Evening star., 1902-04-12
LAST CENTURY BoSSIsM.
No National Convention Till Close of
JackSon'S Term.

From Edward Everett Hale's Memories" in the
Outlook.
The men who made the state constitutions
and the United States Constitution had no
idea of the universal suffrage with which
we are familiar. Massachusetts, was as far
advanced in such matters as any of the
states, but Massachusetts had begun with
confiding the suffrage to church members,
and they were only admitted to vote by
the consent of a majority Of those already
voters. In 17S0 in the constitution Of
which John Adams is the real author.
Massachusetts gave the suffrage to land
owners, or to persons with an amount Of
property on which they paid taxes
By the national act of 1898 no foreign en-
igrant could be received to suffrage on less
than fourteen years probation. and this
after five years previous declaration of in
tention to become a citizen. One can see
how effective were the limitations by the
small number of votes as compared with
the whole population. 1t was like vote in
Mississippi today, where 5000 voters choose
the representatives of 200 900 people.
What followed this limitation of suf-
frage was that the two great parties were
simply two rival aristocracies. There is
something ludicrous now in reading the
private letters of the real leaders on both
sides They take it as entirely for granted,
each, that the party will do what half a
dozen leaders determine on; as Mr.. Croker,
In 1900. took it for granted that Tammany
would do what he determined on. Indeed.
there was no popular convention or any
other method by which the rank and file
Of the voters could express any opinion,
even If they had one. But practically they
had none. The condition Of affairs in South
Carolina up to Mr.. Tillmans reign is a
good enough illustration Of the way in
which every state was managed up till
1929. Some Of us get together at Column
bia after the commencement and arrange
ha 90 0f he CT to for tha ,
Such was the convenient fashion every
where in which things were managed all
along the line before people found out
what universal suffrage means or what
democratic government iS.
Up till the close of Gen. Jackson's presi-
dency no such thing was heard of as ma
tional convention for the choice of candi-
date. Somebody had to make such choice;
and for want OF a better, a meeting Of the
members of Congress named the candidates
Of either party. So 1t was that In 1925
Gen. Jackson and John Quincy Adams and
Mr.. Crawford and Mr.. Writ divided the
electoral votes. But as soon as Gen. ack-
son withdrew, having named Mr.. Van Bu-
rem as his successor all the enthusiasm Of
the democratic party departed with Old
Hickory. Poor Van Buren had to face the
terrible storm Of the commercial crisis of
1897. The fault was none Of his, excepting
as the industrial states of America are al
ways at fault when they intrust their busi-
ness to those states where nobody can mend
a water pail, or to statesmen who do not
know bill Of lading from a bill of ex-
change-of men who know nothing of
trade" the excellent Monroe said. In
the crisis of 1897 half the business firms in
the country were bankrupt and half it's in
dustries were destroyed, of which the con-
sequence was that the industrial states
that is. New England. the west and the
great states between, took their affairs for
once into their own hands.
When they called together the great con-
ventions of 1899 and 1910 the reign of OIL
garchies and caucuses Of congressman was
over, and the reign Of the voters began.