“MUGWUMPS” AND “HEELERS.”

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 22, Issue 67, 29 August 1911, Page 2

“MUGWUMPS” AND “HEELERS.”

ABOUT THE CURIOUS TERMS USED IN THE RECENT: AMERICAN ELECTIONS.

American politics possess- a language of their own, the meaning of which it is difficult for anyone living outside the United States to grasp.

Take, for example, the following sentence : “The machine made a slate, but the mugwumps broke it.” This only becomes understandable) when it is explained that the “ machine” is the party organisation, that a “slate” is the official list of the candidates whom the party men are expected to vote for, and that by the term “mugwump” is meant an independent voter, one of the class we here dub “silent voters;” or, in other words, a man who thinks for himself, and whose vote, consequently, cannot he absolutely relied upon by any political party.

Some of the commoner American political terms are familiar by sight to most Englishmen, and yet it would puzzle nine out of ten- people to say off-hand! just what meaning attaches to them. For'instance, there are '“Tammany” and “boss,” two words that are frequently used together, CHIEF OF THE DELAWARE INDIANS. ‘Tammany was a famous chief of the Delaware Indians, and an early political club called itself after him. Then the club members built a meeting place, and christened it, quite naturally, Tammany Hall. This became the headquarters, first of the Democratic party in New York, and, secondly, of a ring of “boodlers ” and “grafters,” i.e., municipal robbers and''swindlers, who, under the leadership of a certain Boss Tweed, plundered the city treasury of millions of dollars.

To-day the word "Tammany” is applied to the Democratic party leaders and their organisation, only the leaders arc not called leaders, but “bosses.” This word is derived from the Dutch " baas,” meaning master. The whole of the United States is divided up for political purposes amongst the "bosses,” for each '"boss,” it must be understood, has his own territoty. The "boss” rules his district absolutely. All the voters belonging to his party are expected to vote as he tells them. If they do not they are “bulldozed,” that is to say, terrified into doing so.

His "heelers” and his "henchmen” are the chosen instruments for this purpose of the political "boss.” They are loafers who frequent the local "pubs,” ready to do any kind of dirty political work, and differ not much from one another, except that the "henchman” is supposed to be slightly superior in social status to the '“heeler,”

"SWALLOW-TAILS” AND "SHORTHAIRS.”

"Bosses,” too, It should be mentioned, differ greatly from one another in their relative importance. The chief “boss” of a big State, or important town, is called a "swal-low-tail,” and the lowest-class "boss” of all is known as a "shorthair.” It is the big "bosses” who organise the shady tricks that in America win or lose elections. "Pipe-laying” is one of these. This means to secretly bring in a number of voters from one State or city into another and owes its origin to the fact that when the great Croton Aqueduct was being built in New York, thousands of American-Irish labourers were brought into that city from Philadelphia, nominally to lay the pipes, but in reality to vote for the Democratic candidate, and so swamp the resident voters.

Importc 1 voters of this kind were accommodated in "wigwams,” an Indian term for a lodge or tent. Hence by "wigwams” is now meant any land of makeshift wooden building, erected at election times tor party purposes. "Gerrymandering” is an American political word. It means, of course, to divide up an electoral district in such a manner as to in-s-.ro that th.j rea* views of the electors shall not lie represented at tae polls, and it m derived from one Elbridge Gerry, a former Governor of the State of Massachusetts, who invented the scheme.

Thus, supposing you have 900 voters in sect! n A, aU Democrats, and 900 voters in section 3, only 300 of whom are Democrats, thus giving a balance ag*in&- the Democrats, "gerrymandering” is to reform sections A and B so that there shall he 500 voters in section a, all Democrats, and 1,300 voters in section B, of whom the majority, 700, are Democrats.