The Honesdale citizen. [volume] (Honesdale, Pa.) 1873-1908, 1908-09-24
Bryan versus Jefferson and Jackson.


Bryan versus jefferson and jackson.
Col. Bryan, 10 his Denver platform,
and later 10 bis speeches, administers IA
stern rebuke to Jefferson and jackson,
which would make those eIemplars OF
Democracy writhe with humiliation, II
they could hear It. In his platform, he
begihs In this wise:
I'VE condemn a. violation OF the spirit
OF our Institutions the action OF the present
Chief Executive In using the patronage OF
his high ONCE TO secure the nomination for
the Presidency Of one OF his Cabinet Officers.
forced succession In the Presidency 10
scarcely less repugnant TO public sentiment
than is life tenure In that office. No good
intention on the part OF the Executive and
no virtue In the one selected can justify the
establishment OF dynasty. The right OF
the people 10 freely select their officials is
inaliensble and cannot be delegated"
And In his speech at Carnegie Hall,
New York, last Friday evening, Sept.
18th, he thus continues
THE present campaign presents another
tendency of the Republican psrty-namely,
TO substitute PRESIDENTIAL successor for the
Democratic plan OF popular selection. The
President felt it his duty to select a Repub.
lican noiniuee, aud having reached the CON
clusion that he ought to select such a nomi-
nee. he brought the influence Of his great
office to bear in behalf of the candidate of
his personal choice, and is now using his
influence to secure the election OF the can
didste whom no assisted in nominating"
In the matters thus charged az Of
lenses, Roosevelt has, at most, done no
more than follow the methods OF those
distinguished heads OF the Democratic
faith a,,I ~
and Jackson. Jefferson succeeded In
having Madison selected AS his successor,
in opposition to Monroe and jackson
dictated the nomination Of Van Buren, as
his successor, against the field. The de-
tails OF those transactions, which will be
Of interest at this time, are as follows:
Jefferson, more than year before the
close OF his second term, began to en-
ploy all his influence to secure the nomi-
nation OF Madison, who had been his
Secretary OF State since his first inaugura
tion. At that time, the Presidential can
dldate OF each party was selected by a
caucus OF Its Congressman. On January
10, 1908. Senator Bradley, OF Vermont,
who had been President OF the party
caucus OF 1904, issued call for a caucus
to be held on the evening OF January
ED. The evident purpose OF the admin
istration to force the nomination Of Madi.
son aroused opposition, and Edward
Gray, a Representative from Virginia.
appeared as the prototype OF Bryan ory.
log In the wilderness against 1t, He pub
| lished "A reply to Mr.. Bradley's summons,
in which he said 81 cannot consent,
| either in an individual or representative
capacity, to countenanoe, by my pres
ence, the midnight intrigues Of any set
| Of men who may arrogate to themselves
| the right, which belongs only to the peo
ple, OF selecting proper persons to 6ll the
important offices OF President and Vice
President" In anticipation OF the con
gressional cauous, the members OF the
Virginia Legislature held two oaucusei
on January 2lst one OF which, consisting
Of 134 members, unanimously voted fol
| the nomination Of Madison, while In the
other, consisting Of go members, so voted
for Monroe and 10 for Madison and eaot
nominated an electoral ticket. The 40
L etoh Va eho Sohb'Cooiohot oooouo "oo os
clearly predetermined through Jeffer
sons influence that most OF Monroe
friends refused to attend, and Madison
was nominated by SO votes, to for Mon
roe and for George Clinton, OF New
York. A formal protest against the can
didacy OF Madison, signed by seventeen
Congressmeu of his party, was published
and for several months serious trouble
was threatened by Monroe aud hi
friends. In the end, however, the Presi
dents influence proved toe strong 70
them, and he "sat down on their heads !;
partly by holding out the expectation
that Monroe would be chosen as Mad!
sons suocessor,-a project that WAS car
ried into effect eight years later.
In 1889, Jackson appeared in sluIila
role In the first National Convention helC
10y the Democratic party, Through hi
influence, Martin VanBuren. who hat
been his Secretary OF State until he re
signed to accept the appointment o
Minister to England, was nominated 70
Vice President, by 20S votes, against .
Tor X. NJ. johnson aud 40 for p. T.. Bar
bour. AS the next Presidential election
| approached, Jackson exerted all his iu
| luence to make NHnlSuren his successor
enough there was much opposition I,
this project in his own party and by
system OF political bulldozing IN whicl
the President was postmaster, he lnall,
accomplished his purpose. To forestal
possible hostile action by congression ona
caucus, aud adverse nominations by Stat,
Legislatures, which had already bcgur
in Tennessee and Alabama, u NHtiona
Convention was held on May 20, 1884,
nearly year and a half before the cleo
ton. All open opposition was over
borne by Jackson, and Van Buren, wa
nominated by unanimous vote on tn,
first ballot.
| 1t IL matter of history that the nOmi.
nation OF Madison would have been il
great doubt but for the aid given by JET
,erson, and the nomination and cleo tiol
Of Van Buren, impossible without tine dic
tation praotloed by jackson to accolu
plsh 1t. Yet, In the Bryan view, a.
forced succession In the Presidency,
when the work OF Jefferson and Jack sou
is true Democracy, while the same thinl
/. charged against Il Roosevelt Rs IA viola
ton of tue spirit OF our Institutions"
-
Teacher-It you are kind and polit'
your play mates, what will be the re
ulli
| Small Boy-TheyIl think they car
lick mel