Los Angeles herald., 1892-04-09


burg Post. Democratic journal now
recognized as one of the leading dailies
OF the United States. 1t flies at its head
the Democratic ticket for 1882, when
General Jackson was up for reelection.
This ticket ran:
National Convention Nomination;
For President,
Andrew Jackson;
For Vice President,
Martin Van Buren,;
Pennsylvania Candidate for e-President,
William wilkins.
1t will be observed that, on this ticket,
there were two candidates for vice.
president, an eccentricity that would
not be possible now. Martin Van Buren
is supported by the Manufacturer as
the national convention" nominee, but
Pennsylvania evidently claimed the
right to compliment their fellow citizen
of the land of Penn. 1t may not be
amiss, in this connection, to mention
the fact that William Wilkins was
citizen of Pittsburg, was brother-in-
law OF George M. Dallas OF Philadelphia,
who was elected vice-president on the
ticket with Polk. Wilkins was ap-
pointed by Jackson minister to Russia
and secretary of war. These distin-
guished gentlemen were both exceed
ingly popular in Pennsylvania, and Dali
las came very near being president. The
father of the writer was wont to oppose
Dallas's candidacy on the good. solid
Democratic ground-good for those days
at least-that the Dallas and Wilkins
families had enough relations between
them to fill all the Offices in the United
States. Nepotism at that time was not
popular amongst the followers OF Jack
son. The Honorable William Wilkins
had son, Charley, who came out to
California and was elected to the bench.
We do not know what became of him,
but believe he died in the early days of
this commonwealth history.
The Manufacturer not only publishes
the ticket, but it also flies at it's head,
and incorporated with it, series of
declarations of principles that will prob
ably interest our readers. First is the
announcement in capital letters, "Uni-
versal Public Education" This is an
eloquent though compendious delivery
on the subject of the public schools
that has not been surpassed since,
though it has been greatly amplifed.
The next declaration is more significant
still. 1t runs, abolition of all Char
tered Monopolies." At that time the
United States bank loomed over all the
Union, and was veritable Upas tree.
General Jackson must then have been
contemplating the removal of the United
States deposits from the bank, and
getting ready for his struggle with
Nick Biddle. equal Taxation" was
another rallying cry. There were dis
putes on militia matters then as now,
as another catchword blended with the
ticket was, "Revision or Abolition of
the Militia System" In those days the
muster was quite an institution. Still
another clause might be echoed today.
1t reads, ga Less Expensive Law Sys-
tem." Ye gods and little fishes, if the
Jackson men complained of an ex-
pensive process of administering the
law in those frugal and modest days,
when the cheek of the lawyer and court
official had not yet been hardened to
the temper of Bessemer steel, what
would they say to the costs and lawyers
fees of the California in which we live?
Doubtless we are consoling ourselves
with the idea that the demand for the
election of United States senators by a
direct vote OF the people is formula of
the present, and yet we encounter in
this ticket-platform the following: "All
officers to be directly elected by the peo-
ple." This is even more sweeping than
anything we remember to have en-
countered in the propositions of the
most radical reformers of the present
day. This brief but ringing exposition
of Democratic principles winds up with
the following cardinal tenets: "Lien for
Laborers," "No Imprisonment for
Debt" "No Legislation on Religion"
Most of these Democratic reforms, it
will be observed, have been accom-
plished. California has an iron-clad
lien-law, and religious liberty is 30 firm
ly interviewer in our institutions and in
public sentiment that the rawlings of