Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1888-03-30

ClSeuj IN ioS4 IL DrORe u0Wn enblreiy, and
four candidates were in the field; in 1928
the Tennessee legislature nominated Gen.
jackson and Pennsylvania Endorsed it,
while John Quincy Adams was the oppos-
ing candidate tsby common consentn and
the Endorsement OF various bodies. In
1882 the Democrats held their first ma
tional delegate convention, and SO great
was the Improvements that with slight
changes all parties have since adopted
that method.
The Republicans, therefore, found the
convention system ready made to their
hand; but followed Wing precedents In
stead OF Democratic, requiring but a ma
5ortty Of all thez votes cast to nominate.
OF the 1885, $50 men who voted in 1853
Tor Gen. Winfield Scott, it Is certain that
at least 1ye-sixths in the north became
Republicans, and as large q proportion in
the south went by way OF the aKnow
NothIng'' organization into the Fillmore
party of 1855 and the B~ell-Eyerett, or
Union party of 1860. OF the 155, 1926 who
t'voted abohtionn In 1952-for John p.
Hale--probably every one became Repub-
Acans; and by that ingenious trickery of
making a part stand for the whole. which
is such q marked feature of American
politics, this small minority gave the
slang names of abolition and ''black
Republican to the new party. This form
Of moral auackery, by which q part is put
for the whole and the whole made respon-
sible for a part, is peculiar to the United
States; in the politics of other nations
proper allowance Is made for factions, and
real statesmen are not weighted by vica-
eious folly.
The passage Of the Kansas-Nebraska
Kill Nav On A1REA 1rYnr %La s;<r,,ny Fa-. =
tremendous moral uprising in the north.
The young and middle aged voters had
been educated to believe that the Mis-
souri, Compromise of 1890 was a solemn
covenant, registered in heaven, and more
stable than the Constitution, since the lat
ter could be amended In good faith; and
without q word, almost without a thought,
of tariff, bank and sub-treasury, the anti
slavery men of all parties rushed together
In a sort Of moral enthusiasm, and, organ
izing with state and local names only, OBJ
tanned political control of nearly all the
northern states II elected g majority OF
the ~Thirty-fonrth congress. The first ses-
sion of that congress-Dec. 8, 1856, to
Aug. 30, 1S56-was one long and relent-
less war of words in regard to Kansas and
| slavery; routine business wa attended to,
of course, but readers living at the time
can remember nothing but the two sub
jects. In Harper's Magazine for Deem
ber, 1854 page 1909, lie the first record we
find Of the name nRepublican', as applied
to the new party; In the next year 1t came
into general use, and was officially
adopted by those who supported Hon.
Nathaniel P. Banks for speaker Of the
house of representatives.
After preliminary conventions in all the
states and congressional districts Of the
north, and informal appointments from a
few places In the so-called tborder states -
the first national Republican convention
met in Musical Fund hall, Philadelphia,
on the Itch of June, 1856. Never has the
political feeling at the north been at
greater heat. A dozen incidents com
bined to heighten the feeling. But o few
days before Senator Charles Summer, OF
Massachusetts, was brutally assaulted
and beaten to ipsensibility in the senate
chamber; about the same time the .sfree
state, town of Lawrence, Kan, WAS cap.
tured bya Missouri mob and tho principal
buildings burned; at the very hour the
convention met John Brown and his
"army'' were fighting in eastern Kansas
against q southern force, and in other
parts OF that distracted territory armed
bands were plunderfng and numbering
their respective opponents, while the
great city of San Francisco was in complete
control of an extra legal body known as
the vigilance committee, y which wa
hanging, baDishing and imprisoning al
A