The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1888-04-26
MARTIN VAN BUREN. G. NJ. DALLAS
cIEDIIEN nnI-cI A


JAMES BUCHANAN. j. c. BRECKENRIDGE.
The Wings, like their Republican sue
cessOrs, complacently claimed that the in
telligence of the country was on their
side.-all the colleges, the bankers the
greatest writers and two-Uhirds Of the
newspapers-hence they must succeed.
The result astOnished everybOdy-219
electoral votes for jackson, 40 for Clay,
and for Writ and Ellmaker those of one
state, Vermont! 1t wouldn't do to quote
the popular gibes on the Whigs-they were
too coarse for this age. The friends of
Clay were utterly Frustrated for a time;
the United States bank was doomed the
Democrats went into power to stay, with
very brief Interruptions, for thirty years.
Among the amazed spectators Of this
amazing campaign was one Louis Ma
poleOn Bonaparte, an exile, who wrote to
his French friends that "the dissolution
Of authority seems imminent; the central
power is weak. "
The next Democratic convention was
also held at Baltimore and the next and
many more; for of sixteen national Dem
ocratic conventions nine have been held in
that city, Cincinnati and Chicago have
had two each, New York and st. Louis
one each, and Charleston one. Balti-
more witnessed the conventional organ
izatiou of the old Democratic party in
1882 and its practical dissolution in 1860
The nomination and election Of Martin
Van Buren, in 1886 were almost matters
Of course; but the next year came the
great panic, and in 1910 the scepter passed
to the Wings, but only for few months
The Democratic convention met again at
Baltimore in 1844-May Grand was
plunged at the start into furious contrO-
versy, ending in the enforcement of the
''two-thirds rule" avOwedly adopted to
defeat Mr.. Van Buren, who had major
ty of votes on the first ballot. Since that
day two-thirds vote has been necessary
to nominate in Democratic conventions,
while other parties require only a major
ty BY the nomination of James *.
Polk and George NJ. Dallas and forcing
the question of annexation Of Texas into
the campaign, the Democrats completely
outfanked the Wings, whose candidates,
Henry Clay and Theodore Frelinghuysen,
were defeated by a popular majority OF
23S, 2S4 in total vote of 1884, 10S. "New
York did it',-and all the judges conceded
that "Silas Wright saved New York, " his
curing the state for Polk and Dallas.
Mr.. Van Buren had his revenge; for in
1846 the "slavery question" had become a
great issue, and the cOnventiOn-again ut
Baltimore, May 22-nomilated Lewis
Cass, of Michigan, and Gen. William
G. Butler, of Kentucky, on q platform
which gave Free Soil Democrats good eX-
cuse for "bolting." Mr.. Van Buren led
the 'holt" in New York, and divided the
Democrats, giving the state to the Wings
and thus insuring the election of Gen,
Zachary Taylor and Millard Fillmore. 1t
was too late, however, for the old Wing
doctrines to be revived; '"TarifT, Bank and
Distribution were quietly ignored; i'll
1852 the Democrats were united as never
before and the Wing party was annihi.
ated. The Democratic convention of 1S5s
net June /, again at Baltimore, nomi-
mated Franklin Pierce for president, and
ldopted the longest platform ever known
iown to that time, embodying /
sort Of review of American Demo.
cratic history and .an explicit
formula Of the party's doctrines. With
the defeat and virtual dissolution of the
Whig party, the country entered on an
other era of political chaos and realigp,
ment Of parties, similar to that of 1S24-2S
but now the slavery issue rose far
above all Others, and from 1885,
till 1877, slavery, war and reconstruction
obscured all other issues. A united Demo
cracy elected Buchanan in 1856: in 1860
the party was divided. Three conventions
were held, and so Lincoln became presi-
dent with but 40 per cent. of the popu-
lar vote, though the Democrats elected
q majority of the congressman. AS
long as Democracy north and south
was a unit, the nation could endure the
separation of the churches and still main
tain peace; tie division of the great ma
tional party meant war, as its completed
reunion in 1884 meant a restoration OF
peace and good will from lakes to gulf, a
burial of the "bloody Shirt and broad
liberal policy which is soon to Danish all
discord Of sections.
For sixteen years there was Demo
cratic eclipse-"total throughout the
United States then the genius of Samuel
j. Tilden almost completed the reunion OF
the party, and as soon as reunited it had
n popular majority of 10000. Indeed, q
united Democracy has only been defeated
twice in this country. The convention OF
1876 met June q, at St. Louis, A history
of the way he was swindled out of the
fruits Of his victory will be timely when
John Sherman is nominated by the Re
publicans June %, 1880, began another
Cincinnati convention, and its candidate,