The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-09-13
How IL Was Before.

II Is already apparent that at least four
parties will elect members ~ the next Con-
grcss. and IL Ia highly probable that cvon
moro than four factions may be represented
thcre We shall certainly SEQ regular
Democrats AMI regular Republicans, with
Grccnl ackcrs who were recently Democrats
and Grrcnbackcrs who were recently Re-
publlcans. The wOrkingmcn as distin-
gulshed from the Grccnbackcrs, may, per-
haps, carry In u few members by coalitions
with other parties or factions. Then there
may bc small sprnklinR OF Demo-
Gratis who, In June last. voted 10 con-
done tho Great Fraud: while it is
TO DO hoped that the large majority OF
the Democratic representatives will be
sound on that vital question. The Republic
ems, too, will bc divided. The great mass
NJ their members will have no affinity with
tho Fraudulent President. but there may bc
very small squad Of Republicans who will
call themselves HAYES men for the purpose
Of squeezing appointments out Of him.
Beyond all this, the regularly elected Dem
ocrnts md Republicans will be- moro or less
distracted and split ~ with financial issues
and other matters Of dlscordnncc.
A condition Of things not unlike the fore
going arose in the elections of 1851 They
were carried to great extent by those Op-
posed TO the repeal OF the Missouri Conpro-
mise by the Congress which sat In the sum
mcr of that year, and by the Know-Nothinge.
n body who bore conspicuous share in the
political struggles of the following autumn.
Tho Wing party was then lettering on it,
last legs, and the Democratic party was
more arrogant than over ON the snvcry
question. The campaign OF 1854 was distin-
guished for unprecedented excitement. In
the presence Of the disturbing elements We
have mentioned, neither OF the two old pnr-
ties could enforce its discipline or kecp its
lines intact. The result was that House
OF Representatives was chosen In which
there were seven or eight factions, neither
~ which could control a majority Of the
whole House.
The House thus made up met on the first
Monday In December, 1855. The effort to
elect n Speaker showed AT tho very start the
unprecedented number OF factions that were
present. There were regular Democrats.
Wings and Republicans there were Free
Soil Democrats. FREQ Soil Wings, and Free
Sellers who owed no allegiance TO either
Democrats or Wings; there were Know
Nothings who had been Democrats, Know
Nothlngs who had been Wings, and Know
Nothings pure and simple. And over all
these parties and factions the slavery
question cast It's dark shadow splitting
even tho parties and factions into minor
fragments. The consequence was that
after struggle OF two months during
which many bitter speeches were delivered
n great number 81 ballots were taken, and
candidates wore often changed. NATHANIEL.
p. BANKS was chosen Speaker by n plurality
vote, the point Of legality being saved by
the passage OF n resolution by n majority
Of votes declaring him duly elected.
Tho contest Of 1864. and the subsequent
action Of the House then chosen, prcsagcd
the reorganization Of political parties. The
first fruits were seen In the Presidential
contest OF 1856 when BUCHANAN ran as the
Democratic candidate, FREMONT as the Re
publican candidate and FILLMORE as the
Know-Nothing candidate.
Are we now standing on tho threshold OF
political events analogous to those We have
depicted Tho elections OF this autumn will
furnish materials for answering this qucs-
tiOn