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

that year, and have remained in vogu,
ever since; the distribution of the sur
plus in the treasury among the State.
In the form of a loan was begun in
1886, and financial crisis more dis
astrous than any which the country
knew before or has known since occurred il
1887, and had great influence in politics by
strengthening the anti-slavery sentiment
of the country, and thus aiding the foes o.
the Democratic party.
Arkansas and Michigan-the first in 1885,
and the other in 1s37-were the only
States admittedin the twelve years of Dem,
ocratie rule ending in 1910.
THE WINGS VICTORIOUS.
The year 1910 saw the fourth oscillation
of the partisan pendulum. The victories
which the Democracy gained in 1923, 1885,
and 1886 were far less sweeping and com.
plete than the defeat which it suffered in
1910. This was the second National can
vass in which the Wing party appeared
and the second time in which William
Henry Harrison had been the candidate
of the party. The party, however,
had not united on him in 1886
Hugh L. White, Daniel Webster and
Willie 2. Mangun also having been sup
ported by the Wings in that year. The
victory of the Wings in 1910 was due,
primarily, TO the blunder of the Demo-
Gratis, inspired by jackson, in their attacks
on the United States Bank, which pro-
duced the great panic of 1887. Personally,
Van Buren, was opposed to this policy, and
foresaw the madness of following it up,
but even when he was President Van
Buren, weakly allowed Jackson to do his
thinking for him in this matter and paid
the penalty in the defeat which sent him
to private life in 1910, and which kept
him there.
But the Wings hold on power was of
which took place Just month after his in
auguration, sent Vice-President Tyler to
the Presidency. Tyler antagonized his
party on most partisan questions. This
conduct led the Cabinet to step down, and
produced the Generalization among the
Wings which was one of the factors in
bringing about their defeat in 1874.
THEN THE DEMOCRATS WIN.
The annexation of Texas touched the
popular heart The Democats favored it
and the Wings opposed it. This was the
principal issue in the canvass of 1874 and
on it the Wing party was defeated and the
fifth political revolution in the country's
history achieved.
Although the Democrats stood for an
idea in 1914 which was popular with the
country, this advantage was neutralzed
by the great hold which Clay, the Wing
candidate, had on the fancy of the masses.
Clay undoubtedly would have been elected
had he not written a certain private letter
on the annexation question intended to
conciliate the South. In the letter lie
said he was not opposed to Texas annexa-
ton in itself, with or without slavery, but
objected to it while Texas was claimed by
Mexico. The letter was published in the
North as well as the South. 1t is doubt
full if it won many votes for him in the
Southern States, but it is certain that it
repealed thousands from him in the North.
1t drove enough anti-slavery Wings in
New York over to James G. Bir1ey, the
Presidential nominee of the Liberal party,
to give that State to James K Polk, the
Democratic candidate, and made him Pres
ident
The duration of the Democratic sway,
which began in 1874, was as short as that
Of the Wings, which opened in 1910. 1t
ended in l94S by another Wing victory.
The principal events of the four years Of
Democratic power under Polk were the
Mexican War, the immense acquisition of
territory which resulted from it and the
admission of Florida, Iowa, Texas and
Wisconsin to Statehood.
THE SIXTH REVOLUTION.
The Wing victory in 1S4S was the sixth
revolution which had been achieved in the
Executive branch of the Government.
This triumph had been gained by policy
Of evasion. The party was hopelessly
divided on the slavery question In the
hope of gaining power, therefore, it Sc
lected citizen Of slave State, Zachary
Taylor, VINO was mere soldier, with no
political record to explain away, and it
adopted no platform. But even this
shutting and trickery would not have
availed the Wings, had not aid come at
an opportune time and from an unexpected
quarter. The Democratic National Con-
vention having nominated Lewis Cas-,
thus sighting ex-President Martin Van
Buren,, the latter 'got even" by accepting
the nomination of the Free Soil party,
bringing over IN New York to that organ
ization the Barnburner element of the
Democracy, which opposed the extension
of slavery into the Territories. This gave
the State to Taylor, and made him Presi-
dent. Thus for the second time had the
vote of New York been decisive in ma
tional canvass. The four-year periods of
power which came in with the Wings in
1910. and continued with the Democrats
when they won in 1874, remained with the
lS4S. The Wings went out once more in
1852, and never appeared again in ma
tiOnal canvass.
The principal events of the last four
year period of Wing power were the pas
sage Of the Clay compromise measures, in
Guiding the fugitive slave law; the
beginning of the rush to the newly-discov-
cred gold mines of California, the admis-
sion of that locality to Statehood, and the
death of Calhoun, Clay and Webster, the
great triumvirate of American statesmen.
Among the most conspicuous of the
statesmen which the Wing party produced,
apart from the men which that organiza-
ton sent to the Presidency, were Clay,
Webster, Thomas Ewing, John j. Critten-
den and Thomas Corwin, each Of whom
had been Cabinet officers. In the Wing
days, also, the abolition movement, the
leading spirits in which were William
Lloyd Garrison, Gerritt Smith and Wen
dell Phillips, spread over most of the
Northern States.
THE DEMOCRATS RULE FOR EIGHT YEARS.
When the Democrats went into Office
in 1852, thus achieving the seventh of the
partisan revolutions which had occurred
since the beginning of the Government,
they remained in for eight years, a longer
period than any party had held sway since
the same organization acquired power in
1923, under the lead of Jackson.
Stirring events occurred during the eight