The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-07-31
PARTY FABRIC HAS THE WEIGHT OF LAW Machinery of Political Parties
 is Systematic THE PARTY CONVENTION Is a Gradual Development of Popular Sentiment and Political Choice.
 George Washington's seIec-
 tion-No Party Man.
THE PARTY CONVENTION
BY FREDERIC J. HAsKIN.


 So systematic and orderly is the ma ehinery by which the political parties in the United States select their candidates for president and president, and so binding is the decision of the party con- ventions upon the electors chosen by the people, that the whole party fabric has the weight of law and is indeed, part of the fundamental lex non seripta of the nation. Because of this binding force. one is apt to forget that the great party convention was a gradual growth in the polty of the country, although its prac- teal notification of the constitutional idea of electng presidents is complete.
 George Washington, the first president, was the candidate of all factions and parties and by common consent the elec- tors chosen by the legislatures of the thir- teen states cast their ballots for him. Until 1894 each elector cast his vote for two candidates for president, the one re- ceiving a majority of the votes cast to be president and the one receiving the next highest to be president. This early provision of the constitution was made impracticable by the organization of parties, for in the fourth presidential cleo ton the republican-democratic candidates received the solid vote of the electors of that party and there was a tie between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr.
 From that time forward there was all ways a party selection of candidates. eith- CT by a caucus of the members of con gross of each particular political faith, or by formal nomination by the legislature of states. There was no party organlza- tion, however for many years and for several decades the congressional caucus held sway.
 King Caucus" was roundJy abused and forced to abdicate by the state Iegisla- lures. The plan was too unwieldy, and the national convention was born.
 The first national political convention was held by the old federalist party in the very hour of it's dying two years be- fore the Hartford convention which threatened the secession of the New Eng land states. In 1872 the republicans of the New York legislature had put for ward the name of Dewitt Clinton in op- position to James Madison, who had the solid republican support of most of the states. The federalists called a conVen- tion and in September seventy delegates from eleven states met in New York Af- ter a stormy session it was decided to endorse Clinton, although he was not a federalist Clinton was named for pres- dent and Jared Ingersoll for vice-presi- dent. It was an apology for this method of nominating that the movement against the caucus was begun. The congressional caucuses had named the first candidates in 1900, the federalist caucus openly se- lecting Adams and Pinckney and the republicans secretly agreeing on Jeffer- son and Burr. Clinton was defeated by Mo- htr1 to toral college.
 The convention idea did not become popular at once. The federalist party died In 1920 all but one of the votes were cast for James Munroe, a New Hamp- shire elector voting for John Quincy Adams to keep Monroe from sharing with Washington the honor of a unanimous election. In 1924 there was but one party. the republican, soon to change its name to democratic. An attempt was made to give William IT. Crawford the caucus nomination. but it was unsuccessful and the race was run by four men on purely personal issues-Andrew Jackson, Henry Clay, John Quincy Adams and William H. Crawford. Jackson received the highest number of votes. but he lacked a ma Jority and the house of representatives elected Adams president.
 When the next election came on there were again two parties. The republican party of Jefferson had adopted the name democratic. and the opposition had ral- lied under the name national republican, | which soon gave way to the shorter and | more convenient "whig." There were no | nominations except by the legislatures. | but all the democrats were for Jackson | and all the national republicans for | Adams. Jackson was elected.
 Under the administra tion of "Old Hicl- | ory" political parties as we know them | had their birth. ITO the victors belong | the spells" was Jackson's belief, and he | put none but democrats in office. "The | cohesive power of public plunder" was a | phrase coined to describe the essence of organization of parties. "Plunder" is used