Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1888-06-14
CONVENTION HALL, CINCINNATI, 1880

CONVENTION HALL, ClNClNNAll, Icov.
king Caucus Dethroned" was the
newspaper heading of the report of an
event in 1924 which put an end to the
plan of congressional caucus, prepared
the way for conventions and finally made
Andrew jackson dictator in American
politics. The people believed he had been
swindled out Of the presidency in 1S24-25,
and he was nominated in 1928 by "spon-
taneous enthusiasm" as the papers had
it, no convention being necessary. But
in 1882 the times were stormy. All the
exciting questions came at once, high
tariff United States bank, French spolia-
tion claims, alliances with the republics
of South America, notification and
alleged schemes against Mexico. The
Wings confidently claimed that all these
forces worked in their favor, and ridi-
culed their opponents as the ''rabble,"
Ignorant Democrats" ETC., only one OF
thousand proofs that Americans of the
old Federal -Hamiltonian type never will
understand the country they live in. The
Democratic doctrine that the rich and the
learned can take care of themselves, and
that where government interferes at all it
should guard the interests of the poor
and the laborer, is to the Hamiltonian a
stumbling block and to the Republican
foolishness, but it always wins in free
country when faithfully adhered to.
Aided by his personal popularity it gave
Andrew jackson 219 electoral votes to 40
for Henry Clay, and made the succession
of Martin Van Buren in 1886 certainty.
Then came panic-always bad for the
party in power-and Van Buren,, again
nominated at Baltimore, was defeated in
1910
The campaign of 1874 was most skill.
iully managed by the Democrats, and its
history contains a valuable warning to
politician who ''own their party" or
think they do. Martin Van Buren, and
Henry Clay had contracted to take the
Texas question out of politics" Each
one of them was to ignore it. The Demo
Gratis saw this scheme in time, and set
Mr.. Van Buren, aside. The convention,
again at Baltimore. was extremely stormy.
James X. Polk was nominated, at once
making the Texas question prominent,
and Clay was completely outfanked. In
the heat of the campaign he attempted to
change front OH the Texas question, and
| thus completed the decentralization of the
Wings. In 1848 the New York Democ-
racy was divided, and that meant disaster;
for q united Democracy in that state is
almost absolutely certain of victory. The
convention again met at Baltimore, May
90, and nominated Lewis Cass. of Michi-
gan, and Gen. William c. Butler, of Ken
lucky. Although the Democrats got a
majority of the votes and Of congressman
the division in New York gave the state
to Taylor and Fillmore, and so Gen. Zach
Taylor became minority president.
In 1852 the Democrats were once more
united and victory was considered certain,
as all the distinctively Democratic meas.
ures since 1874 had borne good fruit and
the country was in the highest state OF
prosperity. The convention again met at
Baltimore June /. nominated Franklin
Pierce, of New Hampshire, and William
r King. of Alabama, and put forth per
fcctly encyclopedia platform, one so long
that tho people never read it, but made
the campaign and cast their votes entirely
upon the record of the two parties Mo-
was it till lS62-64 that it was general.
known to this country the the long plat
form contained an Endorsement of the of
disputed Virginia and Kentucky "Resolu
: tions Of 1T9S" Pierce and King got tn
J vote of twcnty-seyen states to four TO
Scott aud Graham, the Whig candidates