The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1896-08-06
NICIkNANIES IN POLITICS.
The Origin and Meaning or Names
Given to Certain Factions.

~ ~O~
New York Tribune.
When the followers of "Sockless )
Jerry Simpson and the bewhiskered
Petfer began singing the old negro
song "Keep in the Middle of the Road, ,
as q gentle protest against any fusion
of their newborn Populist party with
the old Kansas Democracy, they rroba.
bly, little thought that they were help.
ing to make history. But such seems
to have been the result of their unpre.
meditated action. They had broken
loose from old party ties, and joined
their fortunes with those Of the Sage
Of Medicine Lodge" and his senior col
loague. They objected to the idea Of
being absorbed into ono OF the old par
ties, and they gave voice to their senti-
ments in song. That was four or five
years ago Last week they awoke to
find themselves famous. Every dis
patch sent out from ST. Louis contained
some reference to the middle of the
Road faction in the populst conven-
tion. 1t was the faction which still
wanted to keep in the middle OF the
road. 1t declined to turn to the
right" or turn to the loft, " but insist
ed on the Populists maintaining their
| wv IL luCuUlUy duo Tvs u PAL
ty, putting candidates Of their own into
tho field and running their own cam
palgn regardless Of the old parties.
What they achieved in the convention
does not matter. The interesting fact
remains that they have made pecu-
liar and suggestive addition to the long
list OF original factional names with
which the history Of American politics
ia full.
Some OF these names have beon at
tached to factions in derision by their
opponents. and explain themselves; :;
others have been adopted deliberately,
almost as trademarks and there are a
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 il such faction
were to crop out now it doubtless would
be tittingly characterized. These we're
| the people who lent aid and comfort to
"Citizen Genet, who came here in
WashingtOn's 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 a name which was aftcrward
taken up by the anti-Fcderalists, 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 a Republi-
can faction known as the "Quids, the
| adherents Of John Randolph, whose ex-
ertions gave fresh life to the Federal
| ist 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
sons asccndency the anti-Federalists
or Republicans had become generally
Wings had succeeded the Federalists
But it was not long before the Wings
were calling their opponents Loco
Focos. y This term, like many others
of its kind, grew out of factional dis
sentions in New York State. a loco
foco was a self-ignighting match. At
a Democratic meeting in Tammany
hall, in 1885, one faction, fearing that
| the other faction had control of tho
gathering, put out all Of the lights.
Matches were Produced, the lamps
were rclightcd, and within a short
time the whole party was known as
Loco Focos," namc 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 u friend
| OF Van Buren, and was not always on
the best OF terms with President Polk.
In 1916 he was defeated for re-elcction
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
sympathies. The Wright faction wore
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. Tho Barn.
burners" wore practically Identical
with the " Frec-Soilers," who, as every.
one knows, were merely the Free Soil
Democrats who opposed tho extension
of slavery into the territories.
Politics for some years before the war
| "tso III u VSIy hlSCu cOEulLlOn, ana q
revival on q national scale of what was
known as the "Nativo American u
movement (again originally Now
York movement resulted in the form.
alton Of the American" party. An
elaborate code Of signals and pass W ords
was adopted, and all operations of the
" Americans " were wrapped in Dro
found secrecy. If member of the or.
der was asked about its practices end
purposes, he answered that he know
nothing about them, and tho "Ameri.
cans" " for that reason soon came to be
called Know Nothings."
The "Copperhoad faction of the
Democracy, during tho war furnishes
another well known example of q name
applied in derision by opponents. The
"Copperheads were tho Southern
sympathizers in tho 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. Tho mon who formed It were ad