Omaha daily bee., 1909-11-29

When the smoke Of the campaign battle
Of 1882 had cleared away It was found that
Andrew Jackson had an overwhelming ma
jorlty OF the popular vote, and that as
against PIG electoral votes for old Hick-
Org" Henry Clay could muster but forty
nine. The seven votes Of Vermont went 10
william Writ, the anti-Masonic candidate,
and the eleven votes Of South Carolina,
where the electors were chosen by the leg
~islRture under the domination Of Calhoun,
we're cast for John Floyd. This sweeping
victory Jackson regarded as a complete
v~indication Of his veto Of the bill to re-
charter the Bank of the United States.
He firmly and sincerely believed that the
election had been a battle royal between
the common people and the monster
monopoly" of the bank, as representing
the money power and the aristocracy. The
aristocracy, which had been endorsed in
congress by the revolution Of 1901, was now
banished from the White House to linger
on only in the south, where it met its po-
litioal death at the hands Of the farmers
alliance and the free silver movement In
the last decade OF the nineteenth century.
Believing himself commissioned by the
will Of the people to destroy the bank Jack
son lost no time in parley. He resolved
not to await the expiration Of the charter
in 1886, but adopted the suggestion Of Amos
Kendall OF Kentucky, a member Of tbs
Kitchen cabinet" to sever the relations
of the government with the bank. The
charter provided that the government
funds were to be deposited in the bank I'M
less the secretary Of the treasury should
otherwise direct. This gave the admins.
tration a power which congress could moi
abridge except by mastering the two-thirds
majority necessary to defeat the presl-
dents veto.
Having decided upon the removal of the
deposits, Jackson met with determined op-
position in his own official family. Louis
McLane, secretary of the treasury, re.
fused to agree with the president in his
belief that the government deposits were
not safe in the bank. He resigned under
pressure and was succeeded by William
J. Duane of Pennsylvania, who was known
as an opponent OF the bank. But Duane
proved to be very independent, and he
would not order the removal Of the de.
poslts, nor would he resign when re-
quested to do 80. jackson was not the
man to brook such opposition, so he
summarily removed Duane from office and
appointed Roger b. fancy, then attorney.
general, to be secretary of the treasury
fancy issued the order removing the de.
posits. is, the funds were with.
drawn from the bank in the regular bust
ness Of disbursements and no new de-
posits were made. This heroic action. the
audaclty of which had never been dreamed
of by the opposition, put the whole eOun.
try into a turmoil and -inaugurated tht
bank wal which was to continue for years
The public moneys were then deposited
in state banks. selected by the administra.
ton, which came to be known as PEE
Banks" Jackson began his agitation foi
the extinction OF the debt and the dlstribu
ton of the public funds to the severa
states. The finance of the country werl
plunged into a chaotic condition. But IL
the stress of this storm, Amos Kendall, O
the Kitchen cabinet" later postmaster
general, devised the Independent treasury
bill, which was passed. and which organ
lied the treasury department on a basil
Independent OF all banks. The treasur,
today is conducted practically upon tn
Kendall plan, the best that can be de
vsed m the absence sof' a central nationa
bank. -
On March rs, 1884, Henry Clay, offeret
in the senate a resolution Of censure con
demning the action tof the president ii
removing deposits. The resolution was bit
terly opposed, by Thomas Fl. Benton, bu
1t was adopted by a vote OF 20 to 20. Jack
son sent a message of protest, requesting
that 1t be be entered in the journal of tn
senate. ;esdtfs request was refused by
vote of q to 16.
Benton at once gave notice OF his inten
ton to offer a resolution to expunge tn
resolution of censure from the journal
and he declared that he would fight 10
that resolution until he was successful
He kept his promise and for three year
led the bitterest fight in the history Of tn
American congress Benton and Jackso
had been friends in their early youth, bu
during the was Of 1872 had become enemies
Jackson acted as second to william Car
roll in a duel with Jesse Benton at Nash
Vile while the latter's brother, Thomas Il
Benton, was in Washington trying to say
jackson from bankruptcy. When tn
older Benton returned TO Tennessee he wa
furious and vowed TO whip Jackson o
sight. They met on the balcony of a hott
in Nashville and engaged in a genera
fight in which jackson was severed
wounded by Jesse Benton. Thomas Ber
ton took Jackson's sword and broke 1t o
the pubic square In Nashville and de
nounced Jackson as a coward. 1t is one G
the wonders OF history that two such me
should have reconclled such a quarrel. Bu
when Jackson came to the senate I'm Isl
he found Benton there representing tn
new state of Missouri. Jackson was give
a seat next to Benton. One morning Jach
son spoke to Benton as II nothing had har
pened, and inquired about the health {
Mrs. Benton. That evening the Benton
called on the Jacksons, and the quar-,
was ended.
Years afterwards when Benton vas tn
champion OF jackson in the senate he wer
to the White House and was denied aC