The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1860-08-07
"That Little Game of Brag'-JOhn
Laws Convention.


The general political character of John
Law is we'll known to the people of this
District. 1t is a fact too well known and
TOO often repeated to be forgotten, that af-
ter receiving his early political education at
the hands of old Federal ancestors, who
were the warm friends of the elder Adams,
he came from the State of wooden nutmegs
and steady habits to the West, and for sew
eral years was an ardent and uncompromis-
ing Wing, working hard for the up-build-
ing of the party and to get into office. So
intolerant Wing was he that when old
Governor Hendricks yielded to the force of
the popular current, and was carried over to
the support of the lion-hearted hero of De-
mocracy, Jackson, j ohm Laws voice was rails
ed in his denuncation and his ready pen was
busy in attempting to "teach him the les
son that the desertion of ones friends gains
neither the appreciation of friends or ene-
mics 1t is well known to the gray haired
veterans of Democracy in this District that
when General Jackson first presented him
self to the people of this country for their
suffrages, John Law by his voice and his
vote aided in his defeat. That when he
twice again came before the people as the
regular candidate of the Democracy for
President, John Law was loud in his oppo-
sition, and before the people declared that
ne preferred " war, pestilence, and famine "
TO the triumph of sueh military despot, as
he saw fit to term him. 1t is also known
that about the year 1885, for some unac-
countable reason, much to the surprise and
disgust of his old political associates, be trans
ferred himself soul and body, over to the
Democracy under the lead of that lcorthy
patriarch Of the party, Martin Van Buren,.
There is a story told among the old politi
clans of Gibson county, which recalls lit
tie of the history of that time, and gives us
another view of the Hon. John Law, and of
his ardent attachment to the party, of which
he has been constituted the standard bearer
in his district In the fall of 1882 Judge
Law was in attendance on the Gibson Cir
cult Court, and with few jovial friends was
spending the evening in a friendly game of
brago The election was over several
weeks before. The old Clay men, of whom
there was none more earnest and hopeful
than John Law, had made hard and tire
some canvass, and were hardly yet rested
from their work. They were eager to
know the result, but the news reached these
backwoods States slowly. That night the
mail brought the news OF Clays defeat and
Jackson's election for his second term. Az
ter the news, the game of "brag" was dull !;
and those old Wings counseled over the
result. Laws " conclusion of the whole
matter was about in these words: "Gen-
tlemen, have Always been on the aoronq
side When General jackson leaves the
Office he'll shoot little Matty wan BUREN,
out from under his wing and he'll be the
next President. I'll 20 for little Matty = -
And that was the hour of Laws politi-
cal regeneration and conversion to Democ
racy.
The company separated, and nothing
more was seriously thought of the remark
But when 1896 came round, true to th,
Judges prediction " little Matty," under th,
prestige of Jacksons popularity, was elected
President, and to the establishment of hi
political associates, Law was one of his sup
porters. He knew he was on the "1oTong side
before, because he never got ohice-an'
when Van Buren, was elected be was mucl
more certain of it because he forthwith
stepped into fat government place. An,
he was so we'll convinced that Van Bure