Weekly Arizona journal-miner., 1908-08-05
SOME MEMORABLE
PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS.

We said IN this column that most of
the striking and spectular features of
the Presidential campaigns Of GO years
and more ago have disappeared from
such contests in recent years. Thor.
ougb organization which reaches every.
where has superseded the old.fashioned
tumultuous meeting, and the printing
press has pretty much done away with
the old.fashioned stump speaker, say.
the san Jose Mercury. Tnese earlier
quadrennial contests were conducted
on lines and by methods now largely
out Of date. Each such earlier struggle
had its peculiar character and features,
but all of them were attended with no
little public excitement. In our his.
tory We. can point 10 at least four
Presidential contests which NAV fairly
be called memorable, because Of the
uncommon excitement which attended
them. These were the campaigns of
1928, 1882, $40 and 1860. While en-.
tirely different from each other in their
peculiar features, they were alike in
the tremendous public interest that ac
companied them. In the 6rst two
Jackson was the successful candidate.
and his teDpst sririt and methods
dominated TIE fahpaibn. Jackson was
one of the molt rsmarks6lS men Ri.
country has produced. At that time
he sar& ,acft military hero of the
copnts Snd d. POLITICAL idoYof more
thsn half the psSple' NJ wa~ an 81.
tremely aggressive, imperious and VIC.
lent man; utterly arbitrary, and even
heree IN his spirit. when he encount
cred opposition his immediate impulse
was to fight first and argue the point
afterwards. II there was 20 be any
conference at all, II must come after
battle. The spirit of this powerful man |
was infused into the contests Of which |
ne was tns leader. Everybody felt
deeply towards Jackson. Nobody !
could be cold or Indifferent. His fol |
lowers allbut adored him, while his
Toes hated him with unutterable hat.
red. The mention Of his name in anv
mixed company was signal for
angry dispute. over him neighbors
qnarfelcd, close friends were parted
brothers alienated, thousands of men
Fought with their fists, and not a few
with dirks and pistols. There never
was another man in this land who was
10 devotedly admired, and so intensely
detes'eh' The fierce, fighting, passion.
ate spirit Of jackson governed his cam.
paigns, which were indeed a sort of
war The whole country was in nm
angry uproar With the exception Of
the darkest days Of our civil war.
never IN this land were there 50 many
bitter animosities and fierce anarrcls q
rs during the time when jackson was ,
political leader
the CAMPAIGN Of 1910 was If n very Il
inherent character. The excitement i
MAS intense aud universal. but il was T.
good naturcd. For three or fonr mont,s A.,
he mass of the people gave themselves .
'p to a wild carnival of political OK. \
''t'ment, but there was in IL very +
'ttlr bitterness or brutal contention.
was u rollicking and registering
ampalgn; n great festival of fun and
f"iIci of singing shouting aud uproar
Gus good nature The comic papcr md
he cartoon had not yet been born. but
here were all sorts Of substitutes in
he shape of banners, placards, comic
'ngs and the like, II was called tho
log cabin and hard cider cnmpaign.u
nd II well deserved its title. Meet.
's. were held everywhere, and inn.
''n'' meetings, lasting several DAYS.
ere held, in chief contors. Toosol
ere attended by vast multitudcs, whoI
'm' IN wagons or ON horseback andI
'mpel out Mechanics deserted their
lops' farmers lcf their crops unhnr