The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-05-05
Oddities and Peculinrities OF Presi-
Dental Candidates and Their Effects
Upon the Popular Masses.

Dental Candidates and Their Effects
Upon the Popular Masses.
Since the early days Of the republic, say
present period, the eccentriciies and personal
peculiariies Of candidates have borne an i'm
portant part in every Presidential contest.
Ludicrous as some of them were, they have
been moulded to suit the popular mind,
and, by adapting them to familiar cries and
phrases, have been the means of leading candi-
dates in otherwise desperate contests from
defeat to victory. But this popular adaptation
Of the oddities Of Presidential aspirants is not
always the result Of political maneuvring or
adroitness, but springs spontaneously from our
republican masses, and by them is made to take
no humble part in every political gathering or
party demonstration, as well as being made
the refrain Of street songs and the moving
spirit Of Publications at country hustings.
Let us make few illustrations.
In the heated contest between jackson and
Adams, in 1928, there are many who will
seized upon the term cold Hickory when
applied to jackson. and made it the burden
of party cries everywhere. References to the
hanging of the three militamen in Florida,
the celebrated coffin handful agitation and the
many other efforts Of the Adams party to
failed to answer the purpose. In reply to
every charge made against him the populace
would make the welkin ring with cries like
these:-"We know it. Hurrah for Old Hick-
ory!" And when installed in the Presiden-
tial Office his rough frmness and iron will,
and his bold affirmation, 'sBy the Eternal"
and his hard swearing generally, only endeared
him to the popular heart and attested the
propriety Of his familiar sobrquet ''Old
Hickory"
Following jackson came Martin Van Buren,,
with his title of "Little Magician" but, fail
ing to arouse popular sympathy, the "Tippe-
canoe and Tyler too" campaign, with its
popular songs, log cabins, hard cider and
other appliances, swept the "Little Magician"
by the board and paved the why for the great
campaign between Polk and Clay, four years
later, and which resulted in the defeat of "gal-
liant Harry Of the West" the "Mill Boy of
the Slashes," because there was q little diff
Guilty somewhere about "Cayuga Bridge" on
election day. In the succeeding contest,
sold Zach" Taylor's Trough and Ready"
cognomen and bluff manners, with the free
use of "A little more grape, Captain Bragg"
and other familiar war expressions, did almost
as much toward the election of "Old Zach"
<ho Iafo &c
Van Buren,. In Lincoln's campaigns who
called him anything but "Old Abe" or the
s.Rail Splitter or the "Flat Boatman of the
Ohio" and who repeated his quaint stories or
cheered his homely presence with livelier
zest than the popular masses? And on his
journey to Washington to be inaugurated
every one remembers how famous became
Old Abes ''Scotch cap and military cloak" AS
plain "Mr. Lincoln or President Lincoln
one would scarcely recognize the man whose
familiar titles had beer upon every tongue in
the land and whose personal history had been
the theme Of many household anecdote.
Even General Grant, with all his fresh popu-
larity, had to submit to being styled the "Hero
Of the Apple Tree Of the Appomattox' when
that occasion was only the crowning event of
his marvellous military career.
This happy knack of twisting q sobriquet into
o campaign cry-a small eccentricity into
great popular fgure-is not altogether peculiar
to America but, then, they have no elections
across the Atlantic to compare with those here
in the matter Of popular effervescence and
continuous excitement Still a happy nick
name defantly paraded has carried many
contest in gray old Europe. Dear to the heart
of every "son of the sod is the recollection of
"Dan, the Liberator." His ''repale cap"
with its garland of shamrocks, was the in
spiration Of many rousing hurroo from Tara
Hill to the Kingdom Of Kerry. Here is some
thing for the sons Of the Emerald Isle to Irvine
with their fondness for the sage of Chappaqua
when they fall into ecstasies over his
old hat. From the great Bonaparte
all gallomaniacs, who hope to hang by the
tails Of power, can weave the souvenir of the
famous little mans 'gray coat with the
ample white coat of the general of the Liberals
to-day. The pear-headed Louis Philippe,
too. Frances citizen king, with his bonhoname
and his umbrella, will afford o lively historic
parallel to those who wish to keep their pow
der dry under the big parap'uis Of the modern
philosopher. Englishmen will couple GARNER
George with Farmer Horace, but in doing SO
they will admit that, while the one was fool
our farmer has o level head
In Persia, centuries ago, q blacksmith's
leather apron was their victory flag, as in 1868
the admirers of General Grant sported leather
aprons in their campaign 'tanneries." ALI
Germany in the late war went into national
chorus over uns~ Fritz, and why not over
,s,ser Horace now2 It was said Of Napoleon
III tbst be Inherited nothing from his uncle