The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1912-06-12

dent, 1.-The heartless ar1stocrat WIN
q silver tea service" was the demo-
cratic nominee. The noise of the
ensuing campaign, the parade and
political Publications, the wild en-
! thusiasm for
THE iron-arm'd soldier, the true
hearted soldier,
The gallant old soldier of Tippe-
canoe"
had no parallel in the previous his
tory of political contests. Harrison
had always plumed himself on his
simplicity. After his soldering days
were over he went placidly back to
the farm. Politically it was wise
move. The fact that he was born in
a log cabin, loved hard cider above
! all beverages and could reduce a
plow to submission, in addition to
having fought the Indians and Brit
ish to standstill, was held to 1ndl-
cate that he had perfect right
the presidency, if he were not actu-
ally foreordained to it.
The result of his nomination was
such a lot Of eating, drinking, song
singing, parading and general polll-
flying as had never before been i'm
agined. Log cabins, coon skins,
hard cider barrels and campaign
songs began to make their appear
ance. A great national ratification
convention of young wings was held
at Baltimore. According to one per-
fervid orator of the great day, 'EV-
cry mountain sent it's rill, every val
ley it's stream, and 10! the avalanche
of the people is here" 1t was the
epitome of a great nation. "A
thousand banners FURNISHED by the
sun, floating in the breeze, 10000
handkerchiefs waved by the fair
daughters of the city, gave seeming
life and motion to the very air"
The Last of the Guards.
But a previous demonstration at
Columbus had surpassed this mon
ster meeting. Such a gathering OF
the clans has never been seen in the
Ohio capital, before or since. Host
after host trooped in, on foot and
on horseback, in carriages and by
the raging canaul." Great process
sions from all points of the compass,
with log cabins and canoes. on
wheels, constantly augmented the
crowds gravitating toward common
center. In the wake of the Ohio
troops rode an added attraction in
the person of 80-year-old Louis
Browyer, described 1amboyantly on
the banner he carried as The Last
of the Life Guards of Gen. Washing
ton" The veteran of the revolution
aroused the great throng to wild
pitch of patriotic ardor.
For hundreds of miles along the
Mississippi excursion boats, canoes
and fatboats and every conveiable
description of water travelling con-
veyances were gorged throughout
that summer with WING sympathiz-
ers, who flung all restraint to the
winds in their enthusiastic devotion
to "OId Tip" Hard cider, of course,
was always in evidence The people
of that time loved it. By necessity,
as well as by choice, it had become
one of the most popular tipples of
the masses, and it was self-evident
that a man who preferred it above
all other beverages must be para
gon of virtue. There were giants
in those days. They had stout stom-
achs and stout heads. 1t is safe to
say that a majority of the voters of
1912 would hesitate at the cheerful
practice of 1910 of drinking hard CT
der by the gourdful, and electing
candidates on their capacity for i'm
bibing the juice of the apple.
However, these waves of enthusi
asm which occasionally sweep over
the nation can never be explained
wholly by the material developments
of a campaign, nor even by the per-
sonality of candidate. At bottom
there is deep-rooted resentment, at
some cankering sore on the body pol
itic, and the long-delayed hour of
explosion finds the popular standard
bearer. The whig onslaught in 1910
was famous victory" but it had
its sad sequel in the death of Pres
l.