The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-03-11
POLITICS IN DAYS OF old
It Didn't Differ Much from the
Politics Of Today.
HON. HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF
Doodle and Fraud Charged just 0s
vociferousiy In tho Campaign of
1870 rs In Any Moro Recent
Presidential Contest.
From the New York Sun.

From the New York Sun.
The presidential campaign of 1910 was
the longest in the history of the count
try. and, excepting that OF 1850, aito-
gether the most exciting. IL pegan
eleven months before the election with
the nomination of General w. II. Har-
rison at Harrisburg In December 1859,
a nomination effected by the most ex-
traordinary of sharp political contriv-
ancas, ingenious and complicated be-
yond anything ever since attempted In
ma ational convention; that was intended
to defeat and that did defeat Mr.. Clay,
whose nomination, except for this con-
trivance, was almost certain to nave
been made.
The operation Of the contrivance re-
ferred to was as follows: Each OF the
delegations in the convention selected
q committee of three of Its own mem
bers, to which committee the members
OF the delegation delivered their several
"views and opinions" as to the nomina-
tions for president and vice president
most desirable to be made. The COM
mittees, thus selected and instructed,
met together in one body, and after re-
ceiving and comparing the views and
opinions" of the delegates proceeded TO
formulate their own. These were re-
ported back to the delegations. The
delegations. enlightened in this way.
then proceeded separately to ballot for
candidates The results of these bal
lots were laid before the committees
again, aggregated into one body. who,
after comparing and deliberating upon
them, formulated further views and
opinions for the information OF the del
egations.
-, 81 t1,r InA q
third time. and, further Informed, again
considered and balloted, and again sent
their ballots to the aggregated COM
mlttees, who again compared. consid-
cred and formulated. This general
process was repeated until a majority
of the votes was found to have been
cast for q particular candidate. Upon
discovery of u majority the fact was
communicated to the delegations in
general convention assembled "for
their consideration" the majority of
the delegates from each state casting
the vote Of the state. 1t was by means
Of the foregoing singularly elaborate
and remarkable system Of procedure
that Mr.. Clay was defeated and General
Harrison nominated by a majority of
AZ over the united votes Of General
Scott and Mr.. Clay, Scott receiving Is
votes, Mr. Clay 80 and General Harri-
son 14S.
AN EXCITING CAMPAIGN.
The campaign that succeeded was one
Of extraordinary excitement and incl
dent. According to Mr.. Benton 1t was
conducted on the Harrison side by
banks and their agents, who used
money in fabulous amounts and In
ways not dreamed Of" In an address
to the country Amos Kendall declared
that contempt of the people lay at the
bottom of the whole Harrison scheme
of electiOneering" I'VE have seen vast
assemblages collected together" he
said, "at great labor and cost, not to re-
spond to any principles, or to listen to
any argment, but to drown the voice of
reason in the shouts Of revelry and to
lead captive the feelings of the people In
a senseless excitement aroused by the
hauling of log cabins. canoes and cider
barrels through the streets; the display
of banners with unmeaning notices.
the singing of dOggerel rhymes. and the
exhibition of vulgar pictures; riot and
drunkenness, joined with mummery
and mockery--all alike disgraceful and
insulting" Above everything else,
however, according to the same author
ity, was the 'use of money without
STINT the abuse of official station, and
privilege without restraint, and the vio-
lation of law without reserve;" alto
Eether forming "a food of demoraliza-
tion," in some of the states resting in
stagnant pools. cOntaminating the at
mosphere of liberty, and threatening
death to everything virtuous, noble and
free'-even to the republic itself This
was putting the case very strongly. but
no doubt Mr.. Kendall devoutly believed
all that he alleged.
The Harrison men-otherwise the
Whigs-were not in the least moved by
the complaints and charges of the DEM
ocrats. otherwise the "Locofocos," but
continued to hold their big meetings. to
exhibit their vulgar pictures. to sing
their doggerel rhymes. to drink their
hard cider and to drag their canoes and
log cabins on wheels through the
streets and along the country roads.
They got back" at the Locofocos with
charges quite as serious as those
against which they were called upon to
defend.
COUNTER CHARGES.
They declared that Mr.. Van Buren,
whose father had kept country tavern
was an aristOcrat: a monarchist, in
fact, who lived in royal style in the
white house. who ate his soup out of
spoons of gold and his pie with knives
of silver: who honored the rich and de-
spised the poor: who demanded
standing army of $1,000 men under his
own control. for what sinister purpose
of enslavement of the people Is easily
inferred. He had wasted the public
revenues, had increased the public ex-
penditure, and had added S2O,0OO.OOO to
the public debt. He was hostile to the
pl,ae, IN.
the destruction of the ministers of re-
ligion. He was the enemy of free la
Dor, who aimed to bring the wages of
American workmen to the European
level and to destroy the profits OF
American farmers. Among the minor
charges were two: That he had estab-
lished new mints in which II cost 40 per
cent. of the value of gold eagles to coin
them and that turned out n-cent
pieces at cost of thirty cents each,
And great deal more of the same
Kind. ending with a declaration that
one term was enough for any man.
In fact. however. the real issues of the
campaign related to currency and
banking and the tariff. AS to the lat
ter, the Harrison (or Whig) doctrine
was immensely removed from what is
now called 'McKinleyism.' General
Harrson's position on that subject was
authoritatively stated in these words:
He Is In favor of such judiciOus tariff
regulations as saall provide for the ac-
tual wants of the government and pro-
tect the national industry. without af-
fording the means of extravaganza. or
q surplus beyond what may be neces-
sary to discharge its current and eX-
isting obligations" holding 1t "to he
the duty of the government to keep its
expenses within its ordinary revenues"
1t was. however, the opinion of Gen
eral Harrison. and his supporters
that even upon this moderate view
of tariff legislation sufficient pro-
lection might ba had to give to
farmers profitable prices for their
products, and to the artisans and
Ia Lnrers Of the couut ~ cnnetnn Mt on,