The Saline County journal., 1892-07-07
WHEN w. ~. HaRRIsoS RAN.

WHEN W. r. HARRIsOS RAN.
The Famou. Campaign of IsI0 Wa. Like
That Of o. In Many Ways. Tippe-
canoe and Tyler Too the Most
PIrturr.qu- Political Battle
In HIstory.
The campaign of $40, ore o! the
most eventGul in American political
history, i one of the most interest
ing To contemplate this year. In
many RESPECTS the issue on which
the parties went To battle were like
those which mark the present fight.
.. Besides the Wing nominee Of 1910
was the grandfather Of the Republic
can standard-bearer Of lsg2.
The Wings stood for protection, a
sound currency and a national bank
and the supervision of executive
officers by Congress; for modifica-
tion Of the veto power, internal i'm
provements and the reduction Of
public expenses.
The spirit of Andrew Jackson was
still dominant in the Democratic
councils. by his course toward the
national bank jackson had paved
the way for our financial crisis.
The reduction in the tariff brought
about by the act of 1882 tended
greatly To unsettle the finances of
the country. Clay's compromise
measure of ISIS did not help matters
much. JacksOn's arbitrary removals
and his entire disregard of public |
opinion embittered the Wings to-
ward him.
Van Buren, was old Hickory's
chosen successor in office. The
smooth, polite New Yorker, how |
ever, lacked the personality of his
predecessor. Democratic disafiec-
tions, a financial panic aud official
defalcatiOns made his presidential
term more memorable than any act
OF craftsmanship.
The extravaganza and partisan
ship of the Democratic Congress,
the peculatiOns of the Democratic
office-holdeTs and the shameless
abuse of power by the Van Buren,
administration were strong points of
attack on the part of Wing stump
orators.
THE TwENTN-sINTH CONGRESS.
The Twenty-siXth Congress, which
assembled in December of lS39, was
chosen on the old general ticket
system and not 10y state districts.
The Democratic Clerk of the old
House refused 10 recognize five
Whig members from New Jersey :
who had received proper certificates,
and SO delayed the organization Of
the House \ deadlock continued
for several days. Ii was ended by
the election Of John Quincy Adams {
rs temporary Speaker. On final
organization the House admitted
the Democratic contestants from
New Jersey in the defiance of all I
right and justice. 7
The Congress consisted OF 242
members. Each was paid out of the
Treasury of the United States S2s7.-
25 for stationery expenses and each
was furnished six penknives and
four inkstands. The Congressman I
used fifteen barrels of ink during the {
long session.
DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES IN 1870
Party assessments were vigorously a
imposed by the Democratic leaders. v
The Tammany General Committee 4
Of New York City had charge of the .
New York Custom House. They
freely made arbitrary demands for q
the good of the service" q
The defalcations of SwartmOnt, .
the Collector of the Port of New 1,
York, amounted to sl,2J0, 600. The G
minor officials reveled in extrava- +
giant expenditures. Investigation d
showed that each official of the c
Custom House had been allowed G
s275 year for stationery; wholesale o.
existed. The Govern 81
ment had To pay $l22 a gross for q
steel pens, when the market price cI
was only 80; for sand at the rate a
Of $3.50 a peek, when the market c,
price was l2',c; and for paper by
the ream $50, when il was worth d
only SIS. The Democratic District CT
of New York had also en-
bezzeled seventy odd thousand
dollars of Government money. =,
CONDlIlO\, NOT THEORY, THEN,
TOO.
The condition of the country when
the Whig Convention met on De-
cember 4, lS;S9, at Harrisburg, was n,
1eplorable in the extreme. The a..
panic Of lSS1 had not yet subsidized. .
Bank suspensions were common :,
events. The General and State ~ ~
were heavily burdened
with debts. The farmers were I'M
lble to sell their products. Manu- W
lecturers had almost ceased to exist
The woolen industry had been ef- It.
killed by Democratic tariff
agitation. Wild eat banks added TO A,
The general financial disorder by
issuing bills worth much less than y,
heir face value. Clay declared i'm q g.
speech that he could see s'no gieam
of light" for the existing wretched
condition of things. Al
The time was ripe for united and
action on the part of =
Whigs. Clay was was still the party T,
Iavorite. His letter, written a few
lays before the Convention, declar- IN
ng that he placed himself in the
hands OF his friends and would SUBJ Fo
nit to the decision Of the Conven- {
ion, had been variOusly interpreted. hss
Weed ard Horace Greeley Ar
opposed him on the ground of his
Three candidates Sc
we're presented 10 the Convention
clay, Harrison and Scott. The Fo
riends OF Webster favored Harrison
md their votes secured his selection.
Fhe available man had defeated the
nan of magDetism -,