The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-11-11
'TWlxT YOU AND Me.

II seem to have awakened n con-
nificance OF loco focos.
The other day / was enabled to
trace them back to a famous speech by
the late Major Pirce.
But it appears that they antedated
the Major for their historic origin.
Now l think they are traced 10 their
source by reason of four independent
exhibits.
The first made by Auctioneer Burn
ham, who recalls that when he was a
boy there were loco foco matches, the
early attempts of an American industry
10 reproduce the historic lucifer matches
made i'm England. I'll call that "Ex-
hibt A." Now comes
Exhibit B'-made by \. J. Fisher
of 45 Groton street, who recalls the
story OF Democratic meeting called
for the consideration of some matter of
importance which did not have the sup
port of the majority of the body.
Realizing their weakness, the minor
ity, who had the presiding officer,
planned to blow out the lights and
forciby adjourn the meeting i'm case the
measure struck a snag and proved like
ly to meet defeat.
The program was carried out. But
IL appears that the majority got wind
of the conspiracy, and when the glims
were doused and the minority departed
the majority produced tallow candles
with which they had provided them
selves, and with grand splutter, all
together, of loco foco matches. the. can
dies were lighted and the meeting was
called to order and proceeded TO trans
act business. So the name of the
matches made the occasion memorable
and stuck to the forehanded majority.
Now for
Exhibit C-Mr. Simon w. simmons
of Johnston. without knowledge of or
collusion with the previous witness, re-
lates the same story, with the further
detail that the organization referred
TO was none other than Tammany Hall,
the time early in the century.
And To comprehend them all comes
Exhibit D." from Mr.. Walter h. Frost.
editor of the Manufacturing Jeweler,
who has dived into the books. The
editor has just handed his letter to me.
it is as follows:
"To the Editor of The News:
Your friend The Crank must have
been born recently If he never heard of
the term loco foco as applied to "A Dem
ocrat until this week. The term has
far more than local significance. The
earliest friction matches were called
loco focos. Why, | don't know. Mr..
Gilman says in The American People,
In 1885 during an excited meeting OF
the (Democratic) party in Tammany
Hall, New York, when the candles had
been blown out TO increase the con-
fusion. they were lighted with matches
then called "loco focos."' This being
I'm the flint and steel period it was
deemed quite feat. The incident was
widely related. and soon the party was
given the nickname Loco Feee. This
term was as widely known and quoted
as the more modern designation Mug
wump. The Standard Dictionary says
under the heading Loco Foco:' The
extreme section OF the Democratic
party OF 1885, known as the Equal
Rights party; hence any adherent of
that political party
IF The Crank will read the lives of
Lincoln, Douglas. Benton. Chase, Sew
ara, or any OF tne STATESMEN oI ante
rebellion times, he Will be pretty sure
10 run up against the peculiar designa
tion, loco foco, as applied to "a Demo-
crat. | might say that the term was
more common in the Middle West than
i'm New England.
"Walter II. Frost"
And for the information of Editor
Frost, who doesn't know why the early
friction matches were called loco focos,
the Schoolmaster tells me that the
name Is "a manufactured term. like To-
comotive moving), meaning self
lighting. Locus. place; focus. hearth.
So | guess we now know all about
loco foCos.
Which shows that II YOU want 30
get educated it's a good thing to be
A