The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-06-26
POLITICAL MES.
now ODD AFFILIATIONS BECOME
FIXED TO PUBLIC MEN.

Local Niek.smes Attached to Well
kssws Characters In New York Politics
Nlcknames are not 30 common in politics az
they used to be. and IL would be hard to find q
dozen politicians in the State OF New York who
arc widely known y m appellation other than
an abr"H Walton 81 tlI"lr fiat ma" %. soma
occasiurAi 'i''' 't@C "siiNrr-ton2ued hon
est." or III. That may come from the lack
OF personal acquaintance the public has with
leading politicians. When the public knew
its political leaders personally II was natural
for them 20 apply nicknames and eplthets
which wers commonly understood and ac-
cepted for the man with whom tho people at
large came in contact Henry Clay. Andrew
jackson. John Quincy Adams. Daniel Web
stcr. and the Presidents generally down to
Gen. Grant. were known throughout the coun-
try by names commonly referring to some-
thing that they had done. But there nre no
sucl popular uppellations for any OF tho pres
cnt national candidates. Tho Old Roman"
a. Allen G. Thurman Is still called. Is one OF
the last OF these old style ncknames.
Taking New York State. for example.
there is no generally agreed nickname for
Senator Hill. Gov. Flower. Mr.. Fassett. MI.
Platt Mr.. Croker. or other men OF similar
prominence. The use OF political ncknames
10 mainly confined to men OF district and local
promin ence. who are known by sight to q large
proportion Of tho voters OF their districts.
and h. nco are on moro familiar footing with
them than men whose fold Is larger and
leadership more extensive In most of these
cases the nick names have come through some
cause outside OF politics. and have stuck be-
cause they 1tted. A nickname cannot be made
to cling to man unless there is something
about him. In character. personal pecuiari-
tics. or antecedents. on which 1t can be hung
a newspaper or popular clamor may give tenn
porary currency to q nickname. but 1t cannot
mako It stick unless It ilts.
Back In the sixties and seventies almost
evory district leader in New York had nick
name. usually derived from some personal
decd Of his. Such was the calling Of Mr.. Comet
"Prnce Hail." Judge Norton "Thurderoolt
Norton" and Patrick Gavan Duffy The Little
Judge" Most Of the men to whom they were
applied are now dead.
Among the men now in New York politics
whose nicknames are popular. are Tho
Wick cd" Gibbs. Dry Dollar" Sullivan. Sill
yer Dollar" Smith. Sitting Bull Lawson.
Wilipus- Wallapus" Willis. "Soor" Flynn.
Henry Clay" Sulzer. excluding tho numor-
Gus !" Honest Johns" e. Big Toms" and tho
various silver-Tongued." These last three
applications are hardly nicknames. because
somehow or other the Johns who held legisla-
Johns whether they are honest or the oppo-
site, while the Toms seem to run to height
and size. aud SILVER TonGued" is n question
Of taste. Another name OF n well-known poll
tician. Timothy Justinan Campbell. might be-
lacluusd in this list. but he has SO many titles.
Judge. Senator. Assemblyman. not to mention
Colonel and General that it Is hard to single
out any one nickname for preference.
The Wicked Gibbs and Dry Dollar Sullivan
ar, perhaps the best known. Tho Wicked
Gihts was originally baptized Frederick Stan
III aus. He grew UP with that name aud
dcv .loI.od into tho pump business. Then he
Was elected TO the State Senate. where he took
iromnent part In tho legislation. and ran
a .ho Republican candidate for Mayor in 1854
TO next Year. when his term in the State
senate expired and he was II candidate for re-
election the title OF 1.-THE Wicked" WAS con.
ferred uron him by an opponent the Rev. In
del .aSr. Merritt. who vas Interested in sew
+ral rel ..ious rcvvas in different parts OF the
district and conducted his political meetings
acc riding 10 revival methods. He had lea lots
OF campaign songs printed which were sung
10 revival tunes. One Of these songs ran like
this;
Ifa;l Of you will vote forme
Ilspcnd the winter in Albany;
WI ~ record tsr A. =. Yen ,nv VII H. sh.n know
% down s DOWN With NE Senator
anu vote for me.
Mr.. Gibbs was in the habit OF going to tho
theatr" occasionally. on sufficient provocation
. ,ne;,mes as to play cards. The Rev. Under ,
taker. VINO did none OF these things. made the
hight on moral issues. The tunes to which his |
pnitical songs were set were we'll known and
catching Everybody treated his campaign as !
z ioks; az no had no chance Of election, but
THE refrain OF the song about the Wicked Sen. |
:, NJ. "Dry Dollar Sullivan IS a native New
TomSs His original nams ' was a' Timothy D. b.
sullivan. No one seems definitely to know
Vas not bry b is sa
nickname was acquired when he was a boy
WORKING r In the press room Of one Of the morn
h tho habit %hd ,,t e doing h9 would take i ali
him from tho hundreds Of other Sullivuns liv- |
Ing In his neigh borhood. many of them being
standard sullivan baptismal
Since Mr. snliivan's rise in politics. with sue
c.sssive elections to tho Assem- bly,. the name OF
mong the sulliyans, and there arc now IN ore
4 nan score of them. but he is the only Dry
. Mr.. "Siver Dollar" Smith IS a product Of
Eighth district politics. 1t is understood that |
his original surname was somewhat nnrro:
descent. and that in changing it to II name |
which Americans would understand he took !
sna pst S nss i With
smith, Like some other great men in "de |
I ine concentrated his interests in an east |
aide novelty which no fitted UP across tho |
street from tho Essex Market Police Court. |
As an attraction he set q umber of silver dol |
lars In the floor OF his saloon The dollars |
we're firmly fixed In their place. and as Il |
further precautiOn the bartenders kept their !
eyes on them. From this feature Of his estab- |
.shn,ent the owner. to his delight and exaita-
tlon. became known as Silver Dollar Smith.
The stories OF some OF the nicknames are |
!, ct 30 interesting. Sitting Bull' Lawson Is |
J Ohm D. Lawson. eS-C Congressman and a Re. |
'ublicNn Of great respect ability. who regular |
" attends State and national conventions. He |
as voice like the roar OF waterfall and his |
on occasions when the voice Is |
working suggested to some one a resom blanoe |
% the portraits Of the Indian chief Sitting Bull.
18th all this Mr. Lawson is a peaceable man. |
he only ferocions things about him being his |
foioo and vocal aspect.
Soier" Flynn lives in the Battery district, |
and represents It a good part Of the time In |
he Board Of Aldermen. He is martial in his |
earring. attitudes, and conversation.
Henry Clay" Sulzer was baptized William, |
which Is the way his nams appears In the |
'ivil list Of the State Of New, York as an AS
'smblyman.. Many people. though. who have
tn9Mn him fora long, time. think his name Is
'eally Henry Clay. He Ia an orator. wears his
,sir In a shock. Is clean shaver. and is u law