The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-12-05
HISTORY OF THIRD
PARTY MOVEMENT


s.dered in the direct cline of succession
to the presidency Randolph wanted
James Monroe to be nominated in 1903,
at the end of Jeffersons second term,
instead of Madison.
On March 6. 1906, Randolph, in one of
the bittelrest speeches ever made in con-
gress by himself or anybody else, formal
ly declared war on the administration.
In opposing resolution for prohibiting
the importation of British goods, IN re-
taHation for Pitts attack on the United
States carrying trade, Randolph asked,
contemporary, rs this a measure cf
the cabinet?" and answered that he did
not mean of IAN open, declared cabn-t,
but Of an invisible, inscrutable, uncons,ti.
tut'onal cabinet, without responsibility,
unknown to the constitution II speak,"
he said, "of back stairs influence, of men
who bring messages to this house which,
although they do net appear on its jour
mails, govern its decisions. Like
all true political quacks you deal only in
handbillS and nostrums.-* And
where are you going to send your pol.ti-
cal pana cea-resolutions and handbills
excepted, your sole arcanum of govern
ment, your king cure-aF +? To Madrid?
No! You are not such quacks as not to
know where the shoe plnches.
After shrinking from the Spanish jaclxal,
do you presume to bully the British
lion?"
This terrific assault on the Jefferson
administration put Randolph outs. de of
the republican (democratic) party, and
produced what was called the revolt of
the Guilds, the first break which occurred
IN the republican ranks The term was
from the Latin words tertium quid, or
third something" Thus they were dis
tinguished from the two great parties,
the republicans and federalists. About
half a dozen republicans followed Ran
dolph out OF their party. The quids nsv-
never became "a national party, although
the republican enemies of jefferson who
did not go into the federallst party, in
the few states in which they existed,
went under that des gnation. They
warred first against Jefferson and then
against Madison, supporting The federal
lists in their opposition to the emba rgo,
and the general restrictive system of the
republicans. When Madison put Monroe
into his cabinet. however on April 2,
1911, as secretary of state, and thus ac-
knowledged Monroe as his political heir,
the ultimate reason for the guilds exist
ence disappeared, and they dropped
back into the republican ranks.
The earliest of all the third parties,
however, which formally put a presiden-
tial ticket I'm the field, was the Anti-Ma-
sonic party. William Morgan, of Ba-
tavia. NJ Y member of the Masonic
order, who threatened to reveal its se-
crets, was spirited off to Niagara, in 1926,
and a body soon afterward was found
in the river below the falls, which some
of his friends asserted was his. The
crime was attributed to the Masons,
great excitement was created throughout
the country, and party was formed
in New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont
and several othsr states which aimed to
exclude Masonz from all political offices.
The crusade soon entered national poll
ties. The Anti Masonic party had
national ticket in the field in 1882, con-
sisting of William Writ, of Maryland,
for president and Amos ETlmaker of
Pennsylvania, for vice-pcesident. 1t
carried only one state, Vermont. Imme-
dlately afterward IT disappeared from the
national stage, though as a local organ
ization 1t fingered in several states for
few years longer.
The second of the minor parties which
can be said to have had national or
ganization was the liberty party, and II
participated in two presidential can
vassas-1s40 and 1914. Unlike the Anti