Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-05-30
ORIGIN OF SOME TERMS.
Where They Started and Why They
Were Given Currency as Phrases.

While many believe that Benjamin
Franklin was the author of the phrase
AN ak to Grind and the writer Of the
little story which was utilized 10 snow
its significance, there is good reason
to believe that the originator Of it was
Charles Miner and that it first ap-
peared in one of this States country
newspapers in the year 1911.
"Mendng his fences" originated In
1880, when John Sherman was can
didate for the Republican Presidential
nomination. Shortly before the con-
vertion Sherman dropped out of the
Senate's activities and went to ms
farm in Ohio. He was followed by a
reporter, who came upon the Senator
while he and his brother-in-law, was
renewing the WORKOUT rails that in
closed his estate The reporter asked
how Mr.. sherman was employing his
time and the brother-in-law, laughing
said: "Why, don't you see. He's
mending his fences
Pipe laying" was term which for
many years signitied fraud at the poll.
1t developed during the New York
campaign in 1885. The Wigs were
charged with trying to import a large
number of voters from this city and to
prove this allegation letters were III
troduccd in which it was sought to
show that the illegal voters We're re-
fcrred to as so many yards of pipe.
This form was employed, it was said,
because the building of the Croton wa
ter pipes was tnen under way. While
men were indicted they were acquitted
l,,. in, ff,
MANY years
Nowadays it has given away to more
specific terms, such as repeating pal
lot-boX Stuiiing," etc. "Gerrymander,'
which means to rcarranSc the bounda-
rics of Senatorial and Legislative dis
trictS of q State to suit the needs of
the dominant party, is sometimes quite
pulling to the person who tries to
figure out its definition without con-
Sulting dictionary. In 1911, while
lIlgridgc Gerry was elected Governor
of Massachusetts by the Democrats,
who also got control of both houses OF
the Legislature, it was thought adVis;l
bic by them To so rcdStrict the State
that their power would be permanent
When the map of the State showing
the new district was shown 20 Gilbert
Stuart he remarked that it looked like
Il Salamandcr. But it's really ger
rymander," retortcd wit.
Il acknowledged the corn" was origi-
nally a political term, but it is nova
days found useful in many other cir
Clc& as 2 witty way OF making 4 neceS-
sary retraction. During Il Congress
sional debate in 1928 Andrew Stewart
made the assertion that Ohio, Ken
lucky and Indiana sent their hay
stacks, cornficlds and fodder to this
city and to New York to be sold. This
statement was not literal enough to
suit Congressman Wicklffe and he
rose to deny it, declaring that the
States sent ''horScS, mules, cattle and
hogs
YES. YOU put thirty bushels Of corn
into tho shape Of Il hog and make it
walk OF to an Eastern market" re
tortcd Stewart. And then, seeing
what his adversary WAS driving at Mr..
Wicl,liftc, with 4 saving grace of hui
NOR, covered his retreat by saying:
NE Speaker, acknowledge the
cora
''FTo mako IN Il slate" is believed to
have originated through an early GUS
tom of using Il slate when a ticket was
beng arranged. So that the changes
could he easily made in order to arrive
at Il harmonious Notwithstanding
Press.