Democratic Sentinel, Volume 22, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 August 1898 — A Bit of History. [ARTICLE]

A Bit of History.

The terra, “ra'iddle of the road” Populists, had its* origin in Williamson Oounty, 'fespas. The year 1802 was the first ths populists, or party, as It v/as thep ppljed, became a fat tor in TCxafi politics. In that year William Phaw, pf Qpprgetqwn, conceived the notion of becoming a candidate for justice of the pepce. “Uncle Bill,” as he was palled, avoided a direct expression of opiniop cohcterning the new, party, but in the heat of the canvass .a mass ipeeting was called, at which the candidates were expected to declare themselves. Unclp Billy indiscreetly attended the meetipg, fin'd as it, was drawing to ft .close was oftUetl.to the platform. Be made ft few brief wp-commKtal remarks. bttt some secret enemy- called: What's your politics?” This was the fated question that he had wished to avoid,-but there was no escape pow, so, facing the people, he said: ‘‘Gentlemen, you will always find Uncle,Bill In the middle of rhe-road/’ His happy evasion caught the people, and he was triumphantly .ejected as the middle of the roader- When tlsp St. Louis Populist convention nominated Bryan, Marion Wdliama, editor pf a populist paper In Georgetown- the action o f. his party, find through his party advocated the cftUlttg of ft convention and the, naming of another candidate who would be, as he expressed it, ‘Uike Uncle Billy Shaw, strictly in the middle of the road.” The sobriquet as applied by Williams was taken up by the press and very quickly became a well-defined term in current politics.