Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-11-03

was brought by the Baltimore papers,
which were distributed at the depot, then
on the northwest corner Of Pennsylvania
avenue and I'd street northwest, and in
the campaign of 1S40 on the arrival of the
trains, crowds of few hundred piled the
trainmen and passengers for the news,
which would soon afterward reach the
masses. On the reception of good news
the wings, with the aid of the Columbian
Artillery, Capt. Caleb buckingham in
charge would fire salutes near the market.
Once, by the premature discharge of a gun.
the arms of man named Williams were
blown Off
/ "Barbecues were common in that cam
paign, numbers being held in Fairfax coun-
ty, or 'Cooney.' as it was called by the
democrats. l remember one near Lees
burg, to which members of the Jackson
Association and others went in canal boats
from Georgetown for a part of the way and
marched six miles. the trip taking three
days.
Quite row was once started by a we'll
known character on vacant lot south of
Odd Fellows Hall exclaiming: old John
- rubs his head in flour barrel SO as
to make him look like Jackson This was
resented by friend of John and blows
restored order
Campaign Red Hot.
Hed not were the words the speaker
applied to the campaign of 1914 John
Iyler, who had succeeded to the presidency
| on the death OF Harrison. had been dropped
as an apostate by his party, and the wings
put up Henry Clay. Mr.. Clay was a candi-
date against Adams, Jackson and Crawford
IN lS14, when the election was by the House
OF Representatives, and also against Jack
| son In 1882, with Theodore Frelinghuysen
Tor the second place. The democratic ticket
was composed of James X. Polk of Tonnes
see, who eight years before served as
speaker OF the House, and George NJ. Dali
| las Of Pennsylvania.
We first learned Of the nomination of
MI. FOLK by telegraph, l believe, that mes
sage probably being the first important one
| sent from Baltimore to Washington. MI.
Polk's career IN Congress had faded from
the public mind. and the usual answer to
cneer Tor him was the question: Who is
Polk, anyhow?
There was no difficulty in making a dem
onstration for Clay anywhere in the Dis
tr1ct, FOR he was well known here and was
at TIN street and the avenue and other
| points; wigwam-a large frame building
| was erected near the site Of the Bijou Thea
ter, where there was crowd at all times.
| and meetings were held nightly. At almost
any hour, whenever speaker happened to
walk in, there would be talk. Among the
leading Ing. , spirits here were Messrs. Joseph
| Peter F. Bacon, Jacob Gideon and his son,
George s., and a Mr.. Sargent
Enough little was known Of the stand
ard bearer of the democracy at first the
party here soon fell into line, the old Jack
sons taking the lead under the command of
John c. Rives Jonah D. Hoover, DR.. Cor
MENUS Boyle, J. F. Ennis, ]. E. Dow and
| fires were kindled. and soon the CITY was
atiame, each party being confident, and for
that day much betting was INDUCED in
Inc Inc faculties for obtaining news had multi
pied, the telegraph having been pronounced
| success. The Baltimore and Ohio rail-
| road ran to the north and the mail steamers
connected come tee with railroad at AQUA creek.
| speedily known after election day. AS /
| nave stated, the elections for state officers
often settled the question as to the ma
| that the vote of New York would go far in
| deciding the presidential race. Each party
kept In spirits to the last moment, and
| bnofires blazed nightly Party flags waved
In every section of the city, MANY on nri
Vate houses, places of business and shops,
| ana parades were common, while every
t tn mad It's decorated wagons to traverse
the streets or to haul passengers to barbe-
| cues. mus the excitement was kept up till
| the day of election. Then the empori,1n-s
f an. neWs-the Intelligencer and Globe Of
| above Ed and other places-attracted
| crowds, and nightly the wigwam of the
wings and the Franklin engine house
where the Jacksonians met were crowded
| Each side was confident that its man would
| De elected, and at the wing headquarters
| "nere the announcement was made No
yember IL that New York had gone for
| POLK, one of the speakers shed tears and
| others were visibly affected. 1t was a
bitter campaign, and it was no uncommon
thing FOR one party to attack and attempt
| to wreck a stand, wagon or other political
| paraphernalia Of the other.
Following Mexican War.
THE campaign which followed the Mexi-
car war;" continued the narrator, was
repetition of that of 1910, but on a bigger
scale as to numbers and vim. The wings
put up General Zachary Taylor who had
the sobriluer Of Old Rough and Ready,
with Willard Fillmore, who, as Vice Presi-
dent, succeeded him at his death, and Gen.
| Lewis Cass and w. o. Butler were the
| democratic nominees. In every section of
the city clubs were formed, some of the
reservations on Pennsylvania avenue hav-
| ing poles and stands for speakers. An i'm
mense hickory with the Cass flag, in front
of the Union office in E street between 18th
and 14th street, and the pine and hickory
masts at the west end, navy yard. city hall.
lively, the whig and democratic parties.
And there was much more spirit in the
campaign, especially on the part of the
young. Taylor's popularity had given his
tary organizations, and when a whig club
was formed the name Rough and Ready
was adopted as a matter of course.
In Washington few doubted that his
popularity would elect the ticket, but the
local democracy were hopeful till the votes
were counted The telegraph and railroads
had almost superseded the mail coach and
pony express, and the facilities for OBJ
tanning news increased. This was the first
general election under the law of As, which
established the first Tuesday after the first
Monday in November as the time Interest
was felt here then, as now, in the vote of
Baltimore. and the wings were satisfied
when a reduction of the democratic vote
gave the state to them, and, as before,
New York and Pennsylvania were recog-
nized as the deciding states. When on the
18th, the great whig triumph was an
nounced, drum and fife made the old tune
| Tally, Wings resound in every neighbor-
| hood, while bonfires blazed and cannon
| belched forth salutes. Indeed, there was
every conceivable mode of rejoicing adopt
ed by which flame and noise could be
| raised or made.
| Then came the Pierce and King and Scott
and Graham campaign of 1882 the old
| timer went on to say, which was very
| bitter one and not devoid Of personalities.
| General Pierce had served under General
| Scott in Mexico, and when his name was
| presented by the democracy and it was
| said he was one of Scott's favorite officers
in Mexico some of the friends of the latter
| charged that in battle there he had tainted
| through fear. 1 believe this charge, which
| had as its foundation the stumbling of his
horse and unseating of the rider had much
| 70 do vxith tha ~ ha inka for