The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-12-05

From the st. Louis Globe.
This is a period of great partisan per-
turbation. Seldom have 50 many bolts in
conventions so many sclsms of different
sorts of parties, and so much independent
voting taken place as have occurred n
the past few years. About half dozen
years ago the popul.st party appeared,
drew heavily from each of the two organ
izations-from the republicans principal
~ In the west and from the democrats IN
the southland now that party has vir-
tually merged itself i'm the democracy,
leaving only small faction, the I'm. ddle-
of-the-road'' men as an independent or
ganization. Bolts took place in the re-
publican, democratic and prohibitionisr
conventions In 1886, and the populist par
ty split ON vice-pres' dent, the larger ele-
ment fusing with the democratic ticket,
and the smaller faction supporting the
head Of that ticket, but putting up can
dldate of it's own for vice-president. In
several states IN 1897 the fusion was con-
tinued, and the probability is that it will
maintain in 1900, which will mean the
absorption of the larger element of the
populists by the democracy. Appar-
emily also, the gold democrats who
bolted the Bryan ticket in 1896, the ma
jority of them acting with the republican
party during that years canvass, and
the rest of them supporting nominees of
their own, are drifting back to their old
party. The future of the element of the
republicans who rejected their party's
gold standard policy in 1896 and went
to the democracy is uncertain, but the
probability is that most of them will con-
tinue their new utilization i'm 1900 If silver
is the issue in that year.
Independent movements in the NUM-
cipal elections In Chicago and New York
took place in 1897. In 1897, also. the
prohibition candidate for state treas-
urer i'm Pennsylvania obtained $4,000
votes, while the normal prohibition vote
In that state Is about 10000. The man.
agement of their party was Objectionable
to tens of thousands OF republicans, and
nearly 100000 of them, as protest
against the machine, voted the prohibit
aion ticket. On a large and cons family
increasing element of the voters party
ties these days sit lightly. In this ar
ticle the more important independent or
third party movements from the be-
ginning of the countrys history will be
mentioned, and their causes and conss-
quences set forth.
In the popular mind John Randolph
does not ordinarily figure in the role of q
partisan independent, although his pro-
penslty to quarrel with everybody with
whom he had any connect lion and to get
on the outside of the parties with which
he affiliated is well known. Yet Ran
dolph headed the first bolt which took
place after party lines became fairly
drawn in this country. The bolt took
place In 1906. The Ninth congress met
on Dec. 2, 1905, and President Jefferson
cent his annual message on the Cd, in
which he assumed a warike tone against
Spain ON account Of her aggressive action
against the United States on the ques-
ton OF the boundary of Florida, which
region belonged to Spain until 1921. On
the 9th he sent a secret message. In
which he urged an appropriation to eff
feet settlement Of the troubles with
Spain. Both messages we're referred to
the ways and mans committee, of which
Randolph was the chairman. Randolph
disllked Jefferson and Madison, the lat
ter OF whom was secretary OF state, and
who. with Jefferson's support was con-