The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1897-04-09
The Democratic Party.
Its History From the Foundation, to
the Last Great Battle.

United States became the supreme
law of the land, the duty of put
ting in motion the machinery o
the new government devolvei OF
its friends, the Federalists. This
they did, and in tho course of time
funded the debt contracted by the
Continental Congress, assumed ant
funded the Revolutionary debts o
the States, established a nationa
bank, and began system of inter
nal taxation. Each of these meas
ures was stoutly opposed as unnec'
essary, ineXpedient or unconstitu'
tional, because power to do them
was not expressly given by the
Constitution. Taken together, they
were declared to have nationaliz-
ing tendency, very dangerous to
democratic government, and show
ing a strong leaning towards mon
uIClf. CO blItcl was tiO iCSiih6 3
aroused, that Jefferson, with the
aid of Madison, began tho forma-
tion Of a party, which they called
the Republican, and established the
National Gazette Q792) at Philadel-
phla, to set forth the principles of
the new party.
So far the Republican party was
based on opposition to the domestic
policy of the administration But
in1793 Washington Issued his proc
lamation of neutrality between
France and her enemies, and added
a new element to their discomfort.
Thenceforth the Republican, or as
it began to be called, the Demo-
cratic Republican, party was the
warm friend Of France and its pol
icy of a decidedly French cast. In
170i it attempted to provoke war
with England, and forced Washing
ton, in the interest of peace, to
send John Jay to England to nego-
tiate treaty. When the treaty
was made it was denounced, its
negotiator was burned in etfigy,
and the President attacked with a
violence beyond description. In
these sentiments II large part of
the Republicans did not share, and
so long as Washington was willing
to serve as President, the people
were willing to have him. But in
1896, when he declined q third
term, the Republicans formally
brought forward Jefferson as
candidate and succeeded in elect
ing Vice-President.
The insults from France and the
excitement X V q Mission and the
quasi war 1798-1sOO), checked their
success for the time being. But
the Federalists passed (l79S) the
Alien and Sedition Acts. The Re-
publicans replied with the Virgin
ia and Kentucky Resolutions, and
in 1900 swept the country, elected
jefferson and Burr, and for twenty
four years retained control of the
Federal Government. During this
period they repealed all internal
taxes, bought Louisiana from
France (lS03), reduced the national
debt from $83,OO0,0O0 in 1901 to $42-
100000 in 1912, laid the famous
embargo of lS07-09, and fought the
War of 1912. By these acts the
party showed that it was rapidly
from its old doctrine of
strict construction of the Constitu-
tion, and that it was under control
Of new generation, led by Clay,
Adams, Calhoun, Crawford, Grundy
and Lowndes.
The disastrous experience of the
War of 1912 modified the old policy |
yet more, and in 1916 the Republi-
cans establised the second national
bank and laid a protective tariff,
which was made more protective
still in 1924, and showed a strong
lesire to spend public money on
'oads and canals. But against
hese changes the South revolted.
The cotton-growing, tobacco-rais-
ng, rice-producing States cared
nothing for manufactures, moth
ng tor internal improvements; and
n 1924 the Republican party split
nto four factions, led by John Q.
Adams, Henry Clay, Andrew Jack
on and w. II. Crawford. The re-
ult was, no election by the elector-
j colleges; coalition of the Ad-
ms and Clay men (both friendly
o internal improvements and the
arif) and the election of Adams
" the House of Representatives;
nd the rise of two new and un-