St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-07-22
MECHANICS OF CANDIDATES
Some of the Phrases that Have
Helped Fire the Voters Heart.

Helped Fire the Voters Heart.
Boston Globe.
The enthusiasm which greets any
red bandana is an evidence of the
power of popular nickname to arouse
the people. A candidate to whom some
characteristic phrase can be thus APP
piled has generally had good chance
of success, for men can catch at such a
phrase, even though, as in many cases,
it may have been given him originally
in derision by his enemies. The great
Napoleon said that nicknameS were not
to be despised, and was pleased at the
affectionate way in which his soldiers
spoke of him as the "Little Corporal"
showed the power of good sObriquet.
Andrew Jackson, the successful candi-
date, was called ''Old Hickory" either
because of his tough qualities or because
he had fed his soldiers Oh hickory nuts
during one of his campaigns against the
Indians, and his friends used this name
so persistently to excite his followers
that it became an important feature in
the contest.
"Old'' and ''little'' are two of the most
common prefXes to the titles given to
popular idols. Martin Van Buren,, Old
Hickory's successor, was called "The
that his enemies, who dubbed him
''Whsky Van," tried to turn into ridi-
Guile by sneering at him as 1.-THE Sweet
Little Fellow" But at the next cleo
ton the people yelled themselves hoarse
for ''Old Tip" while the sneers at Har-
rison's humble origin gave rise to his
titles of LOG Cabin" and Hard Cider"
The alliterative refrain of "Tippecanoe
and Tyler tOo," and the short, sharp
crispneSs of
Van, Van,
Is a used up man,
did much towards the election of Gen.
Harrison, and showed that the blood of
the American people was, after all not
to its depths by taking song.
Some of Folks admirers called him
"Young Hickory" hoping in vain to
excite the same feeling which Old
Hickory had called forth, for he came
near being beaten by the immense en-
thusiasm which the Wings had awak-
ened for their chief. Henry Clay, by the
skillful use Of his SobriQuetS, 1.-The Gal
liant Harry of the West" 1.-The Young
CommOneT," and "The Mill-Boy of the
Slashes." Gen. Taylor was Familiarity
knOWn DIS 'Olu Ldcn ana 'Olu Buena
VISTA" but the masses liked best his
title of Trough and Ready" In the
next campaign Gen. Scott'S adherents
shouted for 'Old Chapultepec," nick
name which was too long to be really
effective. The same objection applied
to 1.-The Pathfinder" Gen. Fremont's
title, which also lacked the stirring ring
so necessary to popular name, but
Fremont and Jessie" proved a good
motto to move his supporters.
In the last campaign before the war
''old'' and little" were applied TO two of
the candidates, being known as Honest
Old Abe' and ''The Railsplitter," and
Stephen A. Douglas as 1.-The Little
Giant" Four years later Old Abe, with
the new title of Father Abraham" was
opposed by Little Mae" while even
the vice presidential candidates were
nicknamed. johnson being known as
1.-The Tennessee Tailor" and his oppo-
nent, Pendleton, AS Gentleman George"
For many years after this no special
nickname was bestowed On any of the
candidates. Tilden was sometimes
called ''The Greystone Sage" but it was
not till 1884, when Blaine and Logan
came to the front as the "Plumed
Knight" and BLACK jack that the
candidates had really popular titles.