Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-08-09
THE GOOD OLD TIMES.
"reminiscences Of Politics and States.
men in Washington.
DEATH OF THE WIG PARTY
Ty1er's Barren Victory-The Fiscal
Agencyyeto-Admin Organs-
Mr.. Clay's Defeat-Scott and Tay.
Tor.
Written for THE EVENING STAR.

H. kconsequent defeat of the party which
~Ihad placed him in power was not for.
gotten. They were spared. however, q like
misfortune in 1910, for Mr.. Fillmore's term wal
placid one, sailing under the whig flag and
with a cabinet composed OF the most eminen,
men of that grand old party.
The contrast between the two administration
secured by the whig party merits notice.
The democrats under the administration OF
Mr.. Van Buren, had so deranged the financial
condition Of the countryside destruction OF
United States Bank and other actions Of like
nature-had SO Frustrated all its industries that
the promise Of relief was one of the most
potent agencies in securing the success of the
wings under Gen. Harrison. Charges of extrav-
agance and waste of the public money in
various ways were the themes Of all the cam
paign documents and speakers. The stagnation
of all business and the distress Of the masses
made up the literary part Of the campaign. Jack
Ogle's speech. where he detailed the regal
magnifcence Of the Executive Mansion, the
sums paid for flowers (artlfcial the most of
them), with certified bills, approved by our
old and highly esteemed fellow citizen, the
late Nal Thomas L. Smith, bills for wines,
&c, were spread before the country, and the
elimination of this regal household was
reached when Oge told of "the gold spoons
with which the Presidents table were supplied,
while you, my suffering fellow citizens, are
content to eat the plainest food with pewter
spoons" The effect of this speech can hardly
be credited at this day. Thousands and
thousands Of copies were scattered over the
country; it served as the text for innumerable
political harangues, and even the staid Intel
hgenoer gave up its broad columns for several
days to its publication in full. The distress
which pervaded the country was ready to ac-
cept any explanation for its suffering condi-
ton, and so Ogle's speech was a solution and
the promise of relief the cause which more
than anything else caused the overwhelming
victory of the wing party. 1t was, however,
VERY BARREN VICTORY
The death Of Gen. Harrison within a little
month" Of his Inauguration ended the hopes of
the wings. Mr.. Tyler's early detection opened
the war between the administration and the
wings in Congress- which was wsged with in
creaslng bitterness until its close Gen. Har-
rison's cabinet remained in office at the request
OF MIR. Tyler, Mr.. Webster in the Department
of State, Mr.. Thomas Ewing in the Treasury,
John Bell in the War Department, Mr.
Badger, Secretary of the Navy; Francis Granger,
Postmaster General, and Mr.. Crittenden, At
torney General
The first duty devolving on the whig party
was to give the relief promised by some
financial measures, and bill was introduced
i'll Congress for the establishment OF United
States bank, shorn of the Objectionable
features which 1t was claimed rendered the
old institution dangerous 1t was passed with
some amendments In both houses Of Congress
and to the surprise Of the wing party and the
cabinet it was vetoed by Mr. Tyler. Another
bill, prepared to meet the Presidents obiec-
tons, one of which was the name bank" and
"a fiscal agency" was formulated with the
Presidents approval, as it was understood and
that was passed by Congress and shared the
same fate as the previous measure, being
vetoed, in Objectionable terms, as the viii z
leaders charged. In a day or two Mr. Ewin Q
resigned from the cabinet and addressed q let
ter to Gales and Seaton saying the bill lust
vetoed had been drawn in accordance with the
Presidents views and modified to suit him,
and was approved by him before it was sub
mitted to Congress, and since then he had
heard no objection to it from the President,
though it was pending in Congress several
days. His resignation was followed by the
resignation of every cabinet officer, except Mr..
Webster, who, it was understood, remained to
conclude the negotiations pending with Lord
Ashburton. The wings in both houses, with
the exception OF "a corporaPs guard" as it
was called, led by Henry A. Wise. took open
grounds against Tyler, and though he had
thrown himself into the arms of the democratic
party, the Globe, under Mr.. Blair, refused
to become his organ and gave him very faint
support
Some days before the veto of the fiscal agency
bill was sent to Congress the Washington cor
respondent of the New York Herald made the
announcement that it would be vetoed and pub
llshed the grounds upon which the veto would
be based, and when the veto message was sent
to Congress some days later the wings in both
houses denounced the President In the most
bitter speeches.
ADMINISTRATION ORGANS.
An organ in those days was deemed neces-
sary by an administration, and il ever one was
needed it was by Tyler, who found but few de-
tenders in the press of the county. The Mad
OF St Louis, who recently died, became its
editor. He had difficult task in the duty i'm
posed upon him. The Inteaige,,cer continued
to debate the political questions which arose
with its old antagonist, the Globe, rarely no
ticing the new organ, and in great measure
ignoring Tyler. The canvass conducted by
the friends Of Tyler for the succession was
ridiculous. The principal supporter in Balti-
more was Tom Lloyd, an illiterate tavern
keeper, who was given some position in the Gus
tom house in the suppostion he could control
the Irish vote. The same class Of supporters.
obtained In the same way, made Tyler's re-
nomination an absurdty and afforded good
deal OF amusement to the politicians of the day.
The inteLligenC.r's most important notice of the
administration and its organ was a travesty Of
Poole's Little Peddlington" and its rival ed
ltors. There was really no serious editorial
combat between the Intellgencer and the Mad,-
SOniQn.
AN UNFORTUNATE ADMINISTRATION.
The administration of Mr.. Tyler was stormy
one; the cabinet was frequently changed-one
of the changes being necessitated by the sad
calamity aboard the Princeton, caused by the
bursting of the huge gun the ''peacemaker,"
invented by Commodore Stockton. who was in
command of the Princet ton, and who extended
an invitation to the President and cabinet
Senate and House of Representatives and MANY
others to witness the trial of the '.peacemaker F"
On the way back to Washington from an ex.
cursion down the Potomac the gun was fred
and exploded, killing Mr.. Upshur, who had
succeeded Mr.. Webster as Secretary of State,
MIR. Gilmer, Secretary OF the Navy, Commodore
KEENAN,. one of the naval commissioners, Mr.
Virgil Maxey, ex-Attorney General, and others
In December, 1874 the news reached here of
the hanging on board the United States brig
Somers Of young Spencer, the son of the Sec
Rotary Of the Treasury, by Slidell Mckenzie,
and created the most intense and painful ex-
element throughout the whole country. Mr..
Spencer resigned from the cabinet Mckenzie
was tried but acquitted by naval board. Jas.
Kenmore Cooper wrote scathiug letter to
the public, denouncing Mckenzie as q muir
derer. Public opinion was SO generally hostile
to him that, though he remained in the navy,
he never had another command. Mr.. Spencer
had been Secretary of War, and was, on the re-
organization of the cabinet, transferred to the
Treasury. I think Judge Bibb, that ardent
disciple OF Isaac Walton succeeded Mr.. Spencer
and found relief from the duties of official life
in the pursuit Of 1.-The finny tribe"-content to
SIT all day with his sable companion if only to
obtain "a glorious nibble." The quaint old
judge, with knee breeches and buckled shoes
of the anti-revolutionary period, and his earn
est conversation, plentifully besprinkled with
eXpletives, remains q very vivid memory with