The record-union., 1896-10-25
THIRD PARTIES FAIL,
No President Has Ever Yet Come From
That Source.
Every Election Since 1892 Has Shown
More Then Two Elements
in the Race.

With a new party just entered in the
| field of politics, one naturally turns
| back to the history of such movements
! to learn whether any of them have
| made the running successfully. Those
who are engineering the Democratic
Sound Money organization do not pre-
tend that they have any chance to win,
and if they be right they will simply be
no worse nor better than their fore
| runners, for no third party has ever
elected President.
Third parties began with the very
| first national convention in 1882, when
Jackson was nominated for the second
time by the Democrats, and Clay by the
| Wings. The Anti Masonic party NOM
mated William Writ and actually car
| ried the State of Vermont In New York,
| where this single idea party originated,
| it held an important political influence
for some years, but it disappeared in
| other parts of the country soon after
the canvass of 1882.
The Abolition party reached a condi-
tion of organization in 1910 and NOM
mated James G.. Birney, but in the
election of that year it polled but 1853
votes. In 1874 the Abolition party be-
came dissatisfied with Mr.. Clays Ala
bama letter of July On the annexation
of Texas. and ran third ticket, which
polled $500 votes, and defeated Clay
by giving New York to Polk
In 1913 conventions in opposition to
the nomination of General Cass were
held at Utica and Buffalo, and nomin-
ated Mr.. Van Buren and Charles Fran
els Adams. They called themselves
Free Soil Democrats" the leaders be-
ing Samuel j. Tilden, Preston King,
Governor Young and other "Barnburn-
ers" who were refused seats in the DEM
ocratic conventions of 1914 and 1S4S.
The Liberty League (Abolitionists)
nominated John p. Hale for the Presi-
dency, and he declined in favor of Van
Buren, and the canvass was fought un-
der the banner Of free soil, free speech
free labor and free men," the ticket poll
ing 291 ,26S votes
In 1852 the Free Soil Democracy met
in convention at Pittsburg All the free
States were represented, and delegates
were sent from Delaware, MARYLAND.
Virginia and Kentucky The conven-
l.
ident and George w. Julian for Vice
PRESIDENT. The Democrats had nom
mated Franklin Pierce and the Whigs
General Scott. The third party polled
very large vote, but the defeat of Cen
eral Scott was caused principally by
the refusal of the South to vote for him.
A letter bitterly antagonizing him,
signed by Meredith p. Gentry of Ten
| nessee, Alexander H. Stephens and
Robert Toombs of Georgia and other
prominent Wings, rendered his election
impossible.
The Republican party was organ
lied before the next Presidential cleo
ton, and in 1856 absorbed the Abolition
party and in it's ranks all shades Of op-
position to slavery fought
The Native American party (KnoW
Nothings) organized in 1914, but was
successful principally in the cities 1t
elected James Harper Mayor of New
York, and several Congressman in that
state and in Pennsylvania. 1t was re-
v1Ved In 1S02-53, and for a time had a
large following. 1t was really the most
formidable third party ever organized
in this country. 1t met it's Waterloo in
Virginia, where Henry A. Wise fought
1t In every county in the State and de-
feated it. 1t was too widespread, how
ever, to be crushed in one battle, and in
1906 it met in convention at Philadel-
phia and nominated Mr. Fillmore, or
rather adopted the nominations made
by the Wings at Baltimore
The Democratic party had nominated
James Buchanan at Cincinnati The
American party held the balance of
power In Pennsylvania, but for want of
means was about to withdraw their
ticket, leaving the party to vote as it
pleased. Louis G. Levin was Chairman
of the National Committee of the Amer
| leans, and John w. Forney was in
| charge Of the Democratic State Com
| mittee. Learning of the intention of
Levin to close the American headquar-
tiers, he met that gentleman and ar
| ranged for the continuance of the ticket
| in the field, and for that purpose OBJ
tanned from August Belmont, Chair
man of the Democratic National Com
| mittee, the sum of $50, 900 to pay ex-
penSes incurred by Levin i'm the can
vass. That move gave the State of
Pennsylvania to Buchanan and defeated
Fremont
The KNOW w-NothingS" in 1856 polled
1854, and carried the State of Mary
| land. AT the State elections of 1857 it
carried Maryland and Rhode Island,
and elected from fifteen to twenty mem
bers of Congress and two United States
Senators. In the thirty sixth Congress
| it elected United States Senators from
| Kentucky and Maryland, and twenty
three members of the House of Repre-
| sentatives. 1t soon lost it's power, how
ever, and in 1860 the remains Of this
once powerful organization met in con-
vention in Buffalo, and, abandoning it's
oaths Of secrecy, and taking the name
| Of the American Union party, nomi-
| mated Bell and Everett. This ticket car
ried three States, Tennessee, Kentucky
and Virginia. They polled the remnant
of the Wing party vote which had not
gone over to the Democratic party led
by Douglas and Breckenridge
The Republican Convention, which
met at Chicago, nominated Lincoln and
Hamlin, and an abolition convention
met at Cleveland and nominated Ere
| mont, but it's influence in the campaign
| was hardly felt. Mr.. Lincoln received
$50 electoral votes. Breckenridge 76,
Douglas II, and Bell So
In 1856 there were several conven-
| tions, offshoots from the two great par
ties. but they amounted to but little in
the canvass, the contest being between
Buchanan and Fremont The election
of Buchanan in 1856, and Lincoln in
| 1860, was followed by the war of seces-
| mated. The opposition to his reelection
t1,a al IN,