----------------- HES POSTING ----------------- 
Andy Denis pointed out in an email to me that I overlooked the pertinent definition and
citations for "grandfather" in the online OED.  Being embarrassed is no reason for me not
to pass this on to the list, to correct my inexplicable mistake.
 
Here are the definitions as he showed them to me: 
 
"grandfather clause U.S. colloq., a clause in the constitutions of some Southern states,
exempting from suffrage restrictions the descendants of men who voted before the Civil
War"
 
"U.S. [After grandfather clause s.v. GRANDFATHER n. 5.] To exempt from new legislation or
regulations, usu. because of some prior condition of previously existing privilege" (both
from OED online)
 
and the citations that follow. 
 
1900 Congress. Rec. 22 Jan. 1033/1 The grandfather clause will not avail those citizens
who..are unable to pay their poll tax.
1903 N.Y. Evening Post 22 Dec. 6 It is proposed [in Maryland] to remodel the Constitution
so as to exclude colored men from voting. The usual Southern method is followed,
‘grandfather clause’ and all.
1906 W. H. FLEMING Slavery 44 This proviso was popularly known as the ‘Grandfather
clause’.
1948 Georgia Hist. Q. Mar. 1 In 1898, Louisiana wrote the notorious ‘Grandfather Clause’
into its constitution.
 
It seems clear from this that the usage was established in the USA before 1900. 
 
Martin C. Tangora 
University of Illinois at Chicago 
 
 
 
------------ FOOTER TO HES POSTING ------------ 
For information, send the message "info HES" to [log in to unmask]