The Detroit times., 1910-11-02

During the Jack AL.MI11'- - =
son regime the foundations were laid
Tor the present system OF American
party politics. system depending
more upon prejudice then principle,
more upon party name than party
platform. That the political party
divisions OF the time did not fairly
represent the division OF sentiment
among the people upon the pressing
questions OF national policy and
tacitly recognized by the leaders OF
both Democratic and Whig parties.
The personality OF Jackson became
the only issue upon which Democrats
could unite or Wings solidlfy. As
Jackson men or anti-Jackson men the
people cast their votes. chose their
electors, elected representatives and.
through the legislatures, sent men TO
the senate.
Three times in succession Andrew
Jackson received a plurality of the
popular vote for president, a record
equalled only by Grover Cleveland in
our history. Twice he was elected by
overwhelming majorities. and when he
retired he was succeeded by Martin
Van Buren,. whom he practically had
appointed his successor. In every con-
gressional campaign between 1925 and
1888 the Democrats were victorious.
But Notwithstanding the fact that
Jackson and Van Buren, invented the
national political organization. estab-
lished national conventions and ma
tional committees. and made party
loyalty the chief test OF fitness for
public service. party lines did not then
possess the power TO hold individuals
which they have gained since the Civil
War.
Although both houses OF congress
were safely Democratic during both
or JacksOn's administrations, there al.
ways was a sufficient number OF insur-
gent Democrats In the senate to
thwart the presidential will. II was
not until he had retired and HIS sue
cessor. Van Buren,. was In the White
| House that the Jackson men were
able to control the senate and expunge
from the Journal the resolution OF
cehsurS passed when jackson with
drew the deposits from the Bank OF
the United States These insurgent
Democrats worked with the Whig op
! position and made Jackson's admins
tration one long and bitter fight For
| one reason and another the people
supported Old Hickory and not one
| OF the three great giants who led the
opposition was able TO realize his am
bition TO be president. Clay and Web
ster were Wings, Calhoun was a Dem
ocrat. The three did not agree upon
anything except hatred OF Jackson,
| Yet powerful as they were when TO-
gether they were no match for Jack.
son.
On the proposition to grant a new
charter to the Bank OF the United
| States the great Triumvlrate stood to-
gether, while Jackson Opposition was
championed In the senate by "Old Bull.
| lion" Benton, OF Missouri, who had
once shot Jackson In a street fight in
Nashville. When the congress passed
the Tariffs OF denominations" in 1928
| II was by virtue OF combination OF
Clay and Webster Wigs with Penn
| sylvania Democrats. Pennsylvania
! was Jackson's strongest state and he
could not break with the powerful in
fuences behind the protective tariff
| South Carolina was foremost in the
war against the tariff.
John c. Calhoun was elected vice
president with Jackson, but Calhoun
resigned and was sent back TO the
senate TO take the lead in the tariff
war. He preached. not the doctrine
Of disunion, which had been heard
many times In the senate both from
| Democratic and Federalist sources.
but the doctrine OF notification. II
was asserted that a state had right
TO nullify a federal law so far as It's
enforcement within the borders of that
state was concerned. This doctrine
was born in the sophistlcal brain of
! Calhoun but IL had other defenders.
! One OF them was Robert Young
! Hayne, senator from South Carolina.
| His speech now is forgotten except as
| II is preserved in the name OF the
most famous speech ever delivered In
the United States senate-Webster' 3
reply TO Hayne. In that speech Web
ster expounded the constitution as a
nationalist and laid the foundation for
the conviction that was later TO save
the union, even at the expense OF a
terrific sectional war. That debate,
be is remembered, was not upon slav-
cry. but upon the tariff.
henry Clay, WIN MS genius TOT
compromises, come forward with a
new Compromise Tariff" passed in
1892, which was destined 10 save
Jackson and TO confound Clay. In the
election that year Jackson defeated
Clay for the presidency by PIG to 40
in the electoral colleges, IL votes be.
ing cast for John Floyd, OF Virginia.
by South Carolina, and for William
Writ. the candidate Of the anti.Mason-
ic party South Carolina was now the
only state in which the popular Demo
cratic movement OF the early Jackson
day had not triumphed, and its legis-
lature still elected its presidential
electors. Calhoun commanded the
legislature, and the electoral votes
were held ready TO be cast for Clay u
they might thereby defeat Jackson.
When II was found that Jackson had a
large majority. the votes we're thrown
away and South Carolina passed the
Ordinance OF Notification.
The president at once issued his
famous proclamation In which he de-
cIared that the constitution formed n
government, not league, and I'm
which he threatened the nulllfers
with all the power OF the federal gov
eminent. Calhoun now resigned the
yIce-presidency and came TO the sen
ate The battle seemed TO be on. Jack