The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1876-06-22

| anu Ulduj5Ou Was nOU1lnaUBu UY
j votes, George Clinton, the then Vlct-presldent
receiving denomination for that Office For
! second term Madison received unanimous
caucus nomination in 1912, and Elbridge Gerry
was named for the Vice presideDcy, after it had
been offered and declined by John Langdon, OF
New Hampshire.
Great dissatisfaction with the caucus system
had now grown up. The monopoly OF the
Presidency by Virginia was bitterly com plalred
of, especially by New York. which had favOrlte
candidate candidate in De Witt Clinton. 1t
was seen that the Congressional caucuses were
controlled by Virginia influences, and that tat
! State still desired to supply Presidents to the
country. Still the Republicans adhered to the
caucus system while longer. caucus to
nominate Biadson's successor met In the Repre-
sentatives Hall on the 10Th of March, 1916,
119 members attending. Nineteen Republic
cans refused to be present, from dislike of the
caucus method Henry Clay, the leader Of the
| House, was opposed to caucus nominations
but consented to go to the meeting, where
| he offered resolution that caucus nomlna-
ton was not expedient. The motion was voted
down; and now, amidst much excitement, an
informal ballot was taken. Monroe, Secretary
of State was the Virginia and administration
candidate, and received 65 votes; William FL.
| Crawford, of Georgia, the choice of those Re-
! publicans who were opposed to the Virginia
! succession, received 81 votes and Monroe was
| nominated. For Vice-president, Daniel u.
| Tompkins had IS votes, and Sirnon Snyder 30
| and Tompkins, New York rival of De Witt
! Clinton, was chosen. There WAS great discon-
! tent among the defeated faction, and at one
moment it seemed probable that they would
! coalesce with the Federalists. The latter sup
| ported Rufus King and John Eager Ho ward for
the two Offices and, after an exciting contest,
/ the Monroe ticket was chosen by 183 electoral
votes against 81 for King. Mr.. Clay gave his
| support to Monroe
/ In 1920 the hostility to the caucus system
l I-I-s g %I,o
/ Republican party that it was resolved that no
nomination should be made. This proved in
| the sequel wise forbearance for Mr.. Monroe
| was reelected by every electoral vote but one,
that one being cast by Mr. Plumer of New
Hampshire for John Quincy Adams, on the
ground that it was dangerous to give Presl-
| dent unanimous vote. We now reach the
period which witnessed the final struggle be-
| tween 6 King Caucus" and his enemies.
| As Monroes second term approached it's end,
| it became evident that sharp contest for the
Chief Magistrates chair was about to ensue.
Several eminent men loomed up as asplrants,
each with a strong force of followers. There
was the polished and genial Crawford, of Geor-
gia, who had already been put forward to OPP
pose Monroe. There was the eloquent and
chivalrous Harry Clay the ableet of Speakers
and the most dashlDg of party leaders. There
was rough-hewn Andrew Jackson, the hero of
New Orleans. There wss finally, John Quincy
Adams, scholarly and vigorous who now eccu-
pied the office of Secretary of State. Against
the protest of large number of Republicans,
a caucus was called to make choice of one of
these four. Only SO members attended, but
some of them brought proxies of absent
| Republicans. After vain attempt to procure
an adjournment, Mr.. Van Buren, induced the
caucus to proceed to domination. ballot
| being taken, resulted as follows: William Il.
Crawford, 64 John Quincy Adams 10 ; An
drew Jackson, Nathaniel Macon, /. A bal
lot for Vice president resulted in the nomina-
ton of the venerable Albert Gallatin. The Sc
| quel soon proved that this result of the caucus
| system was distasteful to the mass of the dom
lnant party in the country Everywhere
appeared protests against it, The Republicans
| in the Massachusetts Legislature nominated
John Quincy Adams, and this nomination was
| confirmed by the Legislatures of New Hamp-
| shire, Maine, and Rhode Island, and by con-
| ventions in several other States. Tennessee
put Gel. jackson into the field, and Kentucky
named Henry Clay 80 that there were four
candidates, all professed admirers of the ad-
mInistration party. The result, as is well
known, was that there was no choice by the
people, and the election of President and Vice
President devolved upon the House of Repre-
tatives. Mr.. Clay was q leading member of
that body and when it was found that he cast
his influence in favor of Adams, and that inn
mediately upon the latter's election Clay was
appointed Secretary of State. loud accusations
of bargain were made by the disappointed
Jackson men.
Gen. jackson became tae candidate of that
section of the Republicans who took up posi-
ton of opposition to the Adams administration,
and who now assumed the name OF 8 Demo-
Gratis = and when election year came around
again, III 1923, there was no need of caucus
or convention to nominate him. He tri-
umphed in the electoral colleges by vote of
173 to SO.
1t was in the year 1881 that the first national
7 conventions to nominate candidates for. Presi-
dent met. The example set, curiously
enough, not by either of the regular political
parties, but by the faction which came into ex-
istence solely to oppose the secret order of Ma
sonry. 1t is worth while to notice that it was
this movement which gave an opening to the
public careers of two men who afterWard rOse
one to the Presidency, the other to the Senate
and the Secretaryship of State. These were
William III. Seward and Willard Fillmore. The
Antimasonic party grew out of the excitement
produced by the mysterious disappearance of
William Morgan, member of the order who
was supposed to have divulged it's secrets.
In September, 1881, national convention of
this party assembled at Baltimore. John
Mclean, OF Ohio, since Judge OF the United
States Supreme Court, adopted as their
candidate for the Presidency, but he promptly
declined. The convention then rendered the
nomination to the famous Maryland lawyer,
William Writ, formerly Attorney general, who
accepted 1t and Amos Ellmaker, of Ponnsyl-
vanla, was added to tue ticket as candidate for
Yice-president.
The caucus system was now evidently ex-
tinct; no party would have dared to attempt
its revival. The system of national conven-
TONS exemplified by the Antimasons, WAS seen
to be the only feasible substitute As the sup
porters of Jackson now called themselves
democrats, so his opponents adopted the
designation of National Republicans" The
latter party was first in the field to call ma
tional convention and this convention met at
Baltimore IN December, 1881. Its session Was
brief, for public opinion had already marked
out Henry Clay as its candidate. Clay was
nominated on the FIRST ballot, and John Ser
geant was given the second place on the
ticket. Thus the opposition to Jackson,
which was strenuous and hot, yet di-
vlded at the start OF the race between Clay and
Writ.