The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-07-31

This hit tender spot, and he was cali
ed an abolitionist; but all the silent or
outspoken contempt of the party IN
power awaited nothing against this spon-
taneous popular movement In short.
the unexpected happened. as It generally
does happen in human history, and the
negligible element suddenly became pre-.
dominant. Statesmen should learn in
the primer of their education that there
are in politics no negligible elements.
Not All Shouting.
1t was not all shouting. Of course. The
more thoughtful and better educated
voters of the Wing party had various
national issues in mind. One o. the
bones Of controversy IN those days was
the national bank question. Van Buren,
had unsparingly sQuelched national hank
movements, and a severe business de-
preston in his term was charged TO this.
Democratic opposition to national
banks was part Of the States rights doc
trine which Is still one Of the foundation
stones of that party. The discourage
ment Of national banks caused the pri-
vate concerns. responsible and irrespon-
sible. to multiply. and in the financial
u Llt y al Dui Il %AhAAAAiA-
istration several of these concerns went
to pieces. to the dismay, disgust, ano
often the ruin of depositOrs This also
had its influence in creating discomfort
among the plain people, whose losses
not only caused them to distrust the
banks. but aroused in them a feeling
similar 10 that Of the farmers who fol
lowed Bryan sixty years later-a dis
trust of the select class of financiers in
general and corresponding belief in
their own and their immediate neigh
bors' honesty.
The sentiment which nearly thirty
years later found expression in the
phrase "A government o. the people.
by the people, and for the people, had
begun to shape itself in rude speech.
OF military domination they had no fear
OF political intrigue and commercial
trickery they had General Harrison
was identified with neither He was
their own man.
Some Political Trickery.
But there was political trickery mere
some Of il. In his recent history of cam
paigns. A. X. Mcclure gives a curious
bit of history from the Harrison cam
paign. The convention probabilities mar
rowed down TO three candidates-Harri-
son. Clay, and Scott. Clay. as Royal
Arch Mason, was conceded TO be I'M
available, owing to the large anti-Ma-
son clement in the loosely organized
Wing party The vote Of Virginia would
decide whether It should be Harrison
or Scott And here comes In the trick
cry. Says Colonel Mcclure:
-.
that Thaddeus Stevens, who was the
leading delegate from Pennsylvania.
controlled the Virginia delegation by a
schC e that was more effective than
credlrable Scott. who was quite too
fond of writing letters, had written
letter to Francis Granger, of New York.
I'm which he evidently sought to concH-
late the anti-slavery sentiment of that
State. 1t was a private letter, but
Granger exhibited II 20 Stevens and per-
mitted Stevens 10 use it in his own way.
"As the headquarters OF the Virginia
delegation were the center of attrac-
ton. they were always crowded and
Stevens called there along with many
others. Before leaving he dropped the
Scott letter on the floor, and ii was
soon discovered and its contents made
known to the Virginians.
THAT letter decided the Virginians 90
support Harrison and to reject Scotr.
Either could have been elected II noni-
mated, as the Van Buren, dcfeat of 1910
was one Of the most sweeping political
hurricanes in the history of the coun-
trv
my authority for this is Mr. Stevens
himself. He disliked Scott on general
principles through his great aversion 20
all meL whose vanity waH conspicuous
but he had a much stronger reason for
nominating Harrison in his possession
OF an autograph letter from General
Harrison. assuring Stevens that if he.
Harrison. was elected. Stevens would
be a member Of his Cabinet"
Strength of the People.
This only goes TO show, however. that
the people are stronger than politicians
or parties. though they may not know