The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1896-08-04

paign regardless of the old parties
What they achieved in the convention
does not matter. The interesting fact
remains that they have made a pecu
liar and suggestive addition to the long
list OF original factional names with
which the history Of American politics
} is full.
Some OF these names have been at
tached to factions in derision by their
opponents, and explain themselves
others have been adopted deliberately,
almost as trademarks and there are q
few whose origin it would be hard to
trace. The first real faction known to
American politics under the Constitu-
tion escaped being labelled by any de-
risive appellation which has been
handed down, though II such a faction
were to crop out now it doubtless would
be fittingly characterized. These were
the people who lent aid and comfort to
"Citizen Genet, who came here in
Washingtons second administration as
the representative of the French Re-
public. His followers were animated
by an intense hatred of England, and
organized clubs after the manner Of the
Jacobin clubs of Paris. They address,
ed each other as "Citizen" and "Cit-
ers, and did all in their power to stir
up trouble for the administration and
the government AS it happened they
adopted name which was afterward
taken up by the anti-Federalists, then
known as republicans. They called
their clubs Democratic clubs, and the
name, If not the principles, has become
| historical.
When the Federalist party Yves in
its decline during Jetferson's second
administration there arose Republi-
can faction known as the "Quids, " the
adherents OF John Randolph, whose ex-
ertions gave fresh life to the Federal
1st cause in congress, and who made
themselves for q time an active and
useful opposition party. Their exist
ence was brief. by The time of jack
or Republicans had become generally
known as the Democrats, and the
Wings had succeeded the Federalsts.
But it was not long before the Wings
were calling their opponents Loco
Focos. - This term, like many others
of it's kind, grew out of factional dis
sentions in New York State. a loco
| foco was self-ignighting match. AT
| Democratic meeting in Tammany
hall, in 1885, one faction, fearing that
the other faction had control Of the
gathering, put out all of the lights.
Matches were produced, the lamps
time the whole party was known as
"Loco-Focos, a name which clung to
them for years.
1t was not many years before another
split in the same party added two more
choice terms to the political vocabula-
ry. Silas Wright was the leader of
the party in the State. He was friend
OF Van Buren, and was not always on
the best of terms with President Polk.
In 1916 he was defeated for reelection
as governor, and his friends attributed
his downfall to the secret opposition of
the administration faction, whom they
dubbed "Hunkers, because of their
persistent numbering" for Office. The
"hunkers" were pro.slavery in their
sympathies. The Wright faction were
such radical anti-slavery men that
they became known as the Barnburn-
ers" in allusi0n to the story of the
Dutchman who burned his barn to
clear it of rats and mice. The Barn
burners" were practically identical
with the "Free-Soilers," who, as every
one knows, were merely the Free Soil
Democrats who opposed the extension
OF slavery into the territories.
Politics for some years before the war
was in very mixed condition, and a
revival on ar ional scale of what was
known as tus Native American"
movement (again originally New
York movement resulted in the form
alton Of the American" party. An
elaborate code Of signals and passwords
was adopted, and all operations of the
Americans were wrapped in pro
found secrecy. If a member of the or
der was asked about its practices and
purposes, he answered that he knew
nothing about them, and the "Ameri-
az 20 l>o
called Know Nothings."
The "Copperhead faction of the
Democracy during the war furnishes
another well known example of name
applied in derision by opponents. The
"COpperheads were the Southern
synipathizers in the north and were,
naturally, named after the venomous
serpent common in many sections of the
country.
The origin of the name Greenbackers,
as applied to party, is Of course obvi-
Gus. The men who formed it were ad-
vocates of unlimited issues Of United
States notes which early in their ca
reer were characterized as greenbacks
from the color of their backs.
'Stalwarts and Half-Breeds "
were the outcome of the Blaine Conk-
ling strife as it found expression in this
State. Mr.. Blaine invented the former
term as applied to Republicans, but
Conkling's adherents appropriated it.
They pointed with pride" to their
stalwart Repubicanism, and the name
was, In their eyes, a badge of distinc-
tion, until Guiteau, after the assassina-
tiOn Of Garfield, proclaimed himself o
Stalwart of the Stalwarts." The
Stalwarts" called their opponents
Half-Beeeds in derision, that being
the term which best expressed the con-
tempt they affected to feel for them
and their political attitude.
Two Virginia factions which not
many years ago attracted national at
tention were the "Funders" and "Re-
adiusters. Their differences were
over the settlement OF Virginia's recon.
, struction debt, and with the disposition
of that matter they faded from view.
| The "Snappers" and "Anti.Snappers "
in this State are too vividly impressed
on the public mind to require more
than a mere mention. The origin of
the term everyone knows.
Finally, there are the "Mugwumps."
| This genus, as it Is known today, APP
! pear ed on the stage during the Blaine
campaign Of 1884, The word had been
used in politics before, however. chiefly
| during the days of the Loco. .Focos,
when the newspapers occasionally in
| dulged In some facetious remark as
this: The great Mugwump was de-
| livered OF n speech, which the faithful