[Ads-l] Antedating "stump speech"

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

Intriguing top and excellent citations, Steven.
Here are two citations in 1810.

Date: August 1, 1810
Newspaper: The Georgia Journal
Newspaper Location: Milledgeville, Georgia
Article: Political
Note: "The following Essay, copied from the last Argus, is an answer
to  Phocian, which appeared in a former  number of this paper",
Quote Page 1, Column 3
Database: GenealogyBank

[Begin excerpt]
And I would urge him, should he again attempt stump speeches, to avoid
addressing the people as "gentlemen of the jury" to shew himself a
Lawyer, and assure him that the "merits of his case," if not otherwise
stated, will before the election be laid before the public by a
citizen of BALDWIN.
[End excerpt]


Date: September 3, 1810
Newspaper: American & Commercial Daily Advertiser
Newspaper Location: Baltimore, Maryland
Byline: Lexington, (K) Aug 14.
Quote Page 2, Column 4
Database: GenealogyBank

[Begin excerpt - degraded text is sometimes unclear]
After an electioneering campaign of 3 or 4 months of unequalled
perseverance and exertion, J. H. Davies esq. (the federal candidate)
obtained 224 votes out of between 2 and 3 thousand. And this number
too at the expence and trouble of attending all the meetings, musters,
barbacues and public gatherings of every kind in the county, besides
visits and written circulars to almost every private family; and of
stump speeches, many a score: alas! That all the men of talents should
be doomed to stay at home!
[End excerpt]

Garson

On Thu, Jun 1, 2023 at 3:30 PM Steven Losie <stevenlosie at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> "Stump speech"
>
> The OED3 cites a letter dated September 8, 1820, found on p.251 of _Letters
> From America, Containing Observations on the Climate and Agriculture of the
> Western States_ by James Flint, first published in 1822.
>
> Here are three earlier citations:
>
> The first is from a campaign diary entry effectively dated Tuesday, October
> 13, 1812, and published in a newspaper later the same month:
>
> [begin quote]
> One thousand votes in all. Remark. This goes far in supporting the truth of
> magic and witchcraft. Stump speeches. The effusion of much spirit; alias,
> whiskey. Here a stump speech is inserted. Poles closed—Beats two to one
> against democracy.
> [end quote]
> Source: Greensburgh and Indiana Register (Greensburg, Pennsylvania), Oct
> 22, 1812, p.3, col.2
> Database: America's Historical Newspapers (Readex / Newsbank)
>
> [begin quote]
> I fear there were not many present at that _Stump Speech_ who can now say,
> "we admire Billy Logan" either for the liberality of his disposition or
> virtues of his heart...
> [end quote]
> Source: The Olive Branch and Western Union (Danville, Kentucky), June 23,
> 1820, p.1, col.2
> Database: Newspapers.com
>
> [begin quote]
> It was proposed, we are informed, in a stump speech delivered by the
> candidate, with loud acclamations of applause to a number of the electors
> of this county, and was simply this.
> [end quote]
> Source: Knoxville (TN) Register, June 27, 1820, p.2, col.4
> Database: Newspapers.com
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org