Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-01-02

they were put through a series OF de-
grees accompanied by awe-inspiring
ceremonies. Until they received the
final degree they were instructed TO ans
wer all questions ebout the order with
the words: II know nothing about it,
THAT was the way the name OF the
krJw-nothing party originated and by
that name Il was known in the cam.
paij,n OF 1886.
The kn9w-nothing convention was
held In Philadelphia IN February. MIL
lard Fillmore, OF New York. was noml-
mated for president and Andrew Jack
son Donelson OF Tennessee for vice.
president. The platform adopted WAS
brief and the principles OF the party
were clearly stated In these two SEN
fences.
"Amerlcans must rule America. and
TO this end native born citizens should
DO selected for all state. federal and
municipal government employment In
preference to all others.
Opposition TO any union between
church and state, no Interference with
religious faith or worship and no test
ollhs for Office"
In the election the party carried on
ly one sIate-Maryland- pollea the
second largest popular vote ever cast
FOR The candidates OF a third party In
national election. The total vote for
Fillmore was Sii.5Sl. This vote has
only been exceeded By the vote cast
for the Popuiist ticket In the election
OF 1892. Fllmore's percentage or the
popular vote was much larger than the
percentage for Weaver two years ago
The popular vote for Fillmore was
more than 20 per cent OF the total vote
cast
Out of the wreck OF the Know-noth.
ing party and the remains of the vhig
party u new third party was organized
for the campaign OF 1860. 1t was called
the Constitutional Union party and an
nounecd that It had no platform ex-
cept the constitution OF the United
Safes. Its candidate for president was
John Bell of Tennessee. and he carried
four Southern states. which gave him
thirty-nlne electoral votes. but hts pop
ular vote was 100000 less than that of
Douglass. who had only twelve elector-
al votes.
Third parties then disappeared from
national politics until 1879, when sew
eral Of them entered the Held, but on
1 ly onc. the Prohibition party, got its
candidates for president and Vice
! president to make the race. James
/ Black, the Prohibition candidate, re-
ceivcd only 560S votes.
! The Greenback party came into ex-
/ istence in 1876 and nominated Peter
/ Cooper for president He got $1,000
votes. In 1850 the Grcenback party was
/ agalr In the field and James IL. Weav-
er. its nominee for president, received
| more than 100000 votes. Neal DOW
made the race for the ProhibitIonists
4 the same year. but received oniy a
I trifling vote.
The campaign OF 1884 was prolific
| of new parties. The Greenback party
/ was sun in existence and nominated
/ 3. II. Butler for president. The Pro-
- %
| John, the American Prohibition party
nominated Samuel G.. Fomeroy and
the Equal Riots party nominated
Belva Ann lockwood for president.
In the campaign Of 1883 the Union
! Labor party appeared as the forerun-
ner of the Populist party. a national
convention was held in Cincinnati In
May and Andrew j. Streater OF Illinois,
was nominated for president The con-
vention was not harmonious and the
Populist party was already in process
OF formation throughout the West ana
| South but In the election that year
! Streator received a popular vote of
1866. The same year the popular
vote for the Prohibition candidate took
a big upward jump. Clinton B. Fisk.
their candidate for president. got 2i6-
$40 votes
The Populist party entered the cam
paign OF 1892 with James Il. Weaver
as its candidate for president, and IN
the light OF the history OF third parties
It accomplished wonders. It polled the
largest popular vote ever cast for tho
candidate Of third party, carried more
states for Weaver than We're carried
for Bell In 1860 and had almost as
many electoral votes as the latter. In
addition, II secured the governors and
legislatures Of several Western states.
The Prohibition party has been In
existence longer than any other third
party. and Is the only minor organiza-
ton in the history Of American poll
tics that has held together for more
than twenty years. IL has nominated
a straight ticket In nix national cam
palgns and has polled n steadily In
] nidan alnc Nntn at nnch nInnllnn