Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-05
se3-d&ds
A GREAT CONTEST RECALLED.
"reminiscences of Harrison's Loe
Cabin Campaign.


Cabin Campaign.
From the Toledo Blade.
At the annual meeting of the Ohio Bar
Association. held at Hotel Victory. Put-fn-
Bay. recently, one of the most interesting
personalities was H. c. Gray of Paines-
Vile, Lake county. He is the only suryiv-
ing one of the 40 members of the Ohio con-
stItutional convention of 1851, which body
prepared the present organic law of the
state.
MT. Gray is eighty-six years old, but still
male and hearty. Mr.. Gray was editor of
the gainesville Telegraph from 1s45 to 1886,
editor of the Advertiser from 1860 to 1862,
and again at the head of the Telegraph
from 1862 to 1865. Born in 1916 he entered
poiitical life in the campaign of 1910, being
a delegate to the whig state convention Of
that year which nominated Thomas Corwin
Tor governor. The convention was a not
able one, for said Mr.. Gray ..beeinnins
soon after the nomination of Harrison and
Iyler at Harrisburg In the preceding De-
cember, the popular enthusiasm had rap
idly increased.
Some eastern democratic newspaper.
commenting on the pioneer habits of the
west, advised that Harrison be given a log
cabin and plenty of hard cider to drink, i'm
plying that that condition of life was more
pehttlns for him than the White House 1t
was al unfortunate Sneer Tor the demo-
Gratis. for it supplied the spark that only
was needed to kindle popular sympathy into
a blaze. The wings famed the flame and
Harrison became the log cabin candidate
Inc log cabin became the emblem of his
pioneer life. of his military services. of his
kindred feelings with the farmers of his
unrequlted toll for his country A log cabin
sprung up in every city and village, a club
mouse and rallying place for wings. Log
cabin raising and house warnings were
held, with music and political speeches
Log cabin medals were struck and
passed from hand to hand. Miniature log
cabins were carried in professions and dis
played on platforms. Log cabin pictures
were hung in the bar rooms and parlors
Log cabin song books found ready sale
Ladies made log cabin fancy work for fairs
and children had little log cabins Of wood,
tin and confectionery. Horace Greeley pub
llshed In New York a paper he named Log
Cabin, and 1t had tremendous circulation
For Horace 1t was the stepping stone to
fame and fortune for 1t opened the way
for its successor, the Tribune.
All the appliances and appurtenances of
the log cabin came into favor. There was
barrel Of hard cider. to stand by the door;
there was the coon skin, to be nailed by its
side: there was the latch string, to admit
the welcome guest; and 1t was remembered
that Gen. Harrison told his old soldiers they
wiuld never find his door shut or the latch
string pulled in. There was the rye and
Indian bread and there were the strings of
dried apples and pumpkins and of corn and
peppers hanging from the roof; and there
was the broom at the door, typical of the
purpose Of the wings to make a clean
sweep. Nothing was wanted to point the
contrast between the poor mans friend
and the rich mans candidate as Van
Buren,. the democratic nominee, was
dubbed.
During the campaign the wings. taking
lesson from their crushing defeat by the
hero of New Orleans, proceeded to hoist
flags, fire salutes and proclaim panegyrics
on the hero Of the Thames the defender
of Fort Meigs,' the victor of Tippecanoe.'
The irrepressibe enthusiasm had now burst
out In song-campaign songs, campaign
songsters. glee clubs and Harrisons min
strels were now in vogue. Popular airs and
national anthems were pressed into service:
English and Scotch ballads and negro melo-
dies were adapted to new words.
Eloquent speakers on the whig side were
called into reQuisition to address large au-
diences+Webster. Clay, Crittenden, Stanley.
Talmadge, Preston, Corwin and hundreds
of others. 1t was in vain that the Van Blu
rem men tried to stem this current. They
called Harrison an old granny. and styled
the wings 'coons and cider suckers but
all with no avail"