Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1860-07-13
T'he Rail Splitting EEssaaaaBafgo

It turns out that the s'rail splitting story
in which Mr.. abraham Lincoln IS now
mixed up, IS an old dodge. Nobody ever
thought Of Lincoln in connection with it
until the Chicago convention met, when it
was dug UP as fine idea with which to gull
Eastern delegates. The thing worked to a
charm-just as well as though Lincoln lad
been d rail-splitter all his life, while the
probability is, that he never split one. The
Chicago Times gives the origin Of the dodge,
and tells us just how much was made by
'strotting it OUT seventeen years ago. Here
is what it says:
The truth Of the matter is, the "rail-sblit-
ter" dodge is an old in Illinois. It was
started nearly twenty years ago to beat
Judge Douglas. It is not Lincoln's inten-
ton. and unless the exclusive right has cea-
sed to exist by lapse Of time, the patent BE-
longs to the Hon. Mr.. Browning, of Quinay.
When Judge Douglas was nominated for
Congress in 1913, in the Quincy district,
the Democrats had but little hope of sue
cess. As the canvass progressed, Douglas
was evidently gaining upon his adversary,
and the friends Of the latter, getting alarm
ed, discovered that Browning "had devoted
the best energies Of his youth to splitting
rails!v' He was called the ''Rail Splitter"
and rails were carried about from meeting
to meeting. and exhibited as the rails made
by Browning "when he was poor young
man, working Eard for a living" Douglas,
however, encountered the Rail Splitter"
the original one-and, in three months ac-
tive canvass, changed the politics of the dis
trct from 1900 to 1900 Wing, to 443
Democratic majority.
The DIFFERENCE. AT the Charleston
Convention the DiSunionists insisted that
rule should be adopted that the President
of that body should declare no person nom
mated unless he had received a vote equal
to thirds (being 202) Of the Electoral
College, instead Of the old rule of two thirds
of the States present and voting; and such
a rule was adopted.
AT the Boilers Convention these same
parties repudiated the rule they had insisted
on at Charleston, land adopted one declaring
that, IN making the nomination for Presi
"hA NV AOeiuOuo, IWU-tuiIuS (UclUg IL
of the votes Of all the States represented
should be necessary.
At Charleston Mr.. Douglas received 1852
votes, and was not declared to be nomina
ted. At Baltimore, in the Boilers Con
vention. Mr.. Breckenridge received 81 votes,
and was declared nominated.
At Baltimore Mr.. Douglas received 181
votes, being Il lees than two thirds Of the
electoral college, and was declared, BY &C
clamation, to be nominated At the same
place, IN the Boilers Convention, Mr..
Breckenridge received 81 votes, being 121
less than two-thirds of the electoral college
when he was declared, by reclamation, to
be nominated.
Mr.. Douglas nomination is pronounced
by the Republicans and Disunionists to be
a sectional nomination, while that of Mr..
Breckenridge is declared by the same par
ties to be national! So it strikes them,
while to us it seems as if all the good show
ing and nationality is ON the side of Mr..
Douglas. We may be prejudiced however.
Cincinnati Enquirer.