Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-11-22
ORIGIN OF POLITICAL SLANG.
"copperheads," Nephews of His Un-
cIe.n Carperbaaqers," and Others.

cIe," carperbassers," and Others.
Major Ben c. Truman, who was pri-
vate secretary to President Johnson
during the latter's occupancy OF the
White House, was afforded many op-
portunities for observation Of politi-
cal doings in those stirring times, and
thus speaks with authority on the
origin of many expressions still IN use
| in current political life. Major Tru-
man declares that while many Of the
slang expressions used in the United
States are called "Americanisms.
| most of the latter have been De-
uueathed us from early English liter
ature, and away down that line from
Shakespeare to Dickens; and some OF
our most common applications nave
been adapted from the Bible ltseh.
Put an exception may be made re-
garding our political slang, nearly All
of which is strictly original; ana lew
or none Of our presidential campaigns
have been carried through Wlthou.
the production of some new political
slang terms of more or less effective
ness. Indeed, to go back only few
presidential terms, no future treasure
house of Americana English words Will
be complete without the "mugwump
of 1884. It seemed eXpressionless ana
far-fetched, as first applied-by some
one never strictly traceable-to those
Republican goody-goodys who broke
away from Blaine and helped elect
Cleveland, and no satisfactory conclu-
sion was ever arrived at concerning
it's prosody or etymology.
In 1884. the nickname of loco
focos" was given to the adherents or
the Democratic party throughout the
United States, who followed the course
of a majority of the members OF Tam
many Hall, who, when the lights were
turned out on them during tumul-
tuous meeting, kept right on with their
proceedings by chickering's from loco
foco matches until candles were pro-
cured. About the same time the mem
bers of the more radical wing or the
New York Democracy received the de-
risive name of barn burners" class
ing them with a lot of lawless incen-
diaries. who for many months vented
their spite on the owners Of large
grain and corn lands in the Mohawk
and Oswego valleys by burning their
barns.
Along in the forties came the terms
"abolitionists" and 'freesoilers," as
applied to the growing anti-slavery
element in the north; and about the
same time the nickname Of dough,
faces" as applied to pro-slavery men
of both parties in the north, and that
of "fire-eaters," applicable to extreme
pro- slavery orators and newspaper
editors of the south. Regarding the
term "doughfaces" there has always
been some difference Of opinion as to
| it's photography and meaning. but
Hon. George Bradburn once said in
political speech that John Randolph,
in referring to these northern dema-
gogues, from his seat in congress,
branded them as 'doe-faces' Ran
dolph spelled the word d-o-e-face in
allusion to the timid, startled look of
that animal, which is said to shrink
from the reflection of its own face in
the water.
During the Civil War the pro-slav-
cry Democrats and other rebel SYM
pathizers in the north were termed
"copperheads," after one Of the mean
est and most venomous Of snakes 1t
was Mr.. Lincoln who said that mot
all Democrats were copperheads, but
all copperheadS were Democrats.
Immediately after the war, those Re-
publicans who went south and were
elected to office were called carpet
baggers," and all natives who affiliated
with Republicans were derided by the
southern people generally as SCALA
wags"
Probably more political slang grew
out of the campaign of 1870 than of
the "barl of money" "bulldozing,"
visiting statesmen" "solid SOUTH"
"stalwarts," shotgun policy" nine
teen rebel brigadiers," counting out"
returning boards" nephew Of his
uncle" and some others belong to that
momentous year.
A few years afterward Congressman
Flanagan Of Texas, contributed to our
political Americanisms What are we
here for?" and Cobb of Georgia, ask
ed Where am 1 at?" But Senator
Quay Of Pennsylvania, added phrase
to political literature that will reach
good old age when he wrote to
friend: You do your part and I will
shake the plum tree"
1t was in 1876 that we first heard
of the dark horse" Mr.. Hayes hav-
ing been trotted out as that equine in
dividual. There have been many at
tempts 10 hunt up the pedigree of the
dark horse in politics, and the follow
ing has been generally the most salts
flying: A few years "befo' do wah"
there lived in Tennessee a trading
jockey who had a coal black stallion,
this horse in a country race meeting
where he was not known and where
the natives heavily backed two or
three favorites against him. Old judge
McMinamee, the turf oracle Of that
part of the state, was one OF the
| judges of the meeting, and when he
was told how the stranger was fool
ishly betting on his horse, he looked
at the stallion and said: Gentlemen,
there's a dark horse in this race that
will make some of you suffer before
supper
That imaginary stream called salt
River" up which defeated candidates
are supposed to be rowed, is one of
the most felicitous Of all our political
IAmericanisms." although its author
ship is unknown. The term caucus"
was first used in 1928. Elbridge Ger
ry, a Democratic Massachusetts poll
tician of the latter part of the eigh-
teenth and the early part of the nine
teenth century, was accused OF having
instigated the first division Of states
regard to the natural order ard condi-
tons in order that his party might
succeed; thus, "gerrymander."
Probably the greatest excitement,
next to the Civil war, our country has
ever known, was that in 1S55-6-7,
between the abolitiOnists Of the north
and the shareholders of the south, for
the possession Of Kansas, then opening
to the advance of immigration, and
out of which the terms bleeding
Kansas" Border RuffianS' and
"Squatter Sovereignty" are undoubt-
edly defined in all text and phrase
| books.
The word Boss" was first applied
| by Henry ]. Raymond in the New
York Times in 1856 to Isaiah Ryn-
ders, who was at the head of the Dem
ocratic marching clubs of that year.
The word is derived from the Dutch
settlers who first coloniZed New Am
sterdan. Baas in the Dutch langu-
age signifies a master or the foreman
of a workshop.
Regarding the word machine" as
derisively applied to politics in vari-
Gus parts of the United States during
the past so years, it has been gener-
ally believed that it originated in New
York, where, up to 1860, the fire en-
gines were called machines, the fire
men were volunteers and all of them
politicians of some degree But the
application was borrowed from the