The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-07-09
AN IDEAL CAMPAIGN.

clearly-detined National issues, upor
which the people are deeply interested
and the character of the candidates i
in a measure lost sight Of Both partie.
have adopted platforms squarely enun
ciating their respective positions, and
have put in nomination men represent
ing to the fullest those principles. There
is no shutting or evasion on either side
and il must be a fight to a finish. 1t Is
a cleaner-cut fight than has ever before
been presented to the American people
The campaign of 1860 was much more
confused. Then even the Republicans
were far from being homogeneous, ex-
cept upon the principle that the further
extension Of slavery should be resisted
The greater part of the Republicans
were content to have slavery remain un-
molested where it had existed for years.
A small fraction of radical Abolition
lists were in favor Of aggression against
slavery wherever found. The Douglas
Democrats were in favor of having the
further extension Of slavery settled by
Popular Sovereignty" that is, by the
actual settlers in the Territory where it
was intended to introduce the institution.
The Pro-Slavery Democrats, under the
lead Of Breckenridge and Lane, wanted
to make slavery National, that is,
give the slave-owner the same rights and
privileges all over the United States
that the owner of horses or cattle had.
The Constitutional Union" men,
under the lead of Bell and Everett,
wanted to drop the whole question of
slavery, which was excellent sentiment
ally. but utterly impracticable. These
divisions shaded down into all sorts and
conditions of mind in the 4,662,170
voters who cast their ballots in 1860.
These votes were divided as follows:
Lincoln 1,S57, 6l0
Douglas 4. -. -. j, 363,976
Brecklnndge o4',9o3
Dell 5oool
Total 4,662, 1TO
In 1864, the Abolition element was
dissatisfied with Lincoln because his
Administration had not been radical
enough, and great many Of the Doug
las Democrats who had supported him
were dissatisfied at his having been too
radical. The Radical Abolitionists bolt
ed, and at a convention at Cleveland
nominated John c. Fremont and John
Cockrane, but by September found so
little popular support that they with
drew their candidates from the field.
The popular vote resulted:
Llncoln 2,223, 635
Mcclellan 1,s11,754
Total 4,u3o,3S9
In 1868, many Democrats who had
supported the Administration through
the war and many Republicans strongly
dissented from the party on account of
the Reconstruction measures, the Con-
stitutional Amendments, and other mat
tiers growing out of the settlement of
the war. Many thought the Republic
can party, having fought the war through
to victory and abolished slavery, had
fulfilled its mission, and should be
dissolved into its original elements.
Nevertheless, but two tickets were put
into the feld-U. S. Grant, by the Re
publicans, Horatio Seymour by the
Democrats. The popular vote resulted:
6raht 3,tl5'07l
Total 5,I24, GS4
In 1872, the Reconstruction question
and Constitutional Amendments still
disturbed the harmony Of the Republi-
can party; the financial question was
also beginning to be very troublesome,
and there was much antagonism to Presi-
dent Grant and very much more to
persons Immediately around him, and
who represented his wing Of the party
in the various States The Liberal
Republicans led by such men as
Senator Sumner, Carl Schurz, J. ID.
Cox, Lyman Trumbull, David Davis,
b. Gratz Brown, A. G. Curtin, S. p.
Chase, VIM. Cullen Bryant, and the
editors Of the New York Tribune,