The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-10-21
PARTIES ORIGIN
BY F. l. MONKS.

| It has come to be an acknowledged
 fact that government by party is the only
 true form of government in asfree coun-
 try, and the young American nation did
 not fail to see it. The party called into
 existence by Jefferson favored a govern
 ment republican In form and democratic in Spirit and that party at once became
 a powerful and popular party-the most powerful ever known in the country. But 1t had one defect, it's popularity. The
 federal party was practically annihilated and little or no opposition came from that quarter, so that instead of the nation
 dividing on party questions, at times of
 presidential elections it divided on men and measures.
 Beginning with Thomas Jefferson in 1901 down to and including Van Buren in 1887 the democratic party ruled the coun-
 try Every candidate for office was 0
 member of that party. and at times there
 were four or five who aspired to the
 honor. This condition of things had the effect of bringing into existence the
 demagogue who later on became the politician who traded his influence for the promise of office under the man to whom
 he gave his support.
 Such was the condition in 1925 when
 Monroe's second term expired. Four
 candidates, each a democrat, entered the
 field. Henry Clay, John c. Calhoun, John
 Quincy Adams and William Henry Craw- ford. Of these four Clay and Calhoun
 were the most ambitious for the office, and both were very popular. While these four men were trying to decide among
 themselves who should obtain the nomi-
 nation a fifth man was put forward by
 the people and that man was Andrew Jackson the hero of New Orleans in
 the war of 1872. Clay and Jackson were
 not friends so in order to defeat Jack
 son, Clay threw his influence to Adams, who was elected. Four years later, QS29) Andrew Jackson was elected over Adams.
 who sought reelection In 1883 Jackson
 was reelected defeating Henry Clay.
 It is necessary now to go back a few years in history. The admission of Mis-
 souri into the Union was effected by
 means of the Missouri compromise.' by which 1t was agreed that slavery should
 not extend beyond theirty-six degrees and thirty minutes north latitude. For the
 time this seemed to settle the question of
 slavery. but very soon it became appar-
 ent to the southern states that the com promise was an admission of the right of Congress to dictate terms to the states. There was still a vast country to be set
 tied north of the line agreed upon in ! the compromise and the admission of new state always brought up the question o; slavery The ties between the northrn and southern states or rather between the slave and the free states were be coming more strained every year, and ru1nors were constantly heard of the right of states to draw out of the Union
 if they saw Ct to do so. Threats to that effect had been made by northern as well as southern states, but the first actual ! attempt to do so was made by South Carolina in 1892 when that state passed the notification act. which was to come into effect in 1s33. The nullification meas ! ure was based upon opposition to the tariff. which had been imposed upon all imported goods and which had the effect , of building up American industries to an almost incredible extent. Under these tariffs the northern states had prospered while the southern states were compelled 1 to pay high prices for goods which could l have been obtained considerably cheaper ! if the tariff did not exist. Instead of the southern states taking advantage of the 1 protetcion which the tariff offered to l manufactures and industries, they con tented themselves by raising a raw ma terial. principally cotton, and shipping it to England and the northern states. Thus 1t was that South Carolina passed an act declaring the tariff unconstitutional and that she would oppose the collection with armed force If necessary.
 At that time Andrew Jackson, a south-
 ern man himself. was President The
 southern states hoped to find him in syn-