Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-09
HARD CIDER CAMPAIGN
ONE LONG REMEMBERED
Fight Between Democrats
and Wings.
THE MARYLAND MAss-NfEETING
More Than 20, 900 People Hear Prem
tiss, Wise and Gentry Discuss Is
sues Of Day-Oration Delivered by
Mississippi Congressman.
BY G. r. ALLEN.

Cured in 1897. The Wings laid 1t, and
its terrible effects. at the door of the
Democrats. led by Martin Van Buren,.
Tho Wings were the "outs" and tho
Democrats were the 'lns" at that time.
and then as now the "outs" accused
the "ins' Of everything bad that hap
pened. even tho destroying winds. the
killing frosts and terrible epidemics.
Be that as 1t may. however. the
Wings followed Henry Clay with all
the devotion that marked the conduct
OF a Mohammedan he knelt at the
shrine OF Mecca. The more outrageous
the accusation Clay made. the louder
and longer and more earnestly did the
Wings swear to 1t.
AS the year 1899 drew to close. po-
iitical feeling was "bilIn" hot. Winds
utterly to keep overcoats and muffiers
In use. There was lining up of
parties all over the land. Tho wings
were jubilant, the Democrats rather
silent and sullen. Whether the latter
knew Hell was now to be paid" OF,
no one seemed to know; but they real
lied hey had no pitch hot"
Such was the state Of politics that
prevailed all over the United States
when the sun rose on January 1, 184o
year long remembered as tho year
Of The Hard Cider Campaign"
The Wing leaders planned all sorts
OF methods to arouse the people and
enthuse them with a determination TO
dive. II need be, into the unf,thn-rc
depths OF the political ocean and drag
up the drowned democracy by it's hair.
and thus prove their superiority over
their adversaries
PLAN HOW TO HOLD OWN
IN COMING STRUGGLE
Tho Democrats planned and figured
and schemed. and then schemed and fr-
ured and planned again and again how
best they could hold their own in the
coming struggle. They packed their
knapsacks and filled their canteens
with. Well. Brother Cannon was un-
porn then. and our fathers did not
Know that mint 5uleps were pure p'isin.
The wings named General william
Henry Harrison for President and John
Tyler for Vice -Presldent-a pronounced
kangaroo ticket. for Its whole strength
was In Its hind legs. Harrison, how
ever. was sort of military hero with
few handsful OF raw soldiers. he
whipped few British at the battle OF
Tippecanoe. The Wings doomed over
this accident In Harriosn's life, and
he was elected over the Democratic
ticket. hands down. The decks were
cleared for action. the best speakers
were enlisted for service. and eiabo-
rate preparations were made for out
door meetings all over the country.
The Maryland Whig leaders held 4
consultation at Baltimore early after
the nomination Of Harrison and Tyler,
and determined to cap the climax
and bear off the honors so far as big
outdoor meetings and big speakers
were concerned.
HENRY A WISE. YOUNG
AND DASHING WING
Ia
young. talented and dashing Wing, a
member OF Congress from the Norfolk
District. and was recognized as a COM
Ing man of the Wing party. He mea-
sured up we'll as one Of the finest ora
tors in the whole country.
Meredith p. Gentry. OF Tennessee.
was also in Congress, and he, too, was
an able. talented and eloquent speak
er. so much so that he was called the
Eagle orator OF the volunteer State"
and Wing. red-hot and still a-heat-
ing for one Of his years.
Sergeant S. Prentiss, OF Mississippi,
was also in Congress. recognized as a
man OF power. and doomed up grandly
as great Wing leader. match for
any Democrat AS an eloquent orator
The Maryland Wing leaders chose
this trio Of orators to lead the as
sault on the serried phalanxes of the
national Democracy at tremendous
outdoor meeting and barbecue near
Annapolis on a day in August. and
such preparations were made for the
dinner as were never before seen or
heard OF In all the land. Unsolicited
cash subscriptions to help pay expenses
poured In from all the Atlantic States.
Messrs. Prentiss, Wise and Gentry
accepted the invitations sent them, and
the political pot began to boil.
Baltimore took the lead. and claim
IL hA A@se
sonal friends from Mississippi escorted
Mr.. Prentiss to Baltimore; friends of
bfr. Gentry followed suit. while a hun
dred or more Virginians made the
welkin ring" as they took Mr. Wise
to Baltimore. All Maryland was ablaze
with excitement as the day Of the
Wing jubilee approached.
A special car Of a score or more OF
coaches was chartered. three bands
Of music. and cannon were secured.
ready for the day.
The day was beautiful. with not a
cloud to mar the beauty OF the heavens,
and a gentle breeze from the ocean
kept the air in motion.
Here let me state that while General
farm, ten miles below Richmond dur
ing the latter part OF the war, tho
writer was in command of the Iron
Battery at Chaffn's Bluff and heard
General Wise tell that which is stated
below.
MAKES GOOD SPEECH BUT FAILS
TO AROUSE ENTHUSIASM
Mr.. Wise spoke for an hour, making
what he thought was a pretty good
speech, but he didn't arouse any en-
thusiasm worth mentioning.
Then Mr.. Gentry was introduced. He
was fairly well received, and made. as
bfr. Wise stated, one OF the best
speeches he ever heard, clean-cut. able,
eloquent. splendid; but for some rea-
son, 1t did not arouse the splendid
audiences to any considerable enthu-
siasm. All seemed to be waiting for
something.
Dinner was announced. and notice
given that at 2:30 o'clock Mr.. Prentiss.
of Mississippi, would address the au-
dience. a cordial invitation was given
to all to partake OF Maryland's hos
pitality.
All went to the table. loaded down
with every imaginable good thing to
eat Thousands got half lunch and
went back to tho Speakers stand to
eat 1t, so afraid were they that they