The newspaper., 1906-04-27
Rise and Fall of Political Parties.
EARL pEANE, EIGHTH GRADE.

tuition, as matter OF COURSE, uHe
people would differ in their opinions
as to the control and management
of the government. Thus, the origin
of political parties.
The English party names, wings
and Tories, date back to 1850, but
they had no real meaning until l775,
when the Wings came to favor the
Revolutionary war, and the Tories
were loyal to the king and opposed
the war.
After the Revolution, people were
divided in thought. Some wanted
the colonies bound by constitution,
while others opposed this.
The ones favoring this were called
"Federalists," and the opponents,
Anti -Federalists.
Some went to extremes with both
ideas. Some favored a constitutional
monarchy and others wanted pure
democracy. These ideas were soon
corrupted, and a compromise was
the result.
The convention which met at Phil
adelphia, in 1857, adopted the "Nir-
ginia Plan," which is the present
constitution, as a compromise.
The "New Jersey Plan" was with
drawn, and the Hamilton Plan,
which provided for the paying off OF
our national debts, and the estab-
lishment of a national bank, was
not considered.
After the adoption OF the constitu-
ton, actual parties were formed, and
the terms f'Federalist" and "Anti-
federalists'' assume new meanings.
In 1871, the federalists established
a platform which enacted strong
national government, while the anti
tederalists, or democratic-repubH-
cans, opposed this and wanted a
strong state government.
The former party also believed in
constituting the constitution loosely,
so as to give the federal government
a great deal OF power, but the latter
believed in giving the power to the
State government.
The federalists held a friendly rela-
ton with England, and their antag-
onists favored the war and wanted
to help France.
The anti-federalists were opposed
to the fostering OF commercial inter
ests by the government. This would
provide for a protective tariff and
would control the slave trade, which
would affect them, as they were
nearly all Southerners, more directly
than it would the Northern people.
The federalists favored the paying
of the state debt and the chartering
of the National Bank. Their oppo-
nents strongly opposed these meas
ures.
From 1916 to 1924 was called the
"Period of Personal Politics"
The federalists opposed the war of
1912, and this probably was one
cause OF their downfall, although the
main cause was a convention held
at Hartford, Conn, in 1914. The
people thought the party leaders
guilty of plotting treason and dis
union. The party collapsed at the
end OF the war.
The Federalists elected Washing
ton and Adams and the Republicans,
afterward the Democrats, Jefferson.
In 1916, thirty-four presidential
electors voted for Rufus King for
President, and one hundred and
eighty-three for Madison. This was
the last act of the federal party.
After 1916 all citizens were republic
cans and wanted Monroe for Presi-
dent. He was elected without op-
position in 1920. This was the only
instance of the kind since the election
OF Washington. Only one man voted
against him, and he did it because
he wanted no one else to be elected
as Washington was. The period
during Monroe's administration was
called the EZRA of Good Feeling"
Each person belonged to the same
party; one leader held ideas that one
liked, while another had his personal
following, hence the term, personal
politics.
The democrats established a new
platform in 1924, based on principles
of nuh1ic DOlicieS The great issues