A Democrat thus dyed is a thorough “Bourbon,” one who sticks to his principles without compromise. The phrase is used by North of the education of children: see the first quotation.
1579–80. If he had not through institution and education (as it were) died in wooll the maners of children, and had not made them from their nurses breasts in manner, sucke the iuyce and loue of his lawes and ciuill ordinances.—North, ‘Plutarch’ (1612), p. 80.
1830. In half an hour [he can] come out an original democrat, dyed in the wool.—Speech of Daniel Webster, Mass. Spy, Feb. 10.
1830. How long it takes to be “dyed in the wool,” and to become “Jackson to the backbone,” does not seem to be settled.—Id., July 7.
1830. The corruption and bargaining by which some of those “eleventh hour” “dyed in the wool” patriots obtained the situations which they now hold.—Id., Aug. 4.
1838. Several modern Democrats, who have been recently dyed in the wool.—Mr. Hudson in the N.Y. Assembly, Feb. 8: The Jeffersonian, March 3.
1840. As patent a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat as Theodore Fog himself, whose attachment to popular principles, habits, and manners, and whose unalterable adhesion to the new Democratic theory, are written in every line of his face and in every movement of his body.—John P. Kennedy, ‘Quodlibet,’ p. 52 (1860).
1840. The captain of the boat proved to be a sterling Democrat, dyed in the wool.—Mr. Watterson of Tenn., House of Repr., April 2: Cong. Globe, p. 376, App.
1842. Mr. Arnold of Tenn. was astonished at the speech of Mr. Colquitt, who professed to be a Democrat dyed in the wool.—The same, April 27: Id., p. 448.
1843. A Democrat of the Jeffersonian school, dyed in the wool, needed no clew to where he stood on the political chessboard. The people always knew where to find him.—Mr. Gordon of N.Y., the same, Jan. 5: id., p. 124.
1846. Mr. Pickens has come out flat-footed for the Administration,—a real rod-hot Democrat, dyed in the wool.—N.Y. Herald, June 30 (Bartlett).
1847. The Democrats are beginning to claim General Taylor as a Democrat dyed in the wool.—N.Y. Commercial Advertiser, May 24 (Bartlett).
1850. I do not know [that] I shall be more “un-Whigged” than themselves, because I believe that I also am dyed in the wool.—Mr. Underwood of Kentucky, U.S. Senate, Aug. 14: Cong. Globe, p. 1557, App.
1904. For my part, I’m a dyed-in-the-wool Rebel, and don’t think I fade in ordinary washing.—W. N. Harben, ‘The Georgians,’ p. 209.
