Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-05-26
A FEW PREcEDENTs.
let Blaine's Party Swallow Them fo0
 Cold Comfort.

let Blaine's Party Swallow Them fo1
 Cold Comfort.
 The election of 1796 was the first cleo tion in which party lines were drawn. Tho Federalists were in power and were strong and compact party. The Repubn- cans were as yet but an opposition. with out cohesion and without that organiza- tieH which the master mind of Jefferson gsve te it in the following f4ur Nsafs. ever, proved to be immensely unpopular. The odious alien and seditlon laws es-. tran ged the people from 1t and the Federal party itself became torn with internal dis sension. Between Hamilton, the real leader of the party, and Adams, there was an intense hostility, and the leading mem- bers of Adams cabinet were not loyal to him, but endeavored in every way to frustrate his plans and defeat his policy. When the election of 1900 came around Hamilton actually intrigued to defeat Adams, not in the interests of Jefferson, but in the interests of Pinckney, who was a candidate with Adams on the Federal ticket. On the other hand, the Republi- can party was young, enthusiastic and thoroughly organized, and was led by the most consummate party leader our coun- try has produced. So effective was his organization of his party that 1t never again suffered a defeat, the Federal party never carried another national election, and in 1920 was utterly overthrown and disbanded. In the election of 1924 all the candidates, Jackson, Adams, Crawford and Clay, were Republicans, Jackson getting the largest popular vote and the greatest number of electors, but not majority. The election was consequently thrown into the house of representatives, where the v0fo foEo hv,c %ofo hxy% %loS SrA ence of Mir. Clay, Adams was elected. But 1t was not considered an election that repre- sented the popular will, and resulted in an immense outburst of feeling against Adams and Clay. The latter accepted the position of secretary of state, and this gave rise to an imputation of corrupt bargain between Adams and Clay, wholly ground less, as it undoubtedly was, from which they never recovered. It rose to strike down Clay in both his subsequent candi- aacies, and 1t was strongly urged against Adams in 1898, when Jackson beat him.
 Van Buren was elected in 1886 as the legitimate successor to the Jackson dy- nasty. Then followed the revulsion and upon as entirely due to Jackson's over- throw of the United States bank. Van Buren had to bear all this burden before 8 people who now thought that any change would be change for the better. Con- sequently, in 1840, "Tippecanoe and Tyler too" proved too much for the Magician of Kinderhook and Harrison was elected.
 MT. Blaine's adherents are quite well come to all the comfort they can obtain from a study of these precedents. If they will compare them with the situation as 1t is under President Cleveland, they will find that no internal dissensions rack the Democratic party, threatening it with dissolution. They will find that there is tration, and that no financial distress atf1icts the business of the country On the contrary, they may perceive Q party behind MT. Cleveland better organized and more unified than it has been since 1856, and that in addition there is con- stantly increasing confidence among all the conservative interests of the nation in the wisdom, patriotism and purity of the president. Then if they will study the history of the country more carefully they will find that under such circumstances no president has ever been defeated for g reelection.
 If his followers desire precedent, 6 much more striking parallel may be found for MT. Blaine in the career of Henry Clay, to whom his friends are fond of comparing him. MT. Clay was life long aspirant for the presidency, and it is now some- tkiag q cloud upon the fairntss Sf his fame that he sought it so long and s6 per- sistently. But that he would have made a wise and judicious president no one now doubts He was great party leader, and the Whig party was much moro of 8 Clay party than the Republican party is a Blaine party. And yet thrice he came be- fore the people for election, and thrice he was defeated.
 While they are in the study of presi- dential precedents The Herald would con- mend these passages of our common his tory, "that they may be soberly pondered by the delegates soon to assemble in na. tional convention. Chicago Herald.