The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-09-04
POLITICAL DARK HORSES.
The Story Of Their Introduction to
Defeat the Fixed-up Cau-
Gus Slate.
John Quincy Adams Was tho
Original, Away Back in
1924.
Van Rurea Was the Same Sort Of = Run
nsr, a. Was Tyler, Fremont. Hayes,
Garfield and Harrison.

Mor, a. Was Tyler, TrehMoMt, Heyos
Garfield and Harrison.
Tho first political national convention Il
tho United States was held by the anti
Masonic party in 1881. says the ChioaR,
Graphic. 1t met in Baltimore, and nomi
mated William Writ for president an,
Amos Ellmskor for vios president. Unit
that period political influences we're WELD
ed by groups of leaders through Legislative
and congressional oaucuses. BY 1895 the
democratic party had adopted tho system
of state and national conventions. and in
1874 the whig party followed its example,
1t was the dark horse business that
kicked over the irresponsible caucus sys-
tenn and established representative couyen-
tions.
The last caucus candidates for the presi-
dency were presented in 1924. In that year
the democrats in congress almost un ami
mously nominated William Ii. Crawford.
Some Of tho state legislatures rebslled and
presented tho name of Andrew jackson.
Other Legislatures named Henry Clay, and
tho contest opened with the three popular
leaders. The election was thrown in the
house of representatives, and John Quincy
Adams, whose name had only been mon
toned in q desultory way. was elected
president. Mr.. Adams was the original
clark horse."
The election of John Quincy Adams dis
ruptsd what was known as the democratic
republican party, which was the only real
party, the fedsralists having become prao-
ticAlly extinct. Upon the election of Adams
the party split into factions-the support
ers Of President Adams and his lieutenant.
Henry Clay, known as Adams and Clay re-
publicRns; and the followers of Andrew
jackson, known as jackson republicans.
The supporters Of Adams and Clay ulti-
mately became wings. and the jackson mon
topped their republican surname and be-
came democrats pure and simple, and in
1882 nominated and elected Andrew Jack
son president.
Four wears later the democratic national
its candidate. He, too, was a dark horse"
for John G. Calhoun was the party's prefer
ence. In the next campaign Gen. William
Henry Harrison, a whig, was elected, push
ing aside such tried and popular leaders ns
Henry Clay and Daniel Webster. The
campaign of hard cider, log cabins and COON
skins, followed by the rush Of otflce-seekers,
vas too much for the hero of Iippeoanoe.
He died ono month after his Inauguration,
and John Tyler. another dark horse" of
decided color, finished the presidential telm
and nearly finished the whig party also.
ii The preference of tho party resssertsd it.
self ia 1874 by the nomination of its peerless
leader, Henry CLAY, one of the most attrao-
tive and irresistible of men. But MIR. Clay
was defeated by a very dark horse,' james
X. Polk. OF tennessee, who WAS scarcely
known outside of his own state until sprung
upon the democratic convention and made
the presidential candidate.
afThe ''old soldier" card Of the whig party,
which won with Harrison, was repeated sue
cessfully with Gen. Zachary Taylor. Again
Clav and Webster were put aside, and old
Trough and Ready" who had whipped
Santa Ana from the Rio Grande to the halls
Of tho Montezumas, defeated the great dem
Lewis Cass. who, like Henry Clay, dice Of a
broken heart. The election also sealed the
fate of "Old Zack," who lived only one year
after his Inauguration.
is Gen. Scott, nominated in 1852. was not q
winner. He had fought the British red
coats at Chippewa and Lundy's Lane and
had planted the stars and stripes in this City
Gratis had caught on to the dark Horse
idea, and trotted out Franklin Pierce, a
New Hampshire country lawyer, who had
s.ft in Mexico" The wings s%candalized ,
his record by saying that he tainted and
fell OH his horse in battle, but Pierce Car
ing Goa. Scott only four. This was the
last national campaign of the wing party.
Counting from the accession of Adams 10
1925, which gave rise to the party, it was
successful in only two of its eight hard
fought national campaigns.
The republican party, rising like a pha-
nix from the ashes Of it's pI PREDECESSOR in
1856, came very near winning the plumes
OF victory. in it's first national onset. The
honor OF its leadership was pre-eminentlv
due William Il. Seward. but was given to
Col. John G. Fremont, the pathfinder" a
dark horse" whose brilliant record proved
q grand inspiration to the aggressive young
party. Mr.. Seward seemed once more the
candidate of his party in 1860,
Abraham Lincoln appeared, defeating
all other claimants, including Seward.
Chase, Wade, Mclean and other founders
of the party. In the crisis of the civil
there was no opposition to Mr.. Lin
coins denomination, but the and of the
conferred the presidential Office
Andrew johnson, whose name had
never been thought of in tina connection.
Tho third triumph Of the republicans was
won under Gen. Grant. who before the war
WAS an old-time democrat and would have
been nominated by that party if their con-
%vention had met first. 10 Offset the nomi-
nation of Grant by the republicans the
named their most uncompromis-
and lifelong opponent and the darkest
ali dark horses. Horace Greeley.
Inc history OF later campaignsis familiar
to the youngest voter. Gen. Hayes was a
dark horse" in 1876 and Gen. Garfield in
1850. neither having been cnnvassed as a
probable nominee until presented az a COM
promise candidate. On the Democratic aid
Mr.. Cleveland made n simiiar r. cord. He
had been sheriff, mayor, governor, had WIS.,
TIED the capital but once and wns unknown
the public mon of the country. The
democratlc outlook for a presidential can
in 1899 is quite az perplexinp "a in
1854. and the republican vision is still
IN history of political parties
that the "favorite SON. is no match
for the dark horss'' in national politics.
BALMACEDA ON THE OCEAN.