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The essence of the jest consists in some catchword suggested by a political event, an incident in the police courts, a street song, or a bit of burlesque at some theatre, and forgotten in a month. Anything and everything serves to keep up a game of battledore and shuttlecock with words and ideas.
As the committee descended the steps of the State House to go to the Old South where they were to report, the dense crowd made way for them, and Samuel Adams as he walked bare-headed through their lines continually bowed to right and left, repeating the catchword, "Both regiments or none."
A striking instance of this occurred during the political campaign of 1856, when "bleeding Kansas" was a thrilling catchword used by the Republicans, whose candidate for president was Frémont. In a year and a half seven free-state men had been killed in Kansas by the border ruffians, and these outrages, thoroughly ventilated, made excellent campaign ammunition.
A man who has done that has seen England not the name or the map or the rhetorical catchword, but the thing. And it does not take so very long. The Lunatic
To have a catchword in your mouth is not the same thing as to hold an opinion; still less is it the same thing as to have made one for yourself. It is surely beyond a doubt that people should be a good deal idle in youth.
To use the obvious catchword 'hypnotism' is to use a toy and stop a leak with paper. For his influence was unconsciously exerted. He cast no net of clever, persuasive words about my thought. Out of that deep, strange silence of the man it somehow came.
It accommodates itself to the peculiarities of different countries and forms of government. Sometimes it is a holy principle sometimes a mere party catchword with no more real meaning than can be attached to the echo of an echo.
In my character of the ingenuous inquirer I set him posers about politics and economics, the kind of thing I might have been supposed to pick up from unintelligent browsing among little books. Generally he answered with some slangy catchword, but occasionally he was interested beyond his discretion, and treated me to a harangue like an equal.
People generally say what they have been taught to say; that was the catchword they were given in youth to express the aims of their way of life; and men who are gaining great battles are not likely to take much trouble in reviewing their sentiments and the words in which they were told to express them.
A huge sign shrieked of Maudsley Court. "Get a grin!" was its first advice. "They all try for a catchword every one of 'em," explained Baker. "You'll see all kinds in the ads; some pretty good, most of 'em rotten." "They seem to have made a start, anyway," observed Bob, indicating a new cottage half way down the street.
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