Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-01-16
Early Democratic Clubs
By John CIoeett Proctor

By John CIoeett Proctor
i The people OF the District of Co.
lumbia have had no vote in the
national elections since 1900, when
they were still operating under the
laws of Maryland. They were able
that year to vote for Thomas JET
ferson, Aaron Burr, or one Of the
other candidates. We are told this
election was held in Suffers Tavern
In Georgetown, in a one-story frame
that stood on High street, between
Bridge and Water streets, and a
little east OF the Canal Bridge"
So far as the writer knows, there
were no political organizations in
Washington or Georgetown at that
time and the Jackson Democratic
Association, formed in 1928, later
became the Jackson Central Com
mittee. 1t was through the efforts
of this club that John p. Van Ness,
John H. Brent and Henry M. Nor
fit were elected delegates from this
city to the. first convention of the
Democratic Party. held In Balti-
more in 1882, when Martin Van
Buren, was nominated for Vice
President on the ticket with Andrew
Jackson. This was a voting dele
CATION, q privilege not accorded the
District again until years later.
incidentally, Thomas Jefferson is
credited with having founded the
Democratic Party. Its original name
was the Republican Party, the date
of its birth being given as May Is,
1892.
/ There seems to have been more
pep" in the presidential elections
IN the early days than there has
been in more recent years. At least,
it appears so to the oldtimers who.
many years ago, were just boys
romping over the commons where
now are tall buildings, and fishing in
streams now turned into sewers.
Jibes in Song
The campaign songs were then
known and sung by many OF the
boys, each OF whom, of course, had
a favorite and was willing to fight
for him. He could also say some
nasty things about the other fell
lows candidate, and this sometimes
resulted in q black eye or maybe
something worse. One Of the digs"
the Republican boys would cry out
to the Democratic boys during the
campaign OF 1872, which brought
out Gen. Grant and Horace Greeley
as the respective candidates, went
something like this:
Grant is a gentleman, Greeley
is fool,
Grant rides a white horse,
Greeley rides mule"
To which the Democratic boys
would retort:
"You Republican brats, take of
your hats
And bow to the honorable
Democrats"
And then the war was on.
During the Hayes-and-Wheeler,
Tilden and Hendricks campaign
the writer recalls q Republican song
the words of which ran like this, and
sung to the tune Of Hold the Fort
for Am Coming:
"Tilden, the New York re-
former, stands with all his
paws,
Tellin' bout Boss Tweed and
railroads and about canals
Loyal men through the Nation.
strike for liberty,
For now the names OF Hayes
and Wheeler shall our
watchword be-"
Even at that. the consensus seems
to be that Tilden was actually
elected President. though his OPP
ponent was seated, as we all know.
Many Clubs Organized
1t was customary until Lincolns
time for the candidates to engage
in Joint debates, and on August 2,
ls45, we find the Central Rough and
Ready Club of Washington accept
ing the proposition Of the Jackson
Democratic Association for pollt-
ical discussion. Richard Wallach,
John T. Towers and Joshua Hen
shaw were selected as a committee
on behalf of the Rough and Readys
to make the arrangements. The
representatives of the Jackson AS
ISOLATION are not given.
In the District of Columbia, from
an early day, there have been
number of Democratic clubs, includ-
ing the Central Hickory Club, and
in more recent years the Columbia
Democratic Club, headed for long
while by Capt. John S. Miller, now
deceased. 1t was organized in 1880.
The Jefferson Democratic Asso-
citation also was organized in 1880,
with Louis Emner as president. Then
came the Young Mems Democratic
Club in 1884, with j. Fred Kelley as
it's first and last president, and
James l.. Skidmore, vice president.
The District of Columbia Demo-
cratic Association, organized in 1896,
was q lusty affair. Edwin A. New
man started of as president, Robert
E. Mattingly, vice president; Jesse
L. Heiskell, secretary, and William
NICK. Clayton, treasurer. The last
named informed the writer that this
Those Were the