Update: Wow, talk about know-nothings!

Millard Fillmore: Official White House portrait.

UPDATE: As of today, weeks after the editorial page editor of the Times Union agreed with me that he had published a letter on December 14 containing a grave error (see below) and that a correction would be appropriate, I have yet to be able to find a published correction and have not had a reply to my letter inquiring about the status. However, I do find the original erroneous letter still is available -- and unchallenged -- on the TU website.

(Originally published 12/21/14)

Back on Sunday, December 14, I noted a factual error in the Times Union's letters-to-the-editor columns.

One Samuel Cahan of Saratoga Springs came out swinging, stating that "In the 1840s, the Republican Party was known as the 'Know-Nothing' party. In Congress today, it is known as the 'Do Nothing' party. The Republicans must overcome their lassitude and start working on the many problems that are harming our country’s social and economic well-being."

Sweeping condemnations, historically and currently. The trouble is, Mr. Cahan, while precious in his declaration, is deficient in his knowledge of political history.

Rather than let his blather stand uncorrected, I wrote this letter to the editor of the TU editorial pages:

"A letter to the editor in Sunday's edition said the GOP was known as the Know-Nothing Party in the 1800s. If I am not mistaken, that is in error.

"The Know-Nothing Party (not so-called because of lack of intelligence, rather because early members were told to say "I know nothing" about the makeup of the group until it gained a stronger national footing) actually was a splinter group of the Whig Party. A number of its members eventually moved to the Republican Party when the Know-Nothings began to lose influence.

"Should you find my version accurate, I suggest a correction be published rather than letting glibness rule the day."

Two days later, I received a polite letter from that editor, a former longtime colleague during my many decades of newspapering. In it, he said: "I would say this needs a correction, too. Thanks for the heads up."

It now has been a week and I've seen no published correction. I can see time lags when it comes to publishing items of opinion; I have no patience with withholding items of accuracy. So, I offer my observation here rather than letting the error stay out there in the ether, unchallenged and possibly believed by those with no countervailing information to evaluate.

FOOTNOTE: For those of you who wonder how influential the Know-Nothings -- also known as the American Party -- were, look to the history of Finger Lakes-born Millard Filmore. A Whig Party stalwart, he advanced to the White House from the vice presidency following the death in 1850 of President Zachary Taylor and served there for three years. He eventually moved to the American Party, which nominated him as its presidential standard-bearer for an unsuccessful 1856 campaign. He finished third behind the winning Democrat, James Buchanan, and the runner-up, John C. Fremont, the first-ever presidential candidate of the Republican Party.

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