wire-pullers

Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.

A term denoting those who, by their secret plots and intrigues, control the movements of the puppets on the political stage.


Baltimore is now the great Babel of Loco-Focoism. All the officeholders, office-seekers, hangers-on, and wire-pullers of that craft are here. What a happy country this would be if Baltimore should sink, or swim off somewhere! I have no doubt that some righteous would perish, but there would be so much demagogueism swamped with them, that the political atmosphere would be renovated for half a century!--N. Y. Tribune.

The coming contest is to decide whether the people have the privilege of electing a chief magistrate of their own selection, or only the privilege of electing one of two candidates whom self-elected cliques of nominators choose to designate. The Philadelphia Convention will assemble on Wednesday; already that city is filled with wire-pullers, pubic opinion manufacturers, embryo cabinet officers, future ambassadors, and the whole brood of political make-shifts, who contrive to live out of the public purse, by abusing public credulity.--N. Y. Mirror, June 5, 1848.

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