"ACKNOWLEDGING THE CORN."

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 276, 29 September 1879, Page 3

"ACKNOWLEDGING THE CORN."

The following account is given of the origin of this Americanism:—The Hon. Andrew Stewart, member of Congress from Pennsylvania, claimed in a recent speech to have caused its first appearance in public, In 1828 he was in Congress discussing the principle of " protection," and said in the course of his remarks that Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky send their haystacks, cornfields, and fodder to New York and Philadelphia for sale. The Hon, Charles A. Wickliffe, from Kentucky, jumped up and said, " Why that is absurd. Mr Speaker, I call the gentleman to order; lie is stating an absurdity. We never send haystacks or cornfields to New York and Philadelphia." " Well," said Mr Stewart, "what do you send?" "Why, horses, mules, cattle, hogs," " Well, what makes your horses, mules, cattle, and hogs ? You feed a hundred dollars' worth of hay to a horse; you just animate and get upon the top of your haystack, and ride oil' to market. How is it with your cattle 1 You make one of them carry off fifty dollars' worth ot hay to the eastern market Mr Wickliffo, yon send a hog worth ten dollars to an eastern market; how much corn does it take at thirty-three cents per bushel to fatten it?" "Why, thirty bushels." "Then you put that thirty bushels of corn into the shape of a hog, and make it walk off to the eastern market," Mr Wickliffe jumped up and said, "Mr Speaker, I acknowledge the corn."