Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-01-29
HISTORY OF PARTY.

HISTORY OF PARTY.
Prof. Allen johnson Talks on Early
American Politics.
From Wednesdays Daily.
The second of the series of lectures
in the University Extension course
was given last evening at the Market
street theatre by Prof. Allen Johnson
of Grinnell, and was attended by a
large audience despite the inclemency
of the weather 1.-THE Party Revolu-
ton of 1900" was the subject of the
address and the causes which led up
to the disruption of the federalists and
the rise of the democratic-republican
party were shown. The lecture was
one of great interest to those who at
tended and was in part as follows:
Thomas Jefferson was born in Vir--
ginia. His father was plain man
and was not wealthy. He was at Will
liamsburg in 1865, and there heard
Patrick Henry, who was personal
friend of Jefferson, deliver his famous
address, in the house of Burgesses.
do not say that it was this that
turned his attention toward states.
manship. However, he soon entered
politics and was elected to the Vir--
ginia house of representatives. In the
| Virginia house Jefferson soon became
the leader of radical element and
1 was successful in overthrowing the
rule of the aristocratic element. 1t
was only after a bitter fight and the
end of it was that Virginia was demo-
| cratized
Jefferson's Political Belief.
In 1890 Jefferson was recalled from
France, where he was serving as a
minister, and became Washington's
secretary of state. 1t is important at
the outset that we should become &C
quainted with Jefferson's political be-
lief, as his belief was the belief of his
party | must trace with you the grad
ual rise of the neutrality-suspicious.
party. AT the end of Washington's
first administration a party came us
that was called the democratic
republican party. The farm
ers in the northern states
called it the democratic party,
and the aristocrats in the southern
states called it simply the republican
party. This party had no connec.
ton with the one that bears that
name today but is the forerunner of
the modern democratic party. Now
there were certain measures that
caused dissatisfaction. A vigorous
exercise of the powers of the national
government by the federalists, their
luke-Warmness toward our old ally,
France, their disposition to make con.
cesslons to our ancient enemy, Great
Britain, and their aristocratic incli.
nations served to consolidate the
forces of the opposition. The strong
financial measures of Hamilton also
drove men into the opposition. Ham
ilton thought thta the best way to Sc
cure financial stability was to secure
the influence of the wealthy men
while Jefferson and Madison strongly
objected to the moneyed interests
having hand in shaping the finan
cial interests of the country. An arts
tocratic effect and tone did not seem
democratic enough to these men and
their followers in the new party.
Thought Hamilton Plotting.
4 When Jefferson returned from
France, he was invited to many din.
ners given by the wealthy men, and
he expressed his horror at hearing ii
stated that the government could not
live under the constitution Jefferson
thought that Hamilton was at the bot
tom of this talk, and he thought that
Hamilton was plotting to turn the
American commonwealth into a mon.
archy. The federalists thought of the
democrat-republican that they were
the same as the anti-federalists, who
had been defeated before.
Offers to Withdraw.
| BY the end of Washington's admin.
Iistration the party bitterness became
SO great that we find the parties es
tranged, and then in 1892 Washington
offered to withdraw, but the parties
We're not prepared to fight, and Ham.
ilton and Jefferson induced him to re-
turn for another term, postponing the
| fight for four years.
Downfall of Party.
| Now we will pass rapidly to the
cause of the downfall of the federalist
party. Just when it seemed that the
party had gained the esteem of the
American people it was thrown off by
a few strokes of bad policy. The
passage of the alien and sedition laws
was the most serious mistake
THE result of the passage of
these laws was Immediately
felt. 1t was like a thunderbolt
out of a clear sky. The democrats
said the federaiists proposed to form
a tyranny and make monarch of the
President.
Tie federalist party then went into
the campaign of 1900 with the Iarty
divided. There could be but two men
in the democratic-republica party for
President. These were Thomas Jeffer
SOC and Aaron Burr of New York
Hamilton was out of the question as
candidate for President on the feder
alist ticket. Apparently John Adams
was the only man who stood the
slightest chance of election. Hamilton
hated Adams, however, and attacked
him in a pamphlet which was issued
These fell into the hands of Burr, and
they We're used against Adams with
the result that he was defeated JEFF
ferson and Burr tied, and according tt
the constitution the matter went into
TIE hands of congress, where Hamil
ton, who hated Burr, succeeded, after