If you ever wanted a way to explain to your kids why they should never do drugs, just point them in the direction of the Kasich presidential campaign. It always comes up if you dig deep enough; illegal drugs are a terrible aspect of modern culture—especially in Ohio. If there is one reason to despise illegal immigration, it is because of the horrendous effect that narcotics passing into our country hidden within that act entails—drugs turn good people into bad every time—without fail. Now based on his behavior it would appear that John Kasich has become a serious drug addict. What he is saying and doing makes no sense—he is delusional. The day after the Super Tuesday presidential results where Donald Trump won five American territories and lost only one to John Kasich—Kasich complete with a confetti style victory party had his team put together this video.
Uuuuuuh, we are halfway through the election of more than fifty American territories who produce electoral votes and Governor Kasich of Ohio has only won one state with a measly 66 delegates—and that was Ohio on March 15th. For him and really everyone else the election is already over except by defying the will of the American voter who has supported the Republican Party. There is no other way for this election to end for Kasich other than a concession speech. Yet, Kasich and his people sent me this email looking for money just two days from a miserable showing on Super Tuesday where he barely even stacked up any votes in most of the states—except for Ohio. Nobody in their right mind—who has any money to speak of—would dump money into Kasich—these are supposed to be smart people. But this email clearly shows the rationality of a crack addict looking for just one more hit before plunging themselves into bankruptcy.
Rich, want to defeat Hillary Clinton and win the White House? Only John Kasich can do it.
Gov. John Kasich is the ONLY Republican polls show can defeat her in three critical swing states: Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire.
Following our big Ohio win, we’re now focused on collecting delegates in Utah (will caucus on Tuesday) and the other major upcoming states like Wisconsin, New York, Pennsylvania and many others.
Rich – not only will we continue to gain momentum before the convention but we’ll unify our party and defeat Hillary Clinton this fall.
We have an 8-point lead over Hillary nationally and would defeat her in Ohio by 21 points!
Our positive message is working and it’s gaining more attention every day.
Trump and Cruz are terrified to face Gov. John Kasich in the GOP convention. Here’s why: Politico released a survey where 45% of respondents said that John Kasich is the best Republican candidate to go on and defeat Hillary Clinton this fall. Kasich finishes 12-points ahead of Cruz and a whopping 23-points ahead of Trump! While the other candidates have run campaigns that divide us, Gov. Kasich is the lone candidate who’s run a positive campaign focused on working together to solve our greatest challenges with real, achievable solutions. Utah will caucus on Tuesday and Wisconsin voters will head to the polls on April 5th. We need your ongoing support to ensure that we can keep growing on our momentum from the big win in Ohio. We WILL stop Trump from getting the nomination and we WILL win at the convention – and then we’ll go on to defeat Hillary this fall and begin the hard work of fixing America, together.
That guy should be fired if he is the chief strategist for Kasich—and Kasich needs to enter re-hab immediately for signing off on it. To even talk about going to a convention with the most momentum at this point is insanely stupid. I know area Republicans are having a hard time with the Donald Trump eventual nomination because it will completely change the way they do business inside the Beltway–Lobby money for politicians is like heroin or cocaine is to a drug addict—for the sake of the American Republic—the practice has to end. Politicians have not done the job correctly for two centuries, and American voters are pulling the plug on them—especially people like John Kasich. How any Republican within the party leadership could look at the loser and conclude that he should be taking a victory lap after winning Ohio is just delusional—and it’s no wonder that so many people support Donald Trump.
We all speculate on how bad the “political class” really is, and have great fun making light of their efforts. But up until recently we didn’t have any alternative. Trump gives us an alternative. Cruz is too rigid for the job, and he is clinging on for dear life, legitimately. He doesn’t do well in most of the states that are coming up–especially California and New York and now Lindsey Graham is actually joining sides with the hated senator for the sheer preservation of their Beltway addictions. But Kasich hasn’t really been on the radar but in a few very progressive states who only vote for him because he’s like voting for a Democrat. Everywhere else, he has bombed badly.
That can only lead us to believe that he has lost his sanity. And he, along with many establishment Republicans have surrendered their logic to the gullibility of addiction. They share with the most despicable of our national citizens a love for illusion conjured up by drug use. Addiction to lobbyist entitlements to the brain of the consumer is no different essentially than a line of cocaine—because the result is the same—avoidance of reality, artificial stimulation of the present circumstances, and undeniable escape from the conditions of one’s environment. John Kasich and his team have shown that they are no different than the scum bag drug addict who would sell their children into the hands of villains just to feel the rush of their drug of choice one last time. My answer to them is no different than if a homeless person missing all their teeth and wearing tattered clothing draped from their arms asked me for a few dollars in downtown Cincinnati. You know by giving them money that they are only going to turn around and buy a bottle of alcohol or a hit of crack—that’s usually why they are in the situation that they are—because they made bad decisions based on a reality they couldn’t come to terms with. And that is certainly the situation with John Kasich. He has lost his mind in addition to losing the election during the presidential primary. Now it forces us to do the hard thing—and that is to starve him out for his own good. He has embarrassed us enough in Ohio. Now it’s time to turn off the money—I certainly won’t be giving him any.
For me it was the best election I’ve enjoyed in quite some time. All my people didn’t win but the one I most supported did—and that was Ann Becker knocking out Patti Alderson off the Ohio State Central Committee. Patti is part of the party establishment that speaks about Republican values but behaves like a Democrat and she along with several like her gave us John Kasich. There were several Tea Party challengers to the establishment State Central Committee candidates who are all just as bad as Patti relative to political philosophy—and few of them broke through like Ann did—but now Becker can begin to do valuable work from the inside that will help guide the Republican Party back toward real conservatism instead of just RINO namesake—using the party to win elections then run like their more progressive rivals.
It never fails to shock me even knowing all that I do about how things work—to learn to what extent the Republican Party led by John Kasich in Ohio had a lock on voters through the machine of politics. I have been supporting Donald Trump for president and was happy with his wins on Tuesday, March 15th. I was hoping he’d get Ohio but based on the feedback I had from area Republicans attending a Trump event recently I was continually baffled to hear them talk about how they feared to let it be publicly known that they liked Trump. I mean these were grown adults and they were fearful of the wrath of some little hunchback progressive who could get his ass kicked by a falling leaf. There is nothing to fear about John Kasich. Yet politicians afraid of harming their rise to power within the party did not want party leaders to know that they were at this epic Trump event but only to get an autograph of the celebrity. The head of the Republican Party was supposed to be seated next to me, but he never showed up because obviously the party was in the bag for Kasich and he was expected to strong-arm his party members into supporting the current governor over Trump. That is precisely what is wrong with politics. Those politicians didn’t represent the people who elected them—they represented with real anxiety the desires of the party bosses and largely that temperament has been shaped over many years by people like Patti Alderson. So it was wonderful to see her go down in flames to someone I know will truly steer the State Central Committee into the direction of a constitutional republic.
As the nationwide results came in I was embarrassed for Ohio and the Republican Party that was so proud of their ability to turn out votes for John Kasich—in spite of him being an extreme loser who has no chance nationally of winning anything outside of a complete insurrection at the National Convention. Trump and Cruz are the clear favorites among voters leaving all the establishment types in the dust of recollection. Listening to Kasich talk you’d think he just won the Super Bowl. What was painful to me was what many of those area Republicans and their donors said to me just a few days prior at the Trump event. If given a choice, they’d vote a different way. I’d say to them that nobody knows how you vote when it’s just you in the booth. That’s when they’d say to me—“yes they do.” They didn’t want it to ever be discovered that they supported anybody but Kasich for President in 2016—even though the guy had no chance to do anything nationally. With all that strong-arming by party bosses Kasich won a measly 66 delegates. To date he has barely broke 100 which is deplorable. Only career politicians would think such a thing was something to celebrate.
Patti Alderson in spite of the people who will tell me and you dear reader that she’s a pinnacle of virtue is exactly the type of person who is bad for the Republican Party. She supported increases in taxes—has used charities as a means of extortion against children by blocking out people who actually tried to help then smeared the people who were really trying to point a light on what she was doing with the unionized educators embedded deeply in our community. I know firsthand what she’s like behind the smiles and the charity—and she went after my name rather viciously once all other means of stopping my anti-tax group ran out. In a lot of ways what she did locally was a lot like what the Republican Party is doing now to Donald Trump. They don’t know how to stop him so they are attacking him. And like him I have a similar social policy—I never forget, I do hold grudges and even if it takes 100 years, I look to get even against those who have done me wrong. There is nothing wrong with that type of animosity—it is the difference between winners and losers. All this turning the other cheek stuff in my view is a stupid position to take on anything—it certainly isn’t a path to any kind of victory. If they hit you, you always hit them harder and harder until they stop and give up.
It was four years to the day that I had to dig in like Trump and defend my record by an onslaught of media and public sentiment coordinated by Patti against me to essentially preserve all that she had built connecting the Republican Party to Lakota Schools and the tax increases that she wanted. I encouraged all my Republican friends to stand with me, that what Patti was doing with her tax increase support around the community using charity to help sell it would lose in the end in spite of the mudslinging—that all she was trying to do would backfire if everyone would just hold their ground. But they listened to her because she was a party insider instead of me and history told the rest of the story. I am proud to be the first that I know of in modern politics to do as Trump is now on a national stage. I tried to tell area Republicans to dig in and stand for something and some did. Most continued listening to Patti—like Judy Shelton who was strong-arming local Republican members to hold the line of the party even if the party was wrong philosophically. (CLICK TO REVIEW) Thankfully good people have been challenging the Republican establishment ever since and many have broken through. Ann is only the most spectacular and recent example. But many before her have been pounding away at those fences and now they are starting to break through.
Trump is a result of that offensive strategy, he would not have had the kind of success he is now prior to 2012. I said to an NPR reporter for WVXU at that Trump event standing in front of the Bernie Sanders supporters that politics was changing forever. Trump was paving the way for a new kind of politician—part entertainer, part private sector success story, and part WWF. It takes those entertainment attributes to break the party lines and establish yourself independently from any collectivist rule. I proved that 100 days after an onslaught that Patti Alderson led against me within the Republican Party to remove me from her plans by using a little authentic theatrics to gain supporters away from her way of thinking. CLICK HERE TO REVIEW. I was astonished by all the people who were happy that my methods had actually worked—they stopped me everywhere and thanked me for what I had done—which was simply to stand my ground when everyone else literally abandoned me at Patti’s direction. I wrote about my experiences extensively and now many thousands of people have read about that strategy. I said it in 2012—the way to win as a Republican was to hit back at Democrats harder than they hit you. Many being good Christians couldn’t get their mind around it. But the Saul Alinsky playbook exposes that tendency among Republicans to turn the other cheek and that’s how liberals have continued to beat conservatives time and time again, and there has been no end in sight, until that moment in 2012. So it gives me great satisfaction to see Ann Becker beat out Patti Alderson and to see Donald Trump using that same strategy on a national level. Not that Trump adopted any of my ideas; he’s certainly his own man. But enough people have been thinking about these things and a chain reaction within politics has taken on a life of its own.
It was quite enjoyable for me to watch Trump’s speech after he won essentially all the states on the March 15th election except for Ohio—knocking out Marco Rubio from the presidential race. Trump attacked the media, the GOP establishment and showed that he was standing by his campaign manager when there were calls for his head—and he did it with a smile on his face to the outrage of the media. I remember how it felt for me March 12th through March 15th of 2012 when Patti Alderson led her group of people to attack me in every way that she could without actually getting her hands dirty. I remember my hatred of Michael Clark from The Cincinnati Enquirer, the betrayal of Scott Sloan at WLW,and my supposed friends within No Lakota Levy who abandoned me while speaking to hundreds of thousands of people on the air in the moment when I needed them most. They did what they did because Patti had led them to their actions—I have the emails to prove it–still. But I stood my ground as hard as it was. Professionally, if I had been anyone else I would have been finished as a person in Butler County—but people like Patti didn’t care in the least. For her the needs of the many out-weighed the needs of the few and if I was getting in the way—even if I was technically correct—then disposal was the option. It was a hard period of time for me. But I dug in and stood my ground and people thanked me for it. And now, just four years later my friend Ann Becker has replaced Patti Alderson from her Central Committee seat and Donald Trump is running for president and is essentially using the same methods I did to advance his tactical position. And this time the Republican establishment can’t stop him. Because those of us on the cutting edge have seen the weak spots in the party system and now it is coming apart. And that gives me great satisfaction for really the first time in over thirty years of political observation. March 15th was a good day for our Constitutional Republic. And things are just getting started. It’s not that anger and flamboyancy are the proper means to defending a republic, but when fear is used to keep party members in line and to force people to do things that they otherwise wouldn’t on their own—the best way to deal with it is to throw it back in the perpetrator’s face and stand up to the bully—whoever it is. There is one thing in this world that I have no tolerance for and that is a bully. Trump isn’t the bully—it’s the people who use party members to hold people to a worthless vote that goes against the voters. And of that class—Patti Alderson was one of the most frequent violators. She didn’t bully people with force—she does it with a smile on her face and a large check book. But the methods are conducted under coercion nonetheless—and that has to end at every level of government, from local to international.
So how did Ann win that important election—well, I’ll tell you. She was at the Trump rally in West Chester even though she’s a Cruz supporter—she went where the people were and she talked to those many thousands who were standing in the rain trying to get into the packed venue. Those were people who were definitely going to vote in West Chester for Trump and she gave them her name on the ballot. Most people reading through such ballots have no idea who Patti Alderson was, but they knew Ann because she handed them literature with her name on it working the crowd. She went door to door. She was on the nightly local television news. She had write ups in the newspaper. She was on the radio. And she had commercials on 55 KRC. In short, she took nothing for granted and she actively worked every angle possible to the largest extent possible. She simply out-worked the incumbent Patti Alderson who sat back and expected her reputation to carry her through the election. That is how you beat these incumbents dear reader. You simply outwork them. That is how Trump is doing it, and that is how Ann won. If everyone who is a freedom lover did the same—the establishment would cease to be. You don’t have to play party politics and fall in line with the leadership. You simply outwork everyone else and stick by your guns no matter what. That is the best path to success in any endeavor—and it needs to become the standard mode of operation in politics.
Made in the Fall of the year 1800, and the Winter and Spring of 1801;
WITH
A DESCRIPTION
Of the Soil, Productions, Rivers, Natural Curiosities, Etc.
Of that
Eden of America.
To which is added,
A CONCISE ACCOUNT
Of the
Present State of Kentucky.
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By Zophar Roberts
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
“By Travel crown the Arts, and learn abroad
The general Virtues, which the Wise applaud
Whatever worthy thy Remark thou seest
With care remember, and forget the Rest.”
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
ALBANY:
Printed for the Author, at Request of many of his
Friends – MDCCCI
1801
Many things occurred to my mind that made me determine not to say anything in my journal respecting Kentucky. I have, however, been persuaded to the contrary by my friends. But, as I have never traveled through that State and only made excursions to different parts of it, during my stay at Cincinnati, the reader is to expect nothing more than a partial (though just) description. It has also been requested, and I have consented, to annex hereto, a further and more particular account of the present State of Kentucky.
Lake George, State of New York, October 15th, 1801.
JOURNAL
I have not begun my daily Journal until I came to Strasburg, 63 miles west from Philadelphia. I shall only say, that I started from Lake George on the 10th of November, 1800, on the 15th of December arrived at Strasburg, PA and crossed what is called North Mountain. Lodged at night at Mr. Skinners’ Inn, in Horse Valley.
Tuesday 16 – In travelling seven miles this morning, we crossed two mountains, viz. Middle Mountain and Tuscarora. We then had a broken uneven country, yet we saw many rich fertile valleys. Lodged at night at Mr. George Wild’s Inn.
Wednesday 17 – After travelling about six miles we took breakfast, travelled two miles further, crossed the Juniata, a noble branch of the Susquehanna, this river, taking its whole course, is perhaps the crookedest river in the whole world; after riding five or six miles we have the Juniata on the right and left, at the distance of not more than ten rods. This river forms many noble bottoms; and notwithstanding its serpentine course there are some excellent masts taken down even to Chesapeake Bay. We crossed the Juniata again about two miles from Bedford; here the river is much pent by the mountains on each side; previous to crossing we had the river to the left and the mountain to the right, for several miles. Here it was, at the time when General Washington was sending an army across the mountains in 1793, to quell the whiskey boys, about Fort Pitt, that the insurgents placed a grave old man in the highway to blast some rocks; the old man had some rocks bored and matches prepared; and at the very instant the light horse came in sight the matches were fired, which were about fifty in number, the report so frightened those brave men, that they immediately turned to the main army, reporting that the insurgents had raised an army of at least one thousand men. We rode one mile further, lodged with Mr. John Emich; here the mountains open and present a beautiful flat.
Thursday 18 – About sunrise this morning, we rode through Bedford, crossed the Juniata several times, and saw some excellent bottom; on leaving the Juniata, we rode ten miles on what is called Dry Ridge. The upland is broken, poor, and very stony, but produces excellent wheat. Lodged at night at William Dorsey’s Inn, two miles from the foot of the Allegany.
Friday 19 – Early this morning we ascended the Allegany, it being very rainy we travelled but about nine miles, put up at a private house with one Mr. Black, a very hospitable gentleman, who charged us nothing for three meals and horse keeping. I wish him an example for others to imitate. He has a large plantation, cuts about 90 or 100 tons of hay, and raises about one thousand bushels of wheat and as much rye. Here is what is commonly called the Glades.
Saturday 20 – It being very bad travelling, this day we proceeded but about fourteen miles; put again at a private house with one Jack Knave, who was really so more than fool.
Sunday 21 – We rode about twenty miles and dined at John Stackdar’s Inn, here we found no good in the people only that they deviated from the custom of the road in charging a higher price. Here too, we leave the Fort Pitt road to the right; proceeded five miles further to Lovengire’s Inn, here we were well used.
Monday 22 – We rode through the hilly rich fertile country, fifteen miles, crossed the Yohogany, and proceeded seven miles further to the banks of the Monongahela, put up at Joseph Beckett’s Esquire, a private house. Squire Beckett is a gentleman.
Perhaps the reader will be disappointed if I do not give a more full description of that mountain, distinguished from others by the name of Allegany. Foreigners are much mistaken concerning this mountain, for it is commonly thought we ascend from one part to near the middle when we reach the summit, and from thence descend to the foot – whereas in ascending we are near as high in going four miles, as in any part of it. This mountain is truly worth notice, great part of which abounds with excellent timber; in general, either oak, chestnut, or white pine, variegated according to the nature of the soil. That part of it called Savage Mountain is beautifully covered with stately white pines, which promise great advantage to the western country in process of time. In passing this mountain we cross many crystal streams, their junction forms the Yohogany, which again falls into the Monongahela, south of the place where General Braddock was defeated. The Laurel Hill is about ten miles wide, and is only the western part of the same mountain; but one reason why it is spoken of as a distinct place may be, the level land lying eastward, called the Glades, in breadth about 25 miles. In this are situated the great meadows where Washington was defeated; the entrenchments used on that occasion yet appear.
This mountain runs a southwesterly course, and is at present generally inhabited. Though part of the soil is so cold and subject to frosts, that little grain can be expected; yet it is said that grain of all sorts are produced on this mountain. In most places, the soil is good for grass and meadows.
It is very probable also, that it abounds with various mines, and if so, it will be of great utility to the adjacent states. It is said to be sixty miles across as you travel to Redstone. Through the whole as you travel, may lodge every night in very good houses. When we descend the Laurel Hill, which is both steep and stony, we come into that country which is known in distant places by the name of Redstone. This name cannot properly be applied to the greater part of this land, for Redstone is a creek, and the land adjacent makes a very small part of the country. This settlement abounds with more creeks that can properly be mentioned here. These all empty into the river commonly called Monongahela, the proper name of which, according to the Indian pronunciation, is Mehmanowangehelak, which signifies Falling in Bank River. From the richness of the soil, the banks of this river frequently break, and fall into the steam; hence, it takes its name. This river comes from the south, and sixty miles before it arrives at Fort Pitt, it is two hundred yards wide. Several ferries are kept on it, though it may frequently be rode in the summer season. On each side of this river, along the creeks, are settlements amounting to many thousand inhabitants in the whole. In this new settlement, several houses for worship are already erected. It is truly pleasing to see the worship of God here, in a land so lately overspread with heathenish darkness and universal ignorance of God. Who could have expected such a change? But all things are possible with God. There is also a furnace, and iron-works, and glass house. The country along the Monongahela is very fertile, exceeding most to be met with in the eastern states. It is certain that part of it is too rich for wheat, though other parts produce it in profuse abundance. Corn and potatoes are raised to admiration. A gentleman of respectability at Muddy Creek said, that one large potato cut in several pieces, produced the first year, one bushel and a half; the second year the return was sixty-four bushels; neither was any manure used, for the earth is sufficiently strong without it. The timber, which consists of black and white oak, walnut, butternut, and wild cherry; indicates the fertility of the soil.
Tuesday 23 – Very early this morning we started, were detained about two hours before we could cross the Monongahela. Here I should mention an imposition on us by Mr. Scott a tavern keeper, if I thought him a man worthy so much notice. We travelled within three miles of Washington, put up at a private house, name unknown.
Wednesday 24 – Proceeded through Washington, which lies about 20 miles south of Fort-Pitt, still travelled through a country of rich uneven land, yet not stony nor mountainous; till we came within six miles of Charlestown in Virginia; here we lodged at the house of Francis McGuire, Esq. He is a member of the legislature of Virginia. We were entertained in the highest taste, made very welcome, and invitations to make that house our home whilst we tarried in the neighborhood.
Thursday 25 – It being on Christmas morning, we concluded not to travel father than Charlestown this day and look for our passage by water to Cincinnati; accordingly, after taking breakfast at Esq. McGuire’s, we started for Charlestown at about 10 o’clock A.M. We had not travelled to exceed three miles when we were called to by one Alex. Crawford to stop and help him drink some peach brandy, he repeating the words that “Christmas comes but once as year.” Here, he with true Yankee freedom interrogated us of our nativity, and our business; we with as much freedom informed him. His brother Mr. Edward Crawford said he knew of an opportunity of our getting in an Orleans boat, which he believed would start sometime the next day, and that he himself was going down in it about 30 miles to the Wegee Bottom. He said, if we would not think him too officious, he would at any rate, take his horse and ride with us to Charlestown, and help us get our passage; we all went and agreed for our passage, to start on Saturday. Charlestown is a beautiful little town on the south-east bank of the Ohio. It contains a courthouse, a house of worship and an academy. Mr. Edward Crawford insisted on our returning to his brother’s and taking a Christmas dinner; we returned, partook of a fine repast; accompanied Mr. E. Crawford to his own house and was not a little surprised to see the generosity of the two brothers; could only say “Christmas comes but once a year.”
Friday 26 – This morning we agreed with Mr. Crawford to keep our horse until our return. Spent the day in assisting the owners of the boat, and the day following. Nothing remarkable happened.
Sunday 28 – About 3 o’clock A.M. we took water for Cincinnati, Mr. Crawford along with us, landed at the Wegee Bottom. This was the first time in my life that I ever set foot on the Indian shore, and to do it justice I must say it is a very beautiful place. We partook of a fine repast at Mr. Crawford’s son-in-law. Mr. Crawford accompanied us no further.
Here it may not be amiss to describe our situation aboard the boat; The owners were Joseph Snodgrass and John Potts; Snodgrass appeared to be man of good sense and much inclined to argumentation; He held with myself, that the sun is not fire nor even a body of heat; but that the heat we received was only occasioned by the force of its rays; but contrary to my belief, he held, that by means of its rays, it diminished every day.
The owners had each of them a blanket, but as we had none, we had nothing to lie on but the wet bottom of the boat or barrels. Our furniture for cooking consisted of one tin quart measure, one bake kettle and three spoons. Our provisions were half a dozen fresh hams, a quarter of fresh beef, some hominy and some potatoes. This was owing to there being no necessary articles in Charlestown for sale.
Monday 29 – Had a pleasant warm day for sailing; saw much very good land on each side Ohio, especially about the mouth of the Muskingum.
Tuesday 30 – About two o’clock A.M. we were alarmed by the watch crying “all hands to the oars,” we immediately manned the oars, and experienced such a storm of wind as would make the heart of the stoutest sailor tremble. We were obliged to land and for safety we chose the Indian shore; this was the second time of my setting foot in the Northwestern Territory. As soon as daylight appeared I took a walk for some considerable distance, to view the country; nothing can exceed the richness of the soil: the timber chiefly black and white oak, black walnut, butternut, hickory, hard maple and sycamore. The wind continued to blow from the S.W. which made the river so rough, that most part of the day it was impossible to travel. Traders say, that the wind almost universally blows up [the] Ohio, especially in winter, nor do I remember it otherwise whilst on the river. This must be of great advantage to trade on this river. Perhaps it would puzzle the greatest philosopher to assign a natural cause for this; but it is plain, Providence has ordered it so. About 10 o’clock we made shift to get into the river again, but was` obliged to land again at about 1 o’clock P.M. four miles below the mouth of the Hockhocking. This is very beautiful country; perhaps no place on the Ohio exceeds it for goodness on all accounts. At about 3 o’clock the wind abated and we again proceeded on our way.
Wednesday 31 – We had a very pleasant day for sailing; viewed much good land on each side Ohio. This day too I saw Kentucky’s banks for the first time.
Thursday January 1, 1801 – This morning, as soon as the dawn ushered in, I was called on by the Captain to drink a toast for all aboard, which I did viz. “May liberty and equality, according to merit, universally prevail throughout the whole world,” which met the highest approbation of the Captain. This day the snow fell about two inches deep. We had a prospect of much good land; Kentucky side somewhat hilly. This night was very cold and tedious.
Friday 2 – Continued cold, yet the weather was not colder than our most moderate weather at Lake George. This day very early we passed the mouth of Scioto; no hill scarcely could be seen; this appeared to be as beautiful a country as anywhere in the world. We measured a grape vine that was twelve inches in diameter. This day also, we landed at Columbia, called on Judge Goforth, a gentleman from New York, and a man of good information: he treated us very politely; here we heard of our old acquaintance Mr. John Ferris; we returned to the boat and agreed to leave her; lodged this night at the widow Messer’s.
Saturday 3 – This morning, after a sweet night’s repose, we rose and took breakfast at Judge Goforth’s; after taking our leave we sat out to go and see our old friend before mentioned. The sun shone with unusual effulgence, the benignity which sat visible in the countenances of all with whom I conversed still heightened my imaginations, my heart expanded with joy at the beauty of this new world; when (but how it happened I cannot tell) I stopped at Major Still’s; Mrs. Still informed me my acquaintance Mr. Ferris was dead. Alas! How soon were my feelings changed, nature itself seemed to change her aspect! But why should I lament his death? His death was truly Christian! His death was magnanimous! His death was without fear! He died without remorse of conscience! He died with full assurance of a blest immortality!
The powers of his mind were strong from nature, but much improved by a judicious education and study. He relished with more than common satisfaction the writings of the ingenious. He was an entertaining companion; possessed with uncommon calmness of temper. He was an early advocate for liberty, and felt with keenest sensibility for the oppressed! Adieu.
January 27 and 28 – The weather was so warm that I taught school without a coat or fire in the schoolhouse.
February 12 – The snow fell about two inches deep and for several days the weather was cold and frosty. This was the first snow that fell after the first of January. No more snow fell this winter.
As a particular description of this north-western territory would be long and tedious, and swell this journal beyond its intended size, I shall content myself with giving the reader a general description, which I have obtained from gentlemen of veracity and information.
The country is in general level, nowhere mountainous, but gentle rises and descents, interspersed with innumerable rivulets and brooks, as if by art, that there be no deficiency in nature. In some places the winters are so mild that cattle need no fodder, and no where do they need much; It is said at Chillicothe, the present seat of government, that 5 cwt. of hay is more than sufficient to winter a cow.
The land is in general, of a rich black loam, producing all kinds of grain in the greatest plenty. Corn is raised to the admiration of all our eastern travelers; it is said to yield from 70 to 100 bushels per acre, and some say more. It produces wheat and rye, (when a little worn) beyond what is to be found in any of our New England States. Cotton is the natural production of the country. There is as great a variety of timber here, perhaps , as in any part of the world; it consists of white, black, yellow and Spanish oak, shagbark, and black walnut, hickory, butternut, black, white, and blue ash, hard and soft maple, cotton-tree, elm, Linn, cucumber tree, hackberry, sycamore, coffee-tree, etc. The coffee tree is the same as our imported mahogany, and bears a nut in taste much resembling our imported coffee. There are a few red cedars and pines in some places. Salt licks are to be found interspersed through the country: This must be considered by all as a peculiar blessing of Providence. The salt made from them is excellent, some of which I saw myself. Silver, copper, and lead mines are likewise found in plenty in many places. It is said that there is the richest and best copper mine on the Wabash that there is in the known world; and it is certain that there is silver and lead mines on the Scioto.
In some places a great plenty of coal pits are to be found; this will be in a short time of great advantage in making iron, as ore can easily be brought from the Allegheny Mountain. No country ever known exceeds this for game, and wild turkeys, it is universally allowed, are more plenty than the tame are in any of our eastern states; buffalo and deer are very plenty: the former of which are generally supposed to be the cattle made use of by the ancient inhabitants; there are likewise a great plenty of bears, wolves, foxes, raccoons, etc., etc. Excellent blue, red and white free stone and lime stone abound in many places. Prairies or natural meadows are numerous and some of them extensive; these yield grass spontaneously to the height of a man’s head, and some much higher; this land when tilled, produces wheat, rye, corn, oats, peas, barley, hemp, and flax in the most luxuriant plenty. Fruit trees of all kinds bear incredibly. The greatest curiosities of this country are old Forts and Mounds. I have seen the ruins of some of these Forts (the walls of which are 4 or 5 feet high) that contain ———————–. When or by whom they were built, tradition nor history gives any account; the trees on them are of equal size with the other timber. I have seen white oak trees on and within the walls of these Forts that were at least three feet in diameter. It is judges by the common way of computation, that these trees are 500 years old. The mounds or pyramids are in general about 20 feet base and about 15 feet high; yet there are some not so large, and some that are 20 feet base and 30 feet high. These mounds are filled with human bones, the size of which are very uncommon, such as was never known among Indians of our acquaintance: here are skull bones that will fill the largest crowned hat I ever saw; jaw bones that will completely set on over the largest visage, and from other bones in these mounds that are not entirely demolished, it is judged that there must have been men from 10 to 12 feet high, some say more. In these likewise are to be found, jugs, bottles, breast-plates, etc. Tradition gives no account of what race of beings these must have been, or when, or how, or in what manner they have been extinguished. It is however judged by some that they must have been of a giant race, and that some pestilence or war has swept them entirely off. However, it will forever remain a matter of wonder and admiration.
These mounds are all adjacent to the forts and nowhere else found.
The principal rivers, beginning at the eastern part of this territory, are the Muskingum, Hockhocking, Scioto, Miami, Wabash, and Illinois; the latter of which empties into the Mississippi, the other all empty into the Ohio. These universally abound with a great plenty of excellent fish: cat, carp, perch, and bass are the most numerous; the cat and bass it is said, often weigh from 30 to 80 lb. Besides these there are a great many more of less note.
By an ordinance of Congress this territory has been divided into two distinct governments; the line of division begins at the mouth of the big Miami, from thence follows the river to the head, thence to the mouth of the Miami of the Lakes. When either of these shall have 60,000 inhabitants, they are to be allowed to form their own constitution, provided it to be republican, and nothing in it repugnant to the federal constitution: they shall then be allowed to choose their own members of Congress, and have all the privileges of the other states. They are at present governed by a General Assembly and Legislative Council, without any guide to go by except a Governor appointed by Congress, who has the sole power of appointing judges during good behavior. By another act of Congress the land owned by the United States was exposed to public sale in April and May 1801: it could not be sold for less than two dollars per acre the one fourth in hand. What was not sold at public sale may now be had at private sale at two dollars per acre by paying the one-fourth down, the remainder in annual quarterly payments as before. This country is worthy of notice and justly admired and esteemed by all. Here the farmer will be more independent than in any other country, here he can raise all the necessaries of life and much more, here he can raise as good flax and hemp as are raised in any parts of Europe. The mulberry tree grows spontaneously and certainly the silk worm will flourish and do well; hence he may have plenty of silk. The industrious house wife by overseeing her domestics will cause the same to be manufactured. Here the fair sex will only be educated in the necessary accomplishments of life, science and arts will be the height of their ambition; each one will be emulous to excel in the polite art of making silks, linens, cambric, lawns, gauzes, etc. Here the industry of the fair will give elegancy at home, and fashions to the rest of the world.
April 12, 1801 – This day I left Mrs. Ferris and sat out for home; but to give the reader a particular description of the country through which I came, would swell this journal even to a volume. I shall only take notice of things which I think mostly merit our attention.
To observe the country I chose to go up the big Miami to Mad River, from thence to the forks of Scioto, etc. This day I rode through Hamilton on the big Miami containing about 40 elegant houses, and bids fair to be a place of great business; proceeded across the big Prairie, which is about 27 miles in length, and is divided near the middle by the Miami. Lodged at Mr. John Steele’s, a private house.
Monday 13 – I proceeded through Franklin, Dayton, followed Mad River to its source, struck across to Darby Rover, and on the 16th we came to Franklin, on the forks of Scioto. This town contains about 150 elegant houses, which have been all built within the space of two years.
Monday 20 – I arrived on the Muskingum, 60 miles N. of Ohio; this country is rather uneven yet not mountainous nor stony. The water here is equal to any in the world. The inhabitants are chiefly from the New England states. Here I tarried two days.
Tuesday 28 – This day early I crossed the Ohio, came to Mr. Edward Crawford’s in Charlestown, where I had left my horse when going down. Being unwell I tarried until Thursday.
Friday, May 1 – I arrived at Fort Pitt, now called Pittsburgh; this is a beautiful little town and a place of considerable business. It stands on the head of the Ohio, made by the junction of the rivers Monongahela which comes from the south, and the Allegheny which comes from the north.
Monday 4 – I arrived at Fort Franklin on the Allegheny and at the mouth of the French Creek, 68 miles north from Pittsburgh. The country in general is well adapted to the raising of wheat.
Thursday 7 – This morning I arrived at Fort Le Boeuf on French Creek. Le Boeuf is French and signifies fat cattle or moose; hence it takes its name. Here too are some excellent prairies. This day came to Colt’s station, a pretty little town called Greenfield, 13 miles S. of Lake Erie.
Friday 8 – I stored myself with provisions for three days, travelled to the S. bank of Lake Erie, lodged at Squire Robinson’s, about a mile west of New York line.
Saturday 9 – I had this morning to set out alone to travel 96 miles through the wilderness on the S. bank of the Lake. This, my reader, was a dreary journey.
Sunday 10 – Early this morning I met 170 cattle and 5 men bound for Presque Isle and New Connecticut. At about 10:00 o’clock I arrived at Cattaraugus, a large Indian settlement. The land on this river is much like that in the N.W Territory, and the land previous to this was, in general, very good for wheat. From this I had 36 miles to ride on the beach; in some places the high rocky banks were such that I was obliged to ride where the water was 4 or 5 feet deep. Lodged this night at an Indian camp – the Indians appeared very friendly.
Monday 11 – This morning I arrived at Buffalo Creek, near the mouth of the lake. This day I left my horse, crossed the lake to Fort Erie, spent the day with some British officers, returned at night.
Tuesday 14 – I arrived at Capt. Lawrence Townsend’s in New Jerusalem, commonly called Jemima Wilkinson’s settlement. Jemima Wilkerson is held by her adherents, 152 families, as a priestess and prophetess; they, in imitation of the Apostles and primitive Christians, hold all things in common, and in their conversation use the simple and undisguised style of the Quakers. Strange it is indeed, that this woman should have so many followers, who believe her sent from God, and capable of holding converse with celestial spirits!
Saturday, May 23 – This evening returned to Lake George, in good health, and found my family all enjoying the same blessing.
KENTUCKY is bounded N.W. by the Ohio, W. by Cumberland River and the State of Tennessee, S. by North Carolina, and E. by Sandy River, and a line drawn due S. from its source, which separates it from Virginia. This country was formed for opulence, for ease and for social happiness. From the richness of the soil, and the temperature of the climate, which exceeds any other of the United Sates, all the various grains and vegetables of the Atlantic States are raised here in profuse abundance; in many instances even to exceed credibility; wheat, rye, corn, oats, peas, barley, hemp, flax, and even cotton are raised to astonishment. It is asserted by gentlemen of veracity, that corn often exceeds one hundred bushels per acre. From the shortness of the winters, which are seldom more than two months, and never exceed three, and the soil being naturally inclined to grass, cattle are raised with greater ease and less expense than in the Northern States; and from the great plenty of corn, the farmer can and does keep his cattle, horses, sheep and hogs, continually fat throughout the whole year, which has enlarged their breed of domestic animals, and made them superior to those of most of the other states. It has been long thought the Silk Worm would flourish here, and experience for a few years past, proves the conjecture not to be ill-founded. The timber which appears to be the most natural to this state is the sugar tree, black and honey locust, white and black mulberry, and the paupaw; besides these, there are great quantities of other timber, which consists of wild cherry of a large size. “The buck-eye, an exceeding soft wood, is the horse chestnut of Europe. The magnolia bears a beautiful blossom, of a rich and exquisite fragrance. Such is the variety and beauty of the flowering shrubs and plants which grow spontaneously in this country that in the proper season the wilderness appears in blossom.”
As far as yet been discovered, the eastern part of the state lies upon a bed of solid limestone rock, in general about ten feet below the surface of the earth, except in valleys where the earth is not so deep. The northern part of this state, along the banks of the Ohio, in breadth from ten to 15 miles, is somewhat hilly; the other parts are agreeably uneven, gentle rises and descents at no great distance. The principal rivers are the Sandy, Licking, Kentucky, Salt, Green, and Cumberland. “These again branch in various directions, into rivulets of different magnitudes, fertilizing the country in all its parts.”
Springs of the greatest note are “the higher and lower blue-springs, on Licking River — the big-bone-lick, Drenson’s lick, and Bullet’s lick, at Saltsburg.” The last of these licks has supplied this country with salt at a low price. Besides these, there are three others of the bitumen kind, they form no stream but empty into one common reservoir: The oil gathered from them answers all the purposes of the best train oil; and it is thought to be efficacious for the rheumatism, sprains, bruises, and the asthma or shortness of breath, scald-heads and burns. The common way of gathering this oil is by sinking a blanket or piece of flannel, and ringing it over a tub or kettle.
Nature has been very bountiful in furnishing Kentucky with some of the greatest curiosities ever known. The high perpendicular banks of Kentucky and Dick’s river certainly claim a superior rank among the natural curiosities of the world: Here the eye of the traveler beholds, with astonishment, a rock of 3 or 400 feet perpendicular, appearing like an artificial canal, in some parts of the limestone kind, and in others of fine marble and curious strata.
The banks of the rivers are covered with large red-cedar groves.
The caves of Kentucky are considered by all as the most remarkable phenomena; no one as I have ever heard has yet attempted to say whether they are the work of art or of nature. These caves are between two and three miles in length in solid limestone rock, and about 12 or 15 feet high, supported by curious pillars and arches; they have in all cases perpendicular sides for about 4 feet with a platform, then that widens to about 5 feet, then perpendicular to the top, and as smooth as if polished by the most curious artificer. They are three in number, and have all wells or springs and subterraneous brooks that pass through them. They are made use of, in the summer season, by the inhabitants living near, as storehouses for butter, meat, etc. The next thing which claims our attention is the sink or deep spring a little west of Big Licking.
This is 75 fathom deep, and about 18 inches diameter at the top. It was found in the year 1798, by a gentleman looking hogs after a light snow; he tracked one that accidentally fell into it. He immediately made a platform, and erected a curb, and from this spring drew, perhaps, the coldest water that ever came from the bowels of the earth.
But as to social happiness nature has here been counteracted: Here are inhabitants boasting Christianity, boasting independence, boasting Liberty and Equality, boasting republicanism, whilst, at the same time, they are, themselves, tyrants and despots; degrading one part of the human species below that of brutes, and denying that they have human feelings, whilst they themselves live in affluence and ease. Oh! How I do blush, whilst I relate facts that are incredible to all, who have not been eye witness of them. Here it is common to see those pretended patriots, all frantic with rage, drag from among their affrighted slaves, one of them trembling and naked, bind both his hands with a cord, stretch him up, until his feet will but just touch the ground, bind both his feet in like manner, crowd a heavy rail between his legs, to prevent his wreathing; then with oaths, that one would think would frighten even the infernal spirits, begin by applying the hickory or cow skin, until there is not a piece of skin, even the width of your finger, from his shoulders to his hips; all the while the poor wretch cries, “for lord Jesus sake, pray don’t master, pray don’t master.” But this imp of the furies, as if hell was not satisfied with pain, without exquisite torment, prepares a cup of fine salt and applies it to the wounds, this makes the poor victim of his rage lament in the most piteous tone of voice, as if ready to expire; but his hard hearted master, callous to pity, again applies the whip; this is called pickling. O poor wretches! How often have I shed tears of compassion for your sakes without being able to relieve you. O ye inhabitants of the southern states! How can you hope for mercy, when you yourselves do not show it? “He that admits no right but force, no justice but superior violence, arms every man against himself, and justifies all excesses. If it be lawful to enjoy because we can; if we may seize the property of another, insult his person, or force him to labor for our luxuries or caprice, merely because he is weaker; this principle will be equally fatal to ourselves.” It justifies your slaves, the instant they become the stronger, in taking you, your wives and children, and separate you from each other, force you to labor to the music of whips and chains, from 4 o’clock in the morning till 8 at night, without refreshment but a little Indian meal and water, half naked (yes on some plantations quite naked) half-starved and cooped up together at night in a cold, dirty hovel, covered with “wounds, bruises, and purifying sores:” robbed of everything that is dear; flogged for praying, and tortured for preaching consolation to your fellow sufferers; and after having exhausted your youth in servitude, you are abandoned in old age, to wretchedness and disease. This is not an exaggerated statement of the case, but a real and true representation of things as they are in Kentucky and some of the other southern states of America, in the year 1801. O shame! Where hast thou fled!
“Oh most degrading of all ills that waits
On man, a mourner in his best estate,
All other sorrows virtue may endure,
And find submission more than half a cure.
Grief is itself a medicine, and bestowed
To improve the fortitude that bears a load;
To teach the wanderer, as his woes increase,
The paths of wisdom – all whose paths are peace.
But Slavery, virtue dreads it as her grave,
Patience itself is meanness in a slave,
Nature imprints upon whatever we see
That has a heart and life in it — BE FREE!”
The author would not be understood to represent that there are no sincere Christians in Kentucky – he believes there are many who sincerely worship God – who in their hearts disdain tyranny and oppression, and disapprove of Slavery, yet they are the minority. Slavery is chiefly carried on among the Virginia and Carolina Settlers.
If you voted in Oho for John Kasich—you are an absolute idiot. If you have not yet voted, there is still time to save you. Kasich is one of the most progressive politicians in both parties. He is closer to Bernie Sanders socialism than he is to Hillary Clinton politics and the proof is in this–George Soros—the extreme leftist billionaire who seeks to sink America as a sovereign country and convert the nation into a socialist utopia gave over $200,000 to Kasich’s campaign to help him in Ohio. That and only that disqualifies him to even run as a Republican. If you want many more reasons why not to vote for Kasich CLICK HERE TO REVIEW. But any support from George Soros is a shot at anyone who considers themselves “conservative.”
Chris Littleton is an old friend of mine who left Ohio essentially because he knew too much about the trouble John Kasich was putting the state through as governor. He has written an excellent article about why you should not vote for Governor Kasich on March 15 2016 that is so well written—and detailed that I must offer it to last-minute voters ahead of the primary election across the state. Chris wrote the article as a warning, and as many people as possible should see it. I’ve included the link at the end of the text portion seen below which has some wonderful supporting data to go along with it—Chris has always been, and continues to be very thorough. So, I’d suggest that you visit Littleton’s site to get the whole picture. Essentially, Chris was an insider who worked closely in Columbus with key Republican members to acquire this information. He became increasingly frustrated with Kasich as time went on and eventually moved to Tennessee because he didn’t want to watch the state die a slow economic death. All the statistics that Kasich has been citing as evidence of his great governance are false—conjured up with borrowed time. Kasich is a functioning Democrat and is a menace to anything involving a check book. There is no wonder he worked so well with Bill Clinton during the 90s—because he is essentially by philosophic affiliation—just like him. Kasich should not be running for the Republican nomination for President of the United States. He should be running against Hillary Clinton for the Democratic opportunity instead. Kasich is NOT, a conservative. I know it first-hand, Chris has provided the facts, and the GOP has tied itself to a sinking ship democrat as the leader of their party in Ohio—which is a gigantic mistake. Here is the precise supplemental material as provided by Chris Littleton.
Why Conservative Ohioans oppose John Kaisch
By Chris Littleton
As someone who was deeply involved in the Republican and conservative political scene in Ohio for many of the Kasich years, I want to shed some light on John Kasich’s history as Governor. It’s important to note that not a single item below is my opinion. This is a simple telling of the facts.
I do not work for any political party, candidate, campaign, committee or advocacy group of any kind. In fact, I’m not asking you to support any specific candidate. What I am asking, is that you NOT vote for John Kasich, and in the paragraphs below I will tell you exactly why.
Why am I telling you this story while many others who know Ohio have not? Because so few of those involved in Ohio politics will risk speaking up due to Kasich’s stranglehold on Republican politics in the state. Bottom line – no one wants to pay the price of picking a fight with a sitting Governor.
When looking at John Kasich, there are two distinct stories that can be told – one is that of an Obama-like policy agenda, and the other is the story of a man who has run Columbus with intimidation and threats rather than consensus and coalition building.
For now, I’m going to stick with what I know best, and focus on his policies that declared war on personal and economic freedom in Ohio.
The unfortunate truth about John Kasich is that he has advanced wealth redistribution while spending taxpayer money at record levels, and has actively inhibited the economic opportunity Ohio so desperately needs.
We can explore that statement by asking questions John Kasich should be forced to answer on 3 of the most important issues of our time:
Governor Kasich on Obamacare:You advanced Obamacare in Ohio, turning over 600,000 healthy, working age adults into government dependents, costing taxpayers billions of dollars and expanding the largest long term obligation in Ohio history – all against the will of the Republican controlled Ohio House and Senate.
Given that these 600,000 Ohioans would not be government dependents had you not bypassed the legislature and vetoed their wishes so you could accept Obamacare funding and conditions – how can you say you oppose Obamacare while unilaterally championing its single biggest component?
Ohioans, let’s be brutally honest about this Kasich decision to expand Obamacare in Ohio. You and your children are being indebted by billions of dollars all to redistribute this money to healthy, working age adults. Not children, pregnant mothers or truly medically fragile people, no. The people Kasich added as government dependents were healthy adults.
The inarguable fact is that – this is Ohio’s largest state based expansion of socialism since Lyndon Johnson was in office, and John Kasich used his executive power to override the legislature to make this happen. He holds sole responsibility for this massive problem.
Governor Kasich on Spending:You talk about balancing the state budget, but every Ohio Governor balances the budget every year as it’s a Constitutional requirement in your state. Democrat or Republican – every Ohio Governor does this, as it is regular and expected. This is not a unique accomplishment.
Of greater interest is that Ohio’s job and economic growth has lagged behind the national average during your time in office. As we all know, the national economy has improved since the crash of 2008, so tax revenues have increased in both Ohio and across the US. But, as Ohio state tax revenues increased, curiously, so did your spending at a much faster pace.
Governor Kasich, how can you justify increasing spending by greater amounts than any Ohio Democrat or Republican Governor since 1990, outpacing both inflation and population growth, but still call yourself fiscally responsible?
Yes, the exploding expenditures in Ohio are real. Read more about record state spending under John Kasich
Governor Kasich on Unions and Big Labor:Every US state with a Republican Governor and Republican controlled Legislature has ended compulsory payment of fees to unions and become a “right to work” state with the exception of Ohio.
As the Ohio border states of Indiana, Michigan and West Virginia have all become “right to work” states during your time as Ohio Governor, not only have you failed to make Ohio a “right to work” state, but you actively pushed Michigan’s Governor Snyder to oppose right to work legislation, you have killed Ohio right to work legislation in committees multiple times and you proactively worked to stop Ohio donors from funding a citizen’s initiative to make Ohio a right to work state through a vote of the people at the ballot.
Ohio’s current ranking is a dismal 38Thin job creation, so while you fought against ending forced union dues payments, right to work states dominated job growth across the country. How can you call yourself someone committed to an environment conducive to job creation when your actions and resultsin Ohio have protected unions and inhibited job growth?
On three of the biggest issues for Republicans and conservative voters: Obamacare/Wealth Redistribution, Fiscal Responsibility and Jobs/Economic Opportunity, John Kasich fails miserably.
If you are looking at someone strictly on their recent record and actions – the heartbreaking and terrible truth is that John Kasich is indistinguishable from a Democrat governor. In fact, he said so himself in New Hampshire this February:
I ought to be running in a Democrat primary, I got more Democrats for me — you have any Republican friends? – John Kasich, February 2016
What makes the list of policy disasters above even more intolerable to so many Ohio Republicans and conservatives is that Kasich ran for Governor as someone else. He looked us in the eye, often one on one, and promised to be different than the Democrats, but we got just the opposite – more spending, more government dependents and the same union protection we get with Democrats.
Maybe the average Republican voter could forgive the abandonment of principles if they were actually productive, if they were actually yielding results. Instead, Ohio has below average job growth, terrible workforce participation and is staring down the barrel of multi-billion dollar obligation that will only hit the state when Kasich has left office.
Ohio taxpayer – when Kasich is long gone, it is you and your children who will be left with the mess he has created. It is you who John Kasich has left holding the bag.
On March 15th, choose anyone but Kasich.
If you haven’t had enough Kasich-led craziness in Ohio, keep reading…
I won’t go into such detail on his other failed policy and positions, but here is a brief list of a few other items where Kasich is out of sync with most voters who identify as Republican, conservative, libertarian or generally center right in any way.
Increasing taxes or ignoring tax cuts
– Kasich has shifted taxes around the state, so property owners and small businesses now pay more taxes than before he took office. Ohio recently ranked #42 in Tax Foundation’s “2016 State Business Tax Climate Index.”
– Kasich is pushing to increase the tax on oil and gas extraction in Ohio by over 300%
– Kasich has publicly advocated and encouraged increases for local school taxes
– All this with a Republican controlled legislature, so there is no excuse for not advancing better tax policy.
Crony corporate favors with taxpayer money
– Kasich created a non-auditable 501C4 called JobsOhio which uses revenue from state liquor taxes to offer incentives, loans, etc to chosen businesses. Remember Obama’s Solyndra mess? This is the same thing, but it’s not even auditable. This entity picks winners and losers with taxpayer money with absolutely no accountability.
– This crony entity was created by John Kasich, and he considers it top achievement.
The perceived necessity to create such an entity, to effectively bribe businesses to work in Ohio, acknowledges how terrible a business climate Ohio really has. Businesses aren’t looking to grow or move to Ohio. They have to be bribed to do so, and even then – the results show that it is not working.
Long standing defense of Common Core in Education
– Multiple bills have been offered to address the Common Core mess in Ohio, and not only has Kasich refused to address the issue – he has defended it, and believes opposition to the Common Core State Standards is, in his words, “hysteria.”
Of course it was a spectacular day in West Chester when Donald Trump came to speak at the glorious Savannah Center. The whole event was born while I was getting yard signs down at the Cincinnati office and happened to meet Robert Scott who is the Ohio State Director for Trump’s campaign. It should be noted to those who were there how the elements came together the way I suggested they would many months ago—even down to a local Sheriff Jones endorsement and opening speech. CLICK HERE TO REVIEW. But it wasn’t so smooth to get it started—there was a lot of looseness of feet needed to make it all happen and I can only say that I was very proud of all the people it took to pull the event off, starting with Robert Scott. I don’t normally get very excited about these kinds of events, and I hate the security, and formality—but for this occasion I was willing to put that all aside so that Donald Trump could make one last big impression in Ohio prior to the March 15th vote where he is poised to beat Governor Kasich..
It was surreal all day on Saturday, just 24 hours ahead of the big town hall with Trump. John Boehner had come out with an endorsement of Governor Kaisch, which was understandable. After all, that was John’s golf buddy who famously lost to Barack Obama and Joe Biden in that now illustrious golf game in 2011 where the four played each other in the way that the game is really played. It wasn’t so much about who hit the ball in the hole with the fewest strokes—it was who gained leverage over all future deals between Obama’s desires and Speaker Boehner’s. Obama clearly won. Boehner became a lapdog for the president while Kasich betrayed us all, including the Ohio legislature and chained our state to Obamacare ignoring the Health Care Freedom Amendment that was passed just a few years prior by the same people who put the governor in power in 2010. The day was surreal because area republicans were obviously not supportive of the arrival of Trump to their bastion of conservativism—Butler County. Area GOP leaders would have rolled in the mud like pigs at the trough if Mitt Romney were coming, but Donald Trump represents all the things that they fear. For instance, when Trump plays golf with whomever in the future as President, you can bet that the GOP won’t be losing on the deal the way Boehner and Kasich did. That is precisely why with only 24 hours of advanced notice the venue at the Savannah Center filled to a bulging crowd without any official backing by area GOP members. I get emails from the GOP about every time some politician sneezes–looking for money or time—but there was nothing about Donald Trump put out by the party ahead of the Savannah Center Town Hall. If I had not been close to the situation—I wouldn’t have known until after it happened. Even so there were lines over a mile long in the drizzling rain and most people couldn’t get in–and those people showed up three hours early–and still couldn’t get inside.
That is not to say that Trump didn’t have GOP support from winners within the party. Sheriff Jones endorsed Trump, which wasn’t a surprise. But so did George Lang, the area hero who has managed to create a wonderful business environment in West Chester making it one of the finest communities in the nation with such a large demographic population. Lang did it with all the means that any defender of capitalism should, and it shows. The Savannah Center is a representation in many ways of Lang’s rise within the Republican Party. It is a practical place built during his tenure as an area trustee—yet it’s opulent to best represent the community it is in the center of. It has a feeling of hope within it—and in many ways Donald Trump and the Savannah Center were made for each other. After a series of hard rallies where communist insurgents sought to derail Donald Trump ahead of securing the presidential nomination, the Savannah Center and the crowd was an obvious relief for him—and a chance to really put a period at the end of the sentence as to why he should win Ohio ahead of Kasich. It looked great on television and represented our community to the nation in a really spectacular way, and the GOP leaders who normally run everything didn’t play a part in its fruition at all. Which is why they win a lot of elections but do absolutely nothing once they obtain the seats—and is why such a large venue was able to fill up just by word of mouth in favor of Trump.
The crowd which gathered up to well over a thousand inside for a “small” town hall experience was poised with so much pent-up energy that I hadn’t seen such a thing since I was at the football game where the Cincinnati Bengals beat the Seattle Seahawks in OT during the regular season. In Cincinnati with regard to the Reds baseball team and the Bengals football team, we have become all too accustomed to losing in critical moments. The GOP in southern Ohio reflects that trend unfortunately. People get excited about things, but often get let down at the end—just like the quadruple overtime game that the UC basketball team played against UConn on Friday—where the Bearcats just ran out of gas.
Cincinnati fans of politics and sports have witnessed so many near misses that they get rapturously excited when they begin to taste victory—but are always a bit reserved expecting to be let down at the end. For them, seeing Donald Trump in person was just too much to handle—and they were obviously emotional about it. Trump is a winner and that in itself is something to behold. He may not win every single time he does something but what’s different about him is that he “expects” to win. That presence was even more intense in person than it was on television. Trump loves to win, and gives off an impression that he expects it in everything he does—which is very unique for any person over 60 years of age. Trump at nearly 70 has the energy of a teenage kid—and the swagger of one who has never yet lost and learned to accept it. Trump is obviously an unconquered soul who has not yielded in life to defeat—and the crowd knew it. They went way out of their way to be near such energy—and that enthusiasm was certainly on full display at the Savannah Center.
It was a good day for West Chester not only because a presidential candidate came to our town to solicit votes—but because Trump is a massive celebrity who is on the front of a movement against traditional politics for the preservation of our country. For a community and Cincinnati in general, it was a chance for our friends and neighbors to actually be near a person who expects to win in everything he does—and that was exciting. I remember the Kasich rally that was conducted at the Ronald Reagan building just a few miles to the north from where Trump spoke. That was a fairly small room and Kasich couldn’t even fill that—and he is the current governor. I was at another event with Kasich in 2011 and the fields of Carriage Hill in Liberty Township were filled with cars eager to hear him speak. But Kasich lost a series of important issues starting with that golf game with Obama—and the writing was on the wall. Governor Kasich was just another do nothing politician who talked a good game, but couldn’t deliver in the end. Kasich in the same area couldn’t fill up a McDonald’s let alone the Savannah Center—and that is precisely why Donald Trump coming to West Chester was such a big deal.
Because even with a skeptical crowd used to hearing a lot of tough talk but always being let down at the very end—Trump is different. People were able to be near him—which they needed. And by the look on his face—I think he needed it too. For a few short hours during an emerging spring a battered warrior candidate for President of the United States and a skeptical public fed off each other for the better. And a new dawn for America broke just above the horizon—and we all had a sense that soon that bright sun would be high in the sky with a scorching heat and that America would be great again—because Donald Trump for a change would be at the front to inspire victory where nobody previously thought it was even remotely possible.
It doesn’t matter if it’s Donald Trump running for President, or Warren Davidson being the only qualified candidate to run for John Boehner’s old seat—Ann Becker from the Cincinnati Tea Party made a great point in her below observation and comment as to why America’s best people do not run for public office. The consequences are that the worst of our society ends up running and winning the seats of government which most effectively runs our society—and the results have been dismal. During this particular March of 2016 there are several really good options—and Ann is one of them for State Central Committee. To my mind she’s the only option. And that is additionally the case with Warren Davidson. For the sake of brevity and effectiveness, I have included Ann Becker’s endorsement of Warren Davidson in the following paragraphs because her reasons are nearly identical to my own. If you really want good people in government—then we need to support them when they come under fire—because they always get attacked. When they put themselves out in front the way Warren is offering, we need to have their back—because they will need it. There is a reason that good people get so attacked in public office—it is to protect the many bad guys effectively destroying our republic. So when you get a good one—give them a little cover fire.
I have been in politics for 7 years. One of the questions I get asked all the time – when are people going to wake up? When are the principled people going to take a stand?
I have been looking, searching, supporting and teaching people how important it is to find politicians that will put the Constitution first. Many people have stepped up to the plate, and it has given me hope.
A few months ago, after Speaker Boehner stepped down from his Congressional seat, my search for the right person to replace him went into overdrive. I live in the 8thDistrict. Finding someone who I could consider a leader, someone who I would trust to represent me and my views was a tall order.
Several candidates emerged to run for the seat. I took it upon myself to research and vet the candidates, this is not an official Cincinnati Tea Party endorsement, just a personal endorsement coming from Ann. The man who I chose to endorse was Warren Davidson.
Warren is a former Army Ranger. His military background helps him to understand the scope of the problems we face in the War on Terror and issues overseas. He also cultivated a deep sense of duty and discipline in the military that has carried over into his work in the private sector.
Warren is a small business owner of a multimillion dollar company. He came back from his military service and wanted to build something. He is the owner and President of Global Source Manufacturing in Troy, Ohio. His experience with his business has given him first-hand knowledge of how the government has hindered the growth of his business, from Obamacare and taxes to regulation and unions.
Beyond that, he is a good man. There aren’t many of those running for office.
There is a reason good people don’t run – the attacks.
Over the past week, a PAC called Defending Main Street has started to attack Warren Davidson. If you listen to the radio or live in the 8th district, you have gotten the mailers. They are vicious. At first, I thought it was kind of interesting. I must have picked the right candidate if he is getting attacked. It’s kind of a badge of honor in politics.
Yesterday, they crossed a line. They sent a flyer, big enough to wrap a gift to every Republican in the district. It was ridiculous. Who are these people? Why are they meddling in the 8th district race? I did a little research.
What I found made my blood boil. Defending Main Street is Steve LaTourette and John Boehner’s ‘I hate the Tea Party so I must destroy them’ PAC. Their website says, “The goal of the Republican Main Street Partnership is simple; to find commonsense solutions to problems that people are wrestling with each and every day. In short we represent and support the governing wing of the GOP.” In other words, if you don’t support the establishment you must be taken out.
I did a little more research. Defending Main Street raised most of its money from labor unions. “These unions include the National Education Association (the superpower of unions in America, along with the public employees unions), the operating engineers, the Teamsters, the air traffic controllers, transport workers and other building and trades unions,” from the Washington Times.
The accusations they were spreading in their flyers bothered me. The ads accused Warren Davidson of ‘Shipping jobs to China’. I knew his company was called Global Source Manufacturing, and China is on the globe – but after I got several messages from people asking what these flyers were all about I decided to talk to Warren himself and get to the bottom of it.
The answers were very simple. Warren said, “I do not have a manufacturing plant in China. I have not shipped jobs there. My company employs over 200 workers in Ohio – none in China.” I asked him about the website www.cheapasiantools.com. “The site is nothing but a marketing tactic meant to show up in search engines. If someone looked up tools in China, they would come to our American made tools company.” He also encouraged me to look at the website. It took me to Global Source Manufacturing’s buy American page.
This is another example of the establishment spreading lies. Telling people things that will make them questions a man’s character. This is why good people don’t run for office.
Don’t give into the lies. Stand up to the establishment.
The purpose that the political left, in this case sponsored by Moveon.org (George Soros), has in conducting violent protests such as they did at Donald Trump’s rally in Chicago—is to shut down arguments that they have no other way of defending. Through violence and intimidation, they intend to erode away American’s republic until there is nothing left. That has been their strategy for years, and now with Donald Trump showing that he will in fact be the Republican nominee for president—the violent desperation of that reality is taking full effect—and the Marxist oriented insurgents within America are now desperate.
Trump smartly cancelled the rally and received much more press than he otherwise would for the event. The difference between Donald Trump and every other Republican politician for most of a century is that he knows how to turn the tables on those who stand against him. In this case, Trump took a rally intended for several thousand people and exploded his coverage leading into a weekend news cycle only talking about him—and sounding very presidential in the wake of these Chicago protests. I have been to Chicago several times, most recently about a month ago. Outside of the immediate downtown area—Chicago is a socialist experiment gone bad. You can really see it most spectacularly while landing or taking off out of O’Hara. Those protestors were poised to move against Trump in Chicago in the same say that the communists took over Russia during the revolution of 1917. Young people today are raised to embrace socialism and communism from their public schools, so college campuses especially in downtown areas are particularly dangerous to any ideas other than socialism—and the results were as follows. The description provided comes from a first person perspective of a cognoscente participant who witnessed the trouble brewing and correctly identified the true villains in the escapade. Read what they have to say to understand the truth.
At 2:30 p.m., I arrived at the Donald Trump rally located at the UIC pavilion in Chicago, IL. There was light police presence at the Blue Line station, and the pavilion was short walk away. There I waited in line for about an hour until making it to the front doors, going through a security scanner, and finding a seat in the main hall.
For nearly two hours the pavilion filled until it neared capacity. It was clear that protesters were seated around the room, given easily away by their manner of dress. Most of the Trump supporters, being suburbanite or small town white people from outside of Chicago, were dressed strikingly normal—jeans and t-shirts, yoga pants or dresses, and the occasional suit.
The first protestors began around 5:30 when two young white males pulled off their coats to reveal t-shirts with anti-Trump slogans. At this point I noticed the police presence inside the rally was a mere 8 police officers, bolstered with hands-off event staff.
Before 6:00 p.m., a man spoke on the microphone and requested that rally attendees do not touch or harm protesters who interrupt the event. He reminded the protesters that Donald Trump supports the first amendment as much as the second.
Following this was a string of smaller incidents, such as people holding up improvised signs and shouting.
One entire bleacher row was filled with protesters and they began chanting and throwing around torn up signs.
A few people who began standing up and screaming, and were slowly escorted out by police. The police kept leaving the protesters unattended throughout this, taking 4-8 officers to escort protesters out one at a time.
A black man in a black jacket ran up to the front stage, bumped into the podium, and attempted to speak, but was wrestled down by two men in suits. As they escorted him through the crowd, he took a swing at a Trump supporter. The men escorting him were incredibly gentle and restrained themselves from using any force.
Then voice came on and declared that the event was postponed. A few minutes later, they informed us that Trump had landed in Chicago and spoken to Chicago Police officers, and that due to safety concerns, the rally was canceled.
At this point, the protesters began to descend into chaos. Aside from a few mild “TRUMP” and “USA” chants, the Trump supporters were mostly quiet and bewildered as the protesters began to scream, chant, and run around the main floor area in a huge pack, flipping off the rally attendees and swearing at them. There were a few tense altercations between the two groups, but from what I saw at this point, no violence.
The rally was instructed to leave the pavilion, and I have to admit, the Chicago Police messed up bad here.
We walked straight out of the building and into enormous packs of protesters screaming at us, with little police presence to protect the Trump supporters.
Following this, I wandered the protest grounds to see what was going on. My memory is a bit jumbled at this point because I was so pumped up, but let me string together the events as clearly as possible:
Many of Trump propaganda signs, most commonly depicting him as Adolf Hitler, but others showing him with a small penis, simple signs of text English and Spanish, signs.
Young women shouting anti-white racial epithets.
“THE PEOPLE ARE UNITED. WE WILL NOT BE DIVIDED” being shouted at Trump supporters who holed themselves up in a parking garage, quietly fearing for their safety. Another good one by the protesters was “FREEDOM FIRST! FREEDOM FIRST!” Strangely enough, there were a good amount of signs calling for peace and freedom. Lots of peace signs being flashed with the fingers.
A single white Trump supporter who held up a sign and stood quietly as three dozen people surrounded him, smiling and screaming, snatching and pushing at him until he had to run for police cover. Someone grabbed his American flag and threw it on the ground and he fought to recover it. The police escorted him away.
Two young men, perhaps 17-19, standing quietly as they waited for a ride home. They were wearing their MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN hats, looking terrified as people cursed and swore at them, and occasionally threw furious challenges for debate. The two young men held their ground. Only once did one of those hats come down, and it quickly went back on again.
A general atmosphere of pleasure and happiness from the protesters. A common chant was “WE WON!” and “WE STOPPED* TRUMP!” It honestly felt like a social event for the protesters. There was plenty of mingling
Plenty of shouts at Trump protesters that Trump and his supporters are not welcome in Chicago. I challenged one on the first amendment. He said he does not consider himself an American and continued insulting the grizzled old white man he was arguing with.
Extremely inefficient police presence. The cops were lined up on their horses or standing behind barricades, but generally were not present where Trump supporters were being hounded and occasionally struck by protesters.
The protesters were primarily composed of millennial-aged: white hipsters, African Americans, Hispanics, and Muslims. Some of the protesters were teenagers below voting age.
The protesters flew a big set of American, Mexican, and Puerto Rican flags. There were lots of small American and Mexican flags too. *The Trump supporters mostly fled for safety immediately. You have to understand, they were outnumbered by thousands of protesters.
There was media presence, but not as much as you’d think. Plenty of areas where chaos was going on had no media nearby. The reporters were mostly getting people to talk to them off to the side where nothing was going on, or focusing ongoing debates between Trump supporters and rally members.
A small amount of the protesters were smoking weed. (I have nothing against this personally, just included for accuracy.)
Plenty of chants for “BERNIE! BERNIE! BERNIE!” Some Trump supporters looked at each other in bewilderment. “But Bernie Sanders isn’t even running against Donald Trump,” was the common sentiment.
Edit: The Trump supporters had a general trust for the police, while the protesters saw their presence as antagonistic. This is especially interesting to me, because as a foreigner and person of color I am generally afraid of police.
Closing statement:
Obviously I did not see everything that occurred as I wandered the protest grounds outside the cancelled Chicago rally. What I did see, however, was fear. Fear from the rally attendees for their immediate safety, and fear of Donald Trump from the protesters.
More than that, I feel that I experienced today, for the first time in my life, true totalitarianism and authoritarianism, expressed laterally from citizen to citizen, in order to silence opinions from being shared. This enforcement was shared through sheer numbers and intimidation, and in a few cases, violence.
People brought their children, loved ones, and friends to attend the Trump rally. I saw an older Asian man and his white wife in attendance, and the looks on their faces when the rally was declared cancelled almost broke my heart. I saw scared children clinging to their parents’ sides as they exited the building to the screams of protesters. I saw a quiet, but excited crowd of Donald Trump supporters get thrown out of Chicago.
Worst of all, I saw the first amendment trampled, spit on, and discarded like trash.
This cannot go on. As I finish this, I feel a sense of utter dread and hopelessness for what is becoming of the youth in this country, particularly those of the regressive left. So polarized has political opinion become, that dissenting thoughts on college campuses are now seen as hateful. These people deal in absolutes. They are right, and whatever means they must take to achieve their ends, they will do it. They will not stop themselves from violence or censorship. They will do it, and they will call hell down upon you if anyone dare does upon them the same.
Tonight I went to the Trump Rally to hear the thoughts of not only the man who was supposed to come and speak, but the people who support him. I found respect. I found calmness. I found peace.
The truth is, I am a legal immigrant, not a US citizen. I am not American. I am not white. I cannot vote.
Thanks for the gold and all the kind comments. I hope you guys stay safe. Remember that the best way to make America great again isn’t just voting, but making yourself great too. That goes to anyone who reads this, regardless of who you support or what you believe.
