The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-04-20
Many Phrases Used in PoIiti-
clans Vocabulary Have
Quaint Origin.
WHERE THEY HARK FROM.
PHRASES WHICH TODAY ARE
USED ON EVERY HAND START
ED BY CHANCE REMARKS OF
POLITICIANS MANY YEARS AGO.

monplace phrase, and particularly
meaty with anecdote we find our po-
litical slang if only we take the
trouble to crack it open.
The familiar expression, An ak TO
grind" frequently attributed to Ben
iamin Franklin, originated with Char
les Miner, who Introduced the follow.
ing tale of woe in short, pithy essay
published in a country newspaper OF
Pennsylvania during the Year 1871. A
little boy is asked by man with an
AK and All engaging smile if his father
has grindstone. and the family being
in proud possession of that implement
OF welfare, the youngster leads the
way into the back yard.
What a fine little fellow YOU are,'
eXclaimS the Stranger-quite casually
as though scarcely conscious of speak
ing aloud. OF course, the boy be-
comes at once his most obedient ser
want, and by more we'll directed
praise, brings water to Whet the wheel
and herOically turns the grindStOne
until his small hands sting with bis
tiers. But the moment the av is
ground the owner calls his little fetch
and carry slave rascal" and brushes
his new born manly pride by bidding
him hurry to school, says the Los An
geles Times.
The wire pulling referred to in the
political vernacular as intending his
fences" harks back to John Sherman
ambition for presidential hOnOrS.
Shortly before the meeting of the re-
publican national convention in 1850
Sherman slipped away from the sen
ate to his Ohio farm, where, presum-
ably, he was engaged in quietly turth-
ering his desired ends. ThitheI he
was pursued by a reporter, who sud
denly bObbed up through Il trap-dOOr
one day when Sherman and his broth
erin-law were putting some new 2ailS
on WORKOUT fences. The brOthCr-in-
law, cornered by direct questions as
TO what Sherman was doing now, jOcu
larly replied: Why, you can see for
yourself, he's mending his fences"
In the battling complication of mod
ern life the awkward position of be
ing ION the fence" has become a
household experience, but in its begin
ming the phrase was a political sar-
casm referred to men who took no ac-
ton in matters until they saw watch
way things were going.
"A kind o hangin' round an settin
on the fence till Providence pointed
how to jump an save the most"
"Pipelaying." with its honest sug-
gestiveness of a mans work in the
sweat of his brow. in plain American
English stands for procuring votes by
fraud. and refers to a political scan
dial of 1885. The leaders of the Wing
party in New York were accused of a
plan to bring over a large number of
voters from Philadelphia, and, honor
among thieves falling below power,
one of the supposed conspiratO rs gave
away the whole proposition, producing
letters in evidence in which the num-
Der of voters hired was spoken of as
so many yards of pipe, the laying Of
pipe for the CrotOn water being at
that moment a leading New York ac-
tivity. The Wing leaders indicted
We're subsequently acquitted by the
jury, who decided that the accuscr
and the letters alike were fraudulent
but "pipelaying" schemes had come to
stay
Il acknowledge the corn" meaning
81 give in. Il retract," was flash
of humor lighting up serious discus
sion in congress during the early year
of 1928. Andrew Stewart, Inducing
in oratoriCal license, made the pictur-
esque statement that Ohio. Kentucky
and Indiana sent their haystacks. corn
fields and fodder TO New York and
Philadelphia for sale But Wickliffe.
"a strict constructiOnist in words. refut-
ed the charge.
What do you send, them" asked
Stewart with a shrus in his voice.
Horses, mules, cattle, hogs" was
the reply.
You feed 500 worth of hay to
horse" retorted Stewart and we can
fancy the triumphant Slyness of the
twinkle in his eye, and thirty bush
els Of corn to fatten a hog. You sim
ply put that thirty bushels into the
shape of hog and make it walk off to
the Eastern market"
Nickliffe, and in an instant he was on
his feet.
Mr.. Speaker" he cried, Il acknow-
ledge the corn"
Not much of shower is the poIiti-
cal turn OF the sour grape fable of our
nursery days. and is often thrust into
the teeth of an opponent who pretends
TO make light of grave defeat.
While Noah was building his ark a
neighbor daily peered at his labor, but
when the rains descended to the I'M
comfortable degree that the scufter
had to wade with water up to mis- chon
he approached the ark and begged to
be taken abroad. Noah was obdurate
in refusal-the geological crowd on
board sufficient excuse, perhaps, for
turning the cold shoulder-and the
drowning man waded off in huff. /
calling back: Il don't believe there's /
going TO be much of a shower any
way"
The rather anarchistic slogan of !
waving the bloody shirt" the repre- /
hensible attempt to inflame sectional
passion long after the civil war end |