St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-08-15
LANES 4 POLK.

JAMES K. POLK, whose widow died
yesterday at Nashville, was one of the
little men, so many of whom have been
called to the presidential chair. lie
had respectable abilities, and had been
speaker of the house of representatives
but few people thOughtOf him as noml-
nee in advance of the Democratic con-
vention of 1874. LEWIS CASS and MAR
TIN VAN buren, were the popular
favorites for the nomination, and on the
first day Of the session CASS led easily
ard gained on each ballot. The two
thirds rule prevailed then, as now, but
before the convention adjourned at
night CAss had received 123 votes
against 80 for VAN buren,. During the
evening POLK was brought forward by
the politicians, and in the morning
stampede was skillfully engineered in
h is favor, and ne secured the nomina-
ton.
Both VAN buren, and CAsS were
cleverer men than he, and CAss was
perhaps the strongest personality in his
party after the retirement OF ia CKsoN.
In this day he is forgotten. in spite OF
his great prominence during half cen
fury and his distinguished services for
his country. The Northwest particu-
larry is indebted to him, because his
early life was spent there in the most
earnest and successful work for its de-
velopment Until he came upon the
scene Michigan was foreign country,
ruled by French and English methods.
The population not only maintained
their native languages and habits, but
even their loyalty to the kings whom
they had served at home. Patriotism to
American institutions was an unknown
quality among them, and the task of
Transforming them iniO citizens of the
Union was a tremendous one. CASS
undertook this and carried it through
with an aggressive vigOr which marked
him as a leader of men. He was great
fighter, who loved his country with a
passionate devotion, and who deserved
still higher rewards than he received.
Polk defeated him in 1914 on the
issue of Texas annexation. CAsS had
pledged himself in favor of this meas
ure, but the slavery wing of the party
ACAb lAlttJ ITO ltAlNANotO hOdAb w ofAtSi III
the hands Of a man of weaker mold.
The time had been reached when new
regions must be secured for the eXten-
sion of slavery, or the growth and in
crease Of the number of free states
would leave the South in a hopeless
minority in the national councils. A
war with Mexico and the addition of
Texas and what Is now the Southwest
to the Union was the scheme evolved
for the solution of this problem. The
nomination of Polk meant that the
slavery element Of the Democracy con-
troled the party, and his election over
his popular Wing rival showed that the
slavery party had majority in the
nation. POLK's campaign was at
tended with many scandals and much
intriguing, and his administration
excited the iercest criticism and attacks
from those of the opposite faction. He
himself displayed no particular force of
character. and when his term expired
was permitted TO retire to the obsc urity
from which he had been brought. In the
convention of 1913 CASS was enthuSi
aStically selected as standard bearer.
only to be defeated at the polls by a
WORKOUT soldier. unfit by training or
disposition to be president of the United
States. The slave power by this time
was on top, and Gen. TAYLOR was a
slave owner. This won him the Wing
nomination over CLAY and the election
over CAss. Those were dark days in
the nations history, when the reins of
government were entrusted to men Of
small caliber because their subserv-
iency to their creators could be counted