The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1893-02-18
Political Parties.

From 1882, when the votes of the
country were first divided into political
parties. i'll the national election, to 1892
100 years, nineteen different political
parties have named candidates for pres
ident and president. The Demo
cratic party came into existence in 1892
and reelected George Washington
president. 1t. has contrived to exist
withonly one serious break in its ranks.
The platform of the Democratic party
adopted by its representatives assembled
i'll national convention, was the plat
form en- which Andrew Jackson was
elected president in 1882. That plat
form declared for internal improve
ments by the government, an adjust
ment of custom duties to afford proper
protection to American industries, and
in favor of civil service reform. Dur
ing that 100 years of It's existence the
Democratic party has named candi-
dates for president and vice president
twenty-siX times, and elected its cand-
dates sixteen times. Only three other
parties elected presidents during the
century that political parties have ex-
listed.
These parties were the Federaist,
Whig and Republican, The former
twice elected John Adams president.
The Wing party elected two presidents,
w. ii. Harrison in $40 and Zachary
Taylor in 1878. The Republican party
n ant nI 4 Lat .i~ 10,
1864, 1865, 1872, 1876, 1850 and 1855.
The Federalist, Wing and Republican
parties are the only ones that have ever
succeeded i'll defeating the Democratic
party i'll national election. Itis there
fore, an interesting fact that the Fed
eralist party was in existence lust thir-
ty-siX years, was succeeded by the
Wing party, which maintained ma
tional organization for thirty-six years.
That, in turn, was followed by the
Republican party, which is thirty-six
years old this year. During the early
years of the government. prior to 1892.
politicians We're classed as Federalists
and anti-federalists, the essential diff
ing that the former favored giving the
general government more power over
the states than was advocated by the
latter. The question WAS one of the
states rights, In 1702 the anti-Feder-
alists united and organized under the
name OF the DemOcratic-R Republican
party. The party in that year re.elcc-
ted George Washington president The
Federalists also supported Washington,
but succeeded in electing John Adams
In 1896 the Federalists
elected John Adams president over
Thomas jefferson by Il majority of three
in the electoral college. In 1850 Adams
and jefferson were again the opposing
This time the election was
and Jefferson was elected. In lSUl the
voted for C. C. Pinknev, of
South Carolina, and Jefferson was re-
elected, receiving 1862 electoral votes TO
fourteen for the Federalist candidate.
In 1905 the Democrats elected james
Madison by a large majority, and re-
elected him in 1872. James Monroe,
the Democratic candidate, was elected
by still larger majority in 1916, and
in lS2O was reelected without oppOsi-
tion. That was the second and last
time that there was only one candidate
for president. In 1921 neither party
made nominations, and four candidates
entered the free-for-all race. They
were Henry Clay, John Quincy Adams,
W. IL. Crawford and Andrew Jackson.
There was no election by the electoral
elected John Quincy Adams, although
he ran $1,000 votes behind Jackson in
popular vote. In 1S2S and again in 1882
the Democrats easily elected Andrew
Jackson. over John Quincy Adams and
Henry Clay, respectively. 1t was in
1872 that the Democrats adopted their
first party platform.
In 1882 the anti Masonic party entered
the arena of national politics. The
party held a convention in Baltimore on
September 26, ISL, and nominated
William Writ for president and Amos
Ellmaker for president. That was
the first and last appearance of this
party in national politics. Its existence
was due to strong popular feeling
against the Masonic order, on account
of its secrecy, which was aroused by
the Morgan murder. a man by the
name of Morgan. who was Mason, was
murdered, and Il story that he had been
murdered by Masons for revealing Sc
crets of the order was widely circulated
and believed by many persons. The
strength of the anti Masonic movement
was greater than was generally sup
posed, and Writ received seven elec.
toral votes. The old Federalist party
passed out of existence finally IN 1898.
The Wing party at first called the Ma
tional Republican party succeeded it..
The Wings adopted no platform in 1882.
In 1886 the Democrats nominated and
elected Martin Van Buren. The first
Wing platform was adopted that year.
1t was the work of the Whig conven-
tion of this state, held at Albany in
February, 1886, and consisted of one
resolution as follow:
"REsoLvED, That Martin Van Bu-
rem, by intriguing with the executive to
obtain his influence to elect him to the