Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-04-20

| TWO Terms, the latter 1Or MS second Term
| In the election of 1920, at which only
one electoral vote was cast agains
Monroe, party lines were obliterated. TIL,
Federal party had been dead three years
and the Jeffersonians, or Republicans-tha
is to say, the Democrats of that day-find
ing nobody to combat, began to lose tn,
incentive for exertion which opposition
always brings.
Elements were gathering coherency ant
force, however, which were destined t.
defeat the all-powerful Jefersonians. AL
though the Federal party died soon aftel
the canvass of 1916, the principles fol
which it stood survived. The opponent.
of the Jeffersonians began to call them
selves Loose Constructionists in 1917, anc
Henry Clay first and John Quincy Adams
later became their leaders This party
favored, as the Federalists had done, and
as the National Republicans, Wings anC
Republicans afterwards did, free inter
probation of the Constitution. The oppo
site party, or Jefiersonians, eventually
became known for the time being, as the
Strict Constructionists. These were the
party designations when the lines were
drawn in the Presidential canvass of 1924
THE FEDERALIsTs IN POWER AGAIN.
In the national campaign of 1924 the
political pendulum took another swing
The motion had not the momentum nor
did it extend so far as that of the year
| 1900. But it was a swing, and it was back
toward the ground which had been occu-
pied by the old Federal party. The Jefier-
sonians were defeated after an nninter-
rupted sway of twenty-four years in the
| Executive branch of the Government. a
period of unbroken control never equaled
in duration except by the Republican
party of later day, in its exercise OF
power from 1860 to 1884
The year 1924 marked the second polit-
ical revolution in the country's history.
| There was nc union on Presidential candi-
dates by either party in 1924 The Loose
| Constuctionists were divided on John
Quincy Adams and Henry Clay for Presi-
dent, and the Strict Constructionists were
similarly divided on andrew Jackson and
William H. Crawford. Jackson obtained
| SO Electoral votes, Adams "a, Crawford Al
and Clay 81. No candidate having ma
iority, the election was thrown into the
House of Representatives, when Clay
transferred his support to Adams and
elected him.
The period of the sway of the Jefferson
ians, like that of the dominance of the
Federalists, had been stirring and glorious.
In the twelve years of Federal rule the
population of the country had grown from
100000 to $500, 000, and the number of
| States had been increased to sixteen by
the admission of Kentucky, Vermont and
Tennessee In the twenty-four wears of
the power Of the Jefersonians the popula-
ton of the country doubled, the area Of the
country was largely increased by the big
Louisiana purchase and the acquisition OF
Florida, and the number of States grew to
| twenty-four by the elevation Of Ohio,
Louisiana, Indiana, Mississippi, Illinois,
Alabama, Maine and Missouri to State
hood. Within the days of Jefersonian
supremacy, also, the second war against
Great Britain was fought and the Missouri
compromise adopted.
The duration Of the rule of the Loose
| Constructionists was short, lasting only
four years. The Adams and Clay factions
of the party had in the meantime united,
taking the name Of National Republicans
GOLD HICKORY" TO THE FRONT.
| In 1898 the political pendulum took one
more swing, this time, as III 1900, in the
direction Of Jefiersonianism. By this
time the Jefersonians-the men who first
called themselves Republicans, and after
ward Strict Constructionists-b began to be
known as Democrats, and that is the
partisan name which they have borne ever
| since.
The campaign of 1928 was largely per-
sonal, as that Of 1924 had been. 1t was a
canvass Of abuse, SANDER and falsehood
compared with which those of 1880, 1884
and 1888 were digniied and respectable.
The vilest and most atrocious accusations
were brought against Ada ms, the candi-
date of the National Republicans, and
Jackson, the Democratic standard bearer,
the falsity of which has often been ex-
posed since then, but which had an infiu-
ence at that time.
To President Adams himself was largely
due the responsibility for his own defeat
for reelection. Many of the most in
fuentlal Federal officials were secretly,
and some of them openly, working in
favor Of his opponent Adams knew this
and yet, with noble self-sacrifce and de.
votion to public interests which chung to
him throughout his whole public career
he sunk the politician in the patriot and
refused to remove them on personal
grounds They performed the dutie.
of their posts acceptablv, therefore
they were left undisturbed to en-
ploy the patronage of the Government
against the Governments Executive. He
was even more conspicuousiy lacking il
tact than his father, the second President
had been. His rugged and unyieldina
honesty repealed many Of his warmest adj
mirers. He made no compromises with
conscience. He scorned the petty artifice.
of the mere party worker. To retain {
friend or conciliate an enemy he would
not turn hairs breadth from the course
which his judgment marked out All thi:
was magnificent, Of course, but it was MOI
politics.
However, principle was not altogether
lost sight ofin the contest of 1898, and Jack
sons victory was triumph for the cause
OF the Democracy as well as persona
conquest for "Old Hickory" himself.
THIRD POLITICAL REVOLUTION.
The Democratic victory of 1928 was the
third political revolution which had beer
brought about in the Executive branch o.
the Government For the twelve year,
following that party retained control OF
public affairs, choosing Jackson to tht
Presidency for a second time, in 1882, and
sending Van Buren,, his political heir, tC
the White House in 1886.
| Within the twelve years of Democrat,
supremacy, beginning in 1928, great deal
Of history was made The National Re-
publican party, which was born in 1926
died after its defeat in the Presidential
canvass of 1882, when led by Clay, aud the
Wing party was built upon its ruins. II
1882 the AntI-Masonic party appeared
in the national canvass, with William
Writ as its Presidential candidate The
organization opposed the election of Ma
sons TO office. In other respects its princi
pies were the same as those of the Nationa
Republicans of that year and of the Viii.
party, which was born in 1888. Tn,
Anti Masons, as a party, never took par
in another canvass but united with tn,
| National Pani1hlieane in fnrminc- tn.