From The Life and Travels of John W. Bear, "The Buckeye Blacksmith," Written by Himself.  Published Baltimore, MD:  T. D. Binswanger & Co., 1873.

Page 170

The next day I went over to another town where I was to speak and here, also, I found my bills up for a meeting; but, at this town the Democrats had been posted by some of their friends, who had been to the fair at Kittanning; so they stood aloof and paid but little attention to me, but the Fremont men made up in attention, what the other side neglected to do.

Here we had a day-meeting and a pretty stormy one it was, for the Democrats undertook to use their old and only arguments; that is, when they can't answer your questions, to kick up a fuss.  This they undertook at this place, but got the worst of it by getting two or three of their men whipped.

From this place I took a stage for Clarion, the county seat of Clarion county, where I was told in Philadelphia they had fourteen hundred enrolled names for Filmore.  I had also been told that they had eight hundred enrolled names in Armstrong county, where I had just left, but I had failed to find one man, so I supposed it would be in Clarion, but I was mistaken, for on my arrival there I was met by a delegation of real bonafide Filmore men.  It is true; it was not a very large delegation, but what it lacked in numbers it made up in zeal.  It was composed of three Journeymen painters from Philadelphia who were up there painting a large church.

They received me very cordially and introduced me to most of the leading men of both parties of the place.  The Fremont men were pretty shy and said but [page 171] little to me, but the Democrats seemed to delight in talking to me.  I said but little on politics, talking mostly about county affairs, crops &c.  I had invited all that I talked with to come to my meeting that night and hear what I had to say, so that, when the hour arrived for our meeting, I found the courthouse full.

It was a Democratic county and, as a matter of course, there was a majority of my meeting of that stripe.  They organized with one of my Philadelphia painters as chairman and another as secretary.  When I was introduced, I said, "Gentlemen I am a very fearless speaker.  I generally speak my own sentiments without fear.  I generally take the responsibility on my self for what I say, and I never allow any man to interrupt me while I am speaking.  I hope you will all listen to me until I am done, then I will answer any question that you may ask me."

I took about the same course that I had taken in Kittanning:  pitched into Buchanan, spoke well of Filmore and then took up Fremont as I had done before.  I told all about my start from Philadelphia and said that every dollar that I had to electioneer for Mr. Filmore with had been furnished by the Democratic party, and that the whole Filmore movement was a Democratic dodge to weaken Mr. Fremont.  I told of the fourteen hundred enrolled Filmore men that were claimed for that county and showed the Philadelphia papers as proof, which caused great merriment among the crowd.  I spoke for two hours, and, when I closed, I was taken in charge by the Fremont men and seen but little of the Filmore party in that place.

I was to speak in six places in that county that week.  So, the Fremont men sent a man to all these places to post their friends about me so as to get up good meetings, and they sent a good speaker along to help me.  I had a very lively time that week among the unterrified, got into several fusses with them, but always came off victorious.