and the Rebel of tors’’ even if they had not been 86, who in both years fought in sympathy with them, which for the rights of the common most of them were. As the time man. approached for the: meeting of - ing them-and there was no bank- / ruptcy law to save their stoves or beds or few sticks of furniture \ from seizure by the sheriff. To the veterans returning to such a state of affairs and to ’ the_disheartened: farmers, trying to Wring a bare living from the rocky hillsides, it seemed that all the machinery of the -state’s government was operating to crush them. Especially did they hate the lawyers who fattened even his father - in - law— also snubbed him for what he had done. No wonder he was an embittered man when he retired to his farm near Pelham. But he soon found that the. plain people of that section weren’t much concerned over the sword incident. His war record outweighed that. So they elected him to the committee of safety and the next year made him town warden. Other veterans return- ne eee WAFERS na The Original Milk of Magnesia Wafers a) © Western Newspaper Union. a
