The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-07-31

in Pickwickian sense, generally, for while fat public offices are very attrac- tive, they sometimes require much work of the incumbent and there is little logic in the cry of the "outs' that man draw ing public salary as a public officer Is necessarily "plundering' the treasury
 At any rate, Jackson brought into be- ing the principles of party unity and held out the promise of public reward for party service In 1881 the anti-Masonic party met in the first regular nominating con ventlon of regularly chosen delegates. It named William Wirt for President and in the election of 1892 he carried one state Vermont The national republican or whig convention met in December, 1881, and nominated Henry Clay. The democrats held their first convention in May, 1S32 and nominated Jackson and VanBuren. At this convention the two-thirds rule was adopted, which has ever since prevailed In democratic conventions. Thus it is thnt a democratic aspirant for a presidential nomination must have two-thirds of the votes in the convention, while in other parties a mere majority Is sufficient.
 All three of these conventions were held in Baltimore, which, prior to the civil war was the meeting place of nearly all na- tional conventions. Since 1S32 the demo-
  four years without Interruption. the party machinery being kept intact. The first national committee was organized in 1S4S, and its existence has also been continu- ous. despite the serious split of 1860, the demoraliza ton of the war and other party crises. Tn 1898 the whigs held no con vention, but scattered their vote among Harrison, Webster and Mangum. Four years later the whigs nominated Harri- onJ T1-Io In yaOtiOn at Ha rriSDllrR and the democrats in Baltimore selected Martin VanBuren for President, but left the nomination of a vice president to the states.
 This was the first "campaign" in the popular and modern sense. All states put South Carolina now selected their electors by popular vote, there being no popular vote in South Carolina for President until after the war. The democrats and whlgs carried the fight to people as 1t had never been carried before VanBuren was the first great political boss the country had known. He had been President for four years and had the officeholdeis formed into a wonderful machine. But the popular cry was "Tippecanoe and Tyler, too" The admiration of the public for General Harrison, the hero of the Indian wars. a man who lived in a log cabin dec orated with coon skins. and who drank hard cider could not be overcome. The Maine elections were held first, for 1t was not until 1S4S that Congress required all the states to choose the electors on the first Tuesday after the first Mondoy in November From Maine came the song.
 And have you heard the news from
 Maine?
 How 1t went
 Hell bent
 For Governor Kent, And Tippecanoe and Tyler too, And Tippecanoe and Tyler, too" Harrison and Tyler were elected and the American people learned how to ''whoop 1t up in presidential campaigns Four years later the memorable contest between Polk and Clay awakened pub lie excitement to a pitch never before and seldom since experienced By this time the party organizations were perfected There were committees and sub-commt- tees There were campaign committees who knew how to use money and liquor and there were political experts In "shell- ing the woods" From that day to this the mode of operation of the political party machinery has changed but slightly, and then only to adjust itself to the grow ing country and the changed conditions brought about by increased facility of transportation, communication and pub lished intelligence. A national convention of one of the | great parties Is an inspiring spectacle | It Is the largest constituent assembly | known in the country. It always meets | in q great hall capable of seating from | 10000 to 10000 spectators. These out i siaers have a great deal to do with ! the convention sometimes, for, as a rule, | it is the galleries and not the dele | gates who furnish the enthusiasm. | Claoues deliberately organized to create | excitement are common to all conven- , tions nowadays. The first organized out ! side influence to be brought to bear on | a convention had much to do with the | future history of the country. It was at Chicago. For the first time a house had been built expressly for convention purposes and the second national con vention of the republican party met in 1t. The party was only six years old, but