When Lincoln was a candidate of the Know Nothings for the State
Legislature, the party was over-confident, and the Democrats pursued a
still-hunt. Lincoln was defeated. He compared the situation to one of
the camp-followers of General Taylor’s army, who had secured a barrel of
cider, erected a tent, and commenced selling it to the thirsty soldiers
at twenty-five cents a drink, but he had sold but little before another
sharp one set up a tent at his back, and tapped the barrel so as to
flow on his side, and peddled out No. 1 cider at five cents a drink, of
course, getting the latter’s entire trade on the borrowed capital.
“The Democrats,” said Mr. Lincoln, “had played Knownothing on a cheaper
scale than had the real devotees of Sam, and had raked down his pile
with his own cider!”