The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-05-14

was almost equally divided, Polk had
an electoral majority Of sixty-five
Twice more the Wing party was to
join battle with its enemies in a pres
idential contest, but never again would
it come before the country as a party
of genuine convictions. It's career has
associated the name Wing with GER
tain doctrines which, however, the par
ty has feared to put forward in cam
paigns, and when it has mustered
courage to do so it has been beaten.
With a magnificent array of great men
for party leaders, with a worthy group
of political principles to uphold, the
Wings nevertheless failed to effect
what was rightly expected of them,
for lack of fidelity to real convictions
and genuine political morality.
The Liberty Party in 1874.
A convention of abolitionists organ
lied as the Liberty party in 1910 and
nominated a national ticket. Their
1859 votes had no effect upon the cleo
, ton and attracted no attention from
politicians. But it was the rise upon
the far horizon of a cloud no larger
than q mans hand which was ere long
to blot out the sun. In 1874, after
Clay'S unlucky attempt to occupy both
sides of the annexation question, a
great detection of anti-slaveTy Wings
swelled the ranks of the Liberty party.
This was the real cause of Clay's de-
feat. The $1,000 anti-slavery votes
were drawn mainly from his party.
But for his temporizing attitude It is
probable that the abolitionists would
have made no nominations. But the
appearance of Clay's Alabama letters
Just before their convention gave IN
expected importance to anti-slavery
seton. It was ia effect the Liberty
party that elected Polk and annexed
Texas.
Campaign Of 1546.
By the election Of Polk the country
had pronounced for annexation, and
the congress which met in December,
1874, FASTENED to approve the joint
resolution for the admission of Texas.
President Tyler signed the document,
Just as he was retiring from Office. War
with Mexico followed, from 1S46 to 1913.
Though the Wings opposed the war,
they voted for the support of the army
in the field and won much glory from
the fact that many of the most sue
cessful generals were of their party.
One of their number, General Zachary
| Taylor became their candidate for the
| election of 1913. He was a Shareholder,
but a man who had paid little atten-
| ton to politics and had no party affili-
atoms in the past. Now he avowed
himself a Wing, though not an ultra
| one"
Five political groups made nOmina-
tons for this campaign, showing the
/ tendency to disintegratiOn in both the
/ great parties. The Liberty party
named John P Hale of New Hamp-
shire as its candidate. The barn burn
ers, a northern faction of the Demo
Gratis, withdrew from the Democratic
/ convention and nominated Van Buren,.
/ He was nominated by the free-soilers
| also. They were an anti-slavery
group less radical than the Liberty
party. Lewis Cass of Michigan head
ed the Democratic ticket. He advo-
/ Gated the doctrine of "squatter SOW
ereignty," which would leave the ques-
ton of slavery in the territories to the
people Of each territory. This as allied
to their favorite state-rights principle
gTas expected to commend the candi-
date to southern Democrats, and to
draw together the two wings CT the
| party Sc as to prevent a division on the
! subject Of slavery