The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1906-06-30

| admitting California as a free state
was regarded as settling all dissensiou
upon that topic, and it was generally
conceded that by these acts slavery
was excluded from all United States
territory north of latitude, go 80
| mason and Dixon's line).
But in the congressional session OF
1854 Senator Douglas of Illinois in.
I troduced his celebrated Kansas-Neb.
raska bill, which set aside and utterly
violated the provisions of he Missouri
Compromise and the Clay measures OF
1850. The Douglas bill passed and be-
came law, and from this time on the
extension or restriction of African
slavery in the United States was the
dominant issue in our national politics
The Wing party at once went to
pieces, pro-slavery Wings joining the
Democrats and those with anti-slavery
leaning (and many democrats as well)
joining the Free-soil and American
parties, and soon all of these latter
became merged in the great Republic
can party.
The Republican party was formed
in 1854. 1t was based upon the prin-
ciple of non-extension of slavery in
the territories, and did not attempt to
interfere with that institution in the
states. 1t had large and immediate
following. In the House of Repre-
sentatives it elected plurality of
members and in 1856 it placed Ere.
mont in the field as it's presidential
candidate
The Democrats won the election but
the Republican vote was so large that
the slave-holding section took alarm,
and then and there secession was re-
solved upon whenever the Republican
party should win an election.
The two principal parties we're now
in great measure divided on sectional
lines-the South upholding and the
North opposing slavery extension
Succeeding events, the Kansas troub-
les. the Lincoln-D Douglas debate, the
bred Scott decision and a more gen.
eral popular interest in public affairs
intensified the excitement of the time.
Lincoln was elected by the Repub.
licans in 1869 and the South prepared
for war Secession followed, and
when in April, 1861, the first hostile
shot was fired upon Fort .Sumpter in
Charleston harbOr, the opposing
forces were at once organized into
armies and the question of national
supremacy VS.. state sovereignty was
at once referred to "the dread ar
bitrament of war;
War with it's attendant horrors for
four years followed, and at its close
African slavery was wiped on the
map of the United States. During the
Civil war, of course the expense of
the general government was enormous.
To provide the necessary means for
it's prosecution immense loans, high
tariff and a drastic internal revenue
system of taxation were adopted, and
for while the internal revenue re-
ceipts alone exceeded million dol
lars day.
But, when slavery was finally abol-
ished, and the rebellious states had
resumed their proper places in the
Union, the object for which the Re-
publican party had been formed (the
restriction and ultimate extinction OF
slavery was accomplished.
Since that time it has succeeded to
the doctrine of Clay and the Wh1gs-
a high tariff and liberal expenditures
for internal improvements.
Outside of these main political
parties in our national history there
have been many minor ones, such as
the Anti-Masonic, Free-soil, American
and the Peoples party, that have had
greater or less influence in public
affairs, and such smaller organizations
as CIintonians, Prohibition, Liberty
party and host of others that did no
good whatever and simply served to
distract the attention of voters from
the main issues.
Now I have given in brief, state
ment of the leading events in the his
tory of political parties in the United
States up to and including the time OF
the abolition of African slavery as
result of the Civil war.
Since the Civil war the Republicans
have been high-tariff like the Wings;
the Democrats low-tarin, as OF Ola.
That is to say this is the issue alleged
as between parties and the one voteo
on by the mass of the people Prac-
tica,lv there has been little difference
between them there are and always
have been low-tariff Republicans ana
protection Democrats) and our state
and local elections are in the man
e;mnly a contest between the ms ana
the outs-a struggle for controIan
unseemly scramble for political once
which can be prosecuted to greater
advantage by dividing the people INTO
hostile camps on questions OF tarin'
expansion, etc, ETC.
INT / think enough Of your spa.0
has been occupied by this article l's
object is simply to refresh the memoir.
los Of all voters, both young ana o'u
~ % the record Of political parues
| in the past. n.rre