The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-09-01

sLet the People Ruler cried the sup porters of Andrew Jackson before John Quincy Adams had taken the oath as President in 1925, ann the long three years campaign which resulted in Jacl<son's elevation to the White House was on. Jackson had received plu- raIfty of both popular and electoral vote. and probably would have receiv- ed majority of both If the people had been permitted to vote for Presidential electors.
 The slogan, Let the people rule" was so potent that of the six States which chose electors by their Legisla- tures in 1924. all but South Carolina had surrendered that right to the pop ular suffrage before 1928. Jackson had been the choice of the greater number of the people and the indigna- ton against fhe manner in which he was prevented from taking the Presi- deney was intense. Out of it grew the division of political parties and the system of political methods which ob- tains to this day
 The campaign of 1928 was the first fn which there were two parties openly bidding for the votes of the whole people. Both Jackson and Adams still claimed to be the true opponents of the Democratic Republican party of Jef- ferson. but the line of demarcation was distinct and the parties were known as Jackson" and Adams" It was not until three or four years later that the Adams people adopted the name of National Republicans" there by driving the Jackson party to the popular designation Democratic" :" which 1t still holds, although the of- ficial name, "Democratic-R Republican, was adhered to until after the Civil
 The election of John Quincy Adams fa hp PrQgfdaut v fha H0nqa of Rem resentatfves, through virtue of votes delivered to Adams by Henry Clay, and the fact that Henry Clay immediately became Secretary of State in Adams's cabinet, gave rise to the idea which was the principal issue of the cam paign of 1928, the issue which gives 1t the name Of the bargain and cor ruption. campaign. Andrew Jackson accused Adams and Clay of entering Into a corrupt bargain by which the votes Of States controlled by Clay were delivered to Adams in return for the promise of high cabinet position. Henry Clay denied this charge and proved to the satisfaction of a major 1ty of historiographers that 1t had no Foundation in fact.
 Newspapers printed a week before the election in the House of Repre- sentatfves published reports of a "deaf' between Adams and Clay, which would made Adams President and Clay Secre- tary of states. It was dispute grow ing out of this rumor which caused the Crawford supporters to become em- bittered against Clay before the Pres idency was decided. When Adams was chosen, the supporters of Crawford immediately charged Clay with the sale of the Presidency. The New York Evening Post, fair sample of the Crawford press, declared that Clay's action was "a most indecent and dar- 6ng outrage on public morals" All of this was in February, 1925.
 It was not until two years later that General Jackson took up these rumors of barter and sale. and by giving them the prestige of his name, caused them to become an issue in the cam pafgn What Jackson did inject in the charges, however, was the asser- ton that friends of Clay had come to friends of his with the proposition Gha& Clay would throw the election to Jackson if Jackson would pledge him. self not to make Adams Secretary of