 The 1854 campaign saw the rise of the secretive Know Nothing movement in Massachusetts politics . Washburn stood for reelection , but the Whig party apparatus was generally unaware of Know Nothing strength and dismissive of its candidates . One commentator described the Know Nothing slate as " <unk> ministers , lying tooth @-@ pullers , and buggering priests " , and Washburn 's opponent , former Whig Henry J. Gardner , as a " rickety vermin " who stood no chance of winning . The outcome of the November election was a landslide : Washburn received only 21 % of the vote , and Know Nothing candidates won every major state and Congressional office , as well as most of the seats in the state legislature . 
