Bill Robinson, PublisherAbout This Time In Any Presidential Political Year The National Pundits Run Out Of Things To Say About The Candidates For Office. They Revert To The Tried And True Castigation Of “negative” Advertising.

About this time in any presidential political year the national pundits run out of things to say about the candidates for office. They revert to the tried and true castigation of “negative” advertising.

Somewhere in the railing about comparative ads, some commentator will say, “This is the ‘dirtiest’ campaign on record.” Not even close!

Earlier in our nation’s history, politicians literally worked in a “free fire” zone. There was no subject, no charge or no insult that was off limits.

One of my favorite examples was the campaign for President in 1796. Federalist John Adams was running against Democratic Republican candidate Thomas Jefferson. There was no incumbent President because George Washington had decided not to seek another term.

This particular election was a stem-winder. It started off with the Federalists distributing a pamphlet that charged Jefferson with being a dangerous radical. They also said he cheated his creditors and was a coward when facing British troops during the Revolutionary War.

Not to be outdone, the Jefferson supporters fought back. They started a rumor that Adams planned to marry one of his sons to the daughter of King George III of England to start a new American monarchy with Adams as King.

In the final days of the 1796 campaign, it looked as if Jefferson might win the Presidency. Adams supporters pulled out the final stops and started a rumor that Jefferson had just died.

Though history failed to record the popular vote, Adams went on to be the second President of the United States. He won the Electoral College with a narrow 71 to 68 margin over Jefferson.

History is littered with “dirty” campaigns in our history. In a race for Congress in 1828, John Randolph, a powerful member of the House said this about his opponent. “He is a man of splendid abilities, but utterly corrupt. Like a rotten mackerel by moonlight, he shines and stinks.”

In the Presidential campaign of 1884, Grover Cleveland was accused of fathering a child out of wedlock. His opponents would organize hecklers to populate crowds at his campaign rallies.

The hecklers would shout, “Ma, Ma, where’s my Pa?”

Eventually, the Cleveland supporters would shout back, “Gone to Washington!”

Mudslinging campaigns have not been confined to this country. In 19 ^th century England, the Fourth Earl of Sandwich, John Montague, was running for Parliament. In one of the campaign debates he predicted that his opponent, John Wilkes, “would either die on the gallows or of a loathsome disease.”

Wilkes quickly shot back, “That depends, my lord, on whether I embrace your politics or your mistress!”

The tradition of the political putdown is even older than American politics. In ancient Greece, the philosopher Aristophanes was asked what he thought of a young man that was seeking political office.

He replied, “He has all the characteristics of a popular politician: a horrible voice, bad breeding and a vulgar manner.”

As we roll into the November election, remember, “dirty” politics has a long and sordid history. Even with today’s electronic enhancements, campaigns today cannot hold a candle to what has gone on in the past.

(Jim Hudson, Ochitree Observer)

School has started and this is the perfect time for one of my favorite stories.

A REAL COLLEGE EDUCATION

It started at The Ohio State University one April day: A bunch of students (between 80 and 150) illegally occupied a building to protest some kind of grievance.

But it ended with the students getting a lesson they’d apparently never been taught before.

Instead of coddling the occupiers outside the president’s office, Vice President Jay Kasey showed up with a message from the president: He wouldn’t receive a list of their demands, he wouldn’t negotiate with them, and if the students didn’t clear out that evening, they’d be arrested and “discharged from school.”

A stunned student asked: “Discharged, as in . . .?” Kasey’s one word reply: “Expelled.”

It worked: The students took off that evening. Which brings us back to that lesson we mentioned: Actions have consequences.

Now that’s a real education—one more schools need to teach.

It’s time to take a “memory lane” test . . .

There was a time when the pleasure of tobacco seemed to outweigh the danger. In this quiz, match each of these clues with the tobacco brand in the list that follows. Answers at the end of column.

1. They satisfy . . .

2. I’d walk a mile for one of these.

3. A treat instead of a Treatment

4. Call for !

5. Favorite chewing tobacco; its trademark was an Indian on the packet.

6. _____ _____ Means Fine Tobacco (LS/ MFT).

7. Pleasure occurs when placed between lower teeth and lips.

8. Cork-tipped and plain cigarettes; also in pound cans.

9. An excellent pipe filler; to tobacco is “royalty.” Also found in small pocket tins and in pound cans.

10. Roll your own as a cowboy does. Supply your own cigarette paper.

11. On barns across the scenic farms of America, this mainstay brand of chewing tobacco survived.

12. Cigars. Two for 5 cents. (During World War II, two for 6 cents.)

Choices:

A. Lucky Strike

B. Camel

C. Chesterfield

D. Phillip Morris

E. Old Gold

F. Mail Pouch

G. Copenhagen

H. Bull Durham

I. Sir Walter Raleigh

J. Prince Albert

K. Red Man

L. King Edward

And last of all, my favorite story of the week . . .

As the hostess at the casino buffet showed me to my table, I asked her to keep an eye out for my husband, who would be joining me momentarily. I started to describe him: “He has gray hair, wears glasses, has a potbelly . . .”

She stopped me there. “Honey,” she said, “today is senior day. They all look like that.”

ANSWERS

1—C 4 — D 7—G 10—H

2—B 5—K 8—I 11—F

3—E 6—A 9—J