Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-08-04
POLITICAL PHRASES.
How Some of the Common Terms In
Use Originated.

How Some of the Common Terms In
Use Originated.
While many believe that Benjamin
Franklin was the author of the phrase
IAN AK to grind" and the writer of the
little story which was utilized TO show
its significance, there is good reason
to believe that the originator Of it was
Charles Miner and that it first appear
ed in one of Pennsylvania country
newspapers in the year 1911.
"Mending his fences originated in
1880, when John Sherman was can
didate for the Republican presidential
nomination. Shortly before the con-
vention Sherman dropped out Of the
senate's activities and went to his
farm in Ohio. He was followed by a
reporter who came upon the senator
while he, with his brother-in-law, was
renewing the wornout rails that in
closed his estate. The reporter asked
how Mr.. Sherman was employing his
time, and the brother-in-law, laugh
ing said: "Why, don't you see? He
is mending his fences"
Pipe laying" was term which for
many years signified fraud at the
polls. 1t delevoped during the New
York campaign in 1885. The Wings
were charged with trying to import a
large number of voters from Philadel-
phia, and to prove this allegation let
ters were introduced i'm which 1t was
sought to show that the illegal voters
were referred to as so many yards Of
pipe. This form was employed, it was
said, because the building Of the Gro
ton water pipes were then under way.
acquitted, yet the phrase was in COM
mon use for many years. Nowadays
it has given way to more specific
terms, such as repeating" ballot box
stuffing," etc. "Gerrymander," which
means to rearrange the boundaries Of
senatorial and legislative districts Of
a state to suit the needs Of the domi-
nant party, is sometimes quite puZzl-
ing to the person who tries to figure
out it's definition without consulting a
dictionary, In 1911, when Elbridge
Gerry was elected governor of Massa-
chusetts by the Democrats who also
got control of both houses of the leg
islature, it was thought advisable by
them to so redistrict the state that
their power would be permanent.
When the map of the state show
ing the new districts was shown to
Gilbert Stuart he remarked that 1t
looked like a salamander. "But it's
really a gerrymander," retorted wit.
"I acknowledge the corn" was orig
inally a political term, but it is now
adays found useful in many other cir
cles as a witty way Of making nee
essary retraction. During a congress
sional debate in 1928. Andrew Stuart
made the assertion that Ohio, Ken
lucky and Indiana sent their hay
stacks, cornfields and fodder to Phil
adelphia and to New York to be sold.
This statement was not literal enough
to suit Congressman Wickliffe, and he
rose to deny it, declaring that the
states sent "horses. mules. cattle and
hogs"
corn into the shape of hog and made
yes; you put thirty bushels of
it walk off to an eastern market" re-
torted Stewart. And then, seeing
what his adversary was driving at,
Mr.. Wickliffe, with a saving grace of
humor. covered his retreat by saying,
"Mr. Speaker. acknowledge the
corn"
ITO make up a slate" is believed to
have originated through an early Gus
tom of using a slate when a ticket
was being arranged, so that the
changes could be easily made in order
to arrive at a harmonious result
Philadelphia Press