The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-05-23

of Monroe, as is shown by the electoral
vote, all but / of the 232 votes being
cast for him for president. The one
was cast for John Quincy Adams, of
Massachusetts, by one Of the New
Hampshire electors. who gave as his
reason that he wished Washington to
be the only preident to receive an
unanimous election. During these
years no formal nominations were
made by the Federalists. After the war
of 1912 this party lost much of it's in
huence.
REVOLT AGAINST CONGRESSION-
AL CAUCUS.
In 1924 occurred the great revolt"
in the Republican party. or rather in
the Democratic party, as the party of
Jefferson was now called, against the
caucus system. 1t had never found
favor with the Federalists, and had
always been more or less opposed by
some of the Republicans. Because Of
this opposition only eighty-nine Of the
l39 Republican members of the senate
and house attended the caucus of 1908.
In that of 1912 out OF 1873 entitled to be
present fifty absented themselves for
one cause or another. The principal
objection TO the system was that it
was unconstitutional those opposing It
claiming that the constitution made il
plain that the president was to b.
chosen by electors selected as the
legislatures of each state determined.
For a caucus to dictate to these cleo
tors whom they should vote for was
an usurpation Of power. Those favor.
ing the caucus claimed that the system
was adopted out of necessity, from a
deep conviction of the Importance of
union to the Republicans throughout
all parts Of the United States in the
present crisis of both our external and
internal affairs. and as being the most
practicable mode of consulting and re-
specting the interests and wishes of
all upon a subject so truly interesting
to the whole people of the United
States" In making the recommended
tion for president and vice president,
they said, the members of the caucus
acted only in their individual char
acters as citizens. by 1916 popular
feeling against congressional dcta-
ton was shown in numerous meet
ings in different parts of the country
protesting against the caucus.
STATE LEGISLATURES PRESENT
CANDIDATES.
One form in which this opposition
to the congressional caucus manifest
ed itself was the state legislative eau
Gus, which bean to be held in some of
the states as early as 1908. These
caucuses were called before the con-
gressional caucus, and they usually
expressed preference for certain men
practically an instruction to their
representatives as to whom they should
support Tor president lin the con-
gressional caucus. About 1918 the con-
Vention method of nomination began
to supersede the caucus system, among
the first state conventions being thos.
held in Pennsylvania In that year by
the Republicans (Democrats) and Fed
eralists, the former at Harrisburg and
the latter at Carlisle.
The election of 1924 marks the end
of King Caucus" BY this time the
presentation of "favorite sons" by eau
cuses OF state legislatures and in
meetings and conventions OF various
kinds had become quite general. Hen
ry Clay, OF Kentucky. was nominated
for president by the legislatures Of
Kentucky, Missouri, Illinois, Ohio and
Louisiana. Andrew Jackson, of Ten
nessee' was presented by the General
assembly of that state and by conven-
tions and mass meetings of various
Kinds In different parts of the coun-
try. Jackson was nominated by ac-
clamation in the Pennsylvania Re-
! publican Democratic) convention at
Harrisburg IN March. The candi-
| dacy Of John Quincy Adams, OF Mas
sachusetts, was endorsed by the
| legislatures OF Maine, Vermont, New
| Hampshire and Connecticut. The
name Of John c. Calhoun, of South
Carolina, was submitted by the
! legislature of his own state and
that OF w. II. Crawford, of Geof-
gia, by rhe legislatures of Vir-
/ gnia and Georgia. The candidacy Of
| Dewitt clinton, Of New York, was
! supported in county conventions and