The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-06-04
In [

tEgkt unique distinction of repre-
E~ senting the only congress
n ~ sional district in the United
tg6. al States with a nickname. No
wv where but in the official
records at Washington is
Mr.. Elliott's district referred to as the
Sixth district" All over Indiana
among the political leaders of the
Middle West, and among congressman
at Washington, Elliott's district is in
variably spoken of as The Old Burnt
District"
When asked how the district hap
pened to get such an odd name, Con-
gresham Elliott replied:
The name may have originated
from two causes. First, in one of the
early campaigns of the district, prior
to the Civil War, political parades
were very much in vogue and the
marchers wore plug hats of a type
emblematical Of their party faith.
After the election the winning party
held big jollifcation meeting in one
Of the cities of the district, at which
one of the things Of interest was a
huge bonfire. Some of the people be-
coming over-enthusiastic, began to
throw the other fellows hats into the
fire and the result was that they burnt
up all the plug hats.
Always Republican.
Another reason was that during
some national political campaign in
the early days, after the elections the
owing to the fact that transportation
facilities were very poor in those days.
The parties who were canvassing the
vote were in Philadelphia and one day
one party would De ahead in the re-
turns and the next day the other and
one day they were very close. Forest
fires had been raging out in Indiana
and the returns had not yet come in
and somebody said: Wait till you hear
from the Old Burnt District
These two stories have both been
given as the source from which the
name of the Old Burnt District
originated.
The district has always been Re
publican in politics, with the excep-
ton of six years in which the Repub-
lican party split up into two camps
the Bull Moosers and the standpatters
ALLOWING the Democrats to win three
times"
The Old Burnt District" continued
Mr.. Elliott. has won an enviable repu-
tation for the eminent men it has pro-
duced in the fields of politics, litera-
ture and science.
The district has had four United
States senators - James Noble, OF
Brooksville; Oliver H. Smith, of Con-
nersville; Oliver P. Morton, of Center
vile, and James E. Watson, the pres
ent senator, from Rushville
probably the most famous states
man that the district ever produced
was Oliver P. Morton who was the
war governor of Indiana, personal
friend of Abraham Lincoln, and who
after Democratic legislation had re
fused to make appropriations TO carry
on state business, went out and Dor
rowed the money on his own credit
carried on the business of the state
and made the state one of the solidest
supporters of the Union cause of
Abraham Lincoln, the martyred presi-
dent. After his term as governor, he
was elected to the United States SEN
ate, where he served with distinction,
! being known as one of the very ablest
senators of his time. His bust stands
in the Hall of Fame in the United
States capitol.
Caleb Smith.
honorable Caleb b. Smith, after be-
ing member of congress from the
district, was appointed by Abraham
Lincoln IS secretary Of the interior in
| his first cabinet His home was at
Connersville. Indiana. He served with
distinction during the war and his
picture hangs in the corridor Of the
house of representatives in the famous
picture of President Lincoln and his
cabinet, signing the Emancipation
Proclamation.
James n. Huston. Of Connersville
! served one term as United States
| treasurer. Hon. John K Gowdy, OF
Rushville, served for eight years as
! consul general at Paris Addison C
Harris, who was born in the district
served as United States minister to
| Austria.
| Among the literary men who first
saw the light Of day in the Old Burnt
District were James Whitcomb Riley
Americas beloved poet, born at Green
| field, the son Of Reuben Riley. a local
| attorney.
General Lew Wallace, the author