Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-11-01
By
Frederic
]. HdSkin

, toms They were beginning to demand a
more direct opportunity to participate in
the affairs of government. In state after
state the legislatures, ip' response TO pop
ular demand. had been forced to extend
the suffrage by removing or reducing
property qualifications.
In the spring of 1923 the citizens of
Blount county, Tennessee. held mass
meeting at their county seat of Mary
willie, and adopted resolutions which en-
bodied for the first time a statement of
the new idea in politics, which was that
any man has a right to aspire to any
office, from president down, whether
trained or unframed i'm statecraft, with
out regard to his having filled or not
filled public Office in the past. The mass
meeting praised Andrew Jackson. The
Tennessee legislature formally nomi-
mated Andrew Jackson for president of
the United States. at the same time call
ing upon the people Of the other states
TO overthrow the political ol:garchy at
Washington, to dethrone king Caucus
and to insist upon the popular election
of presidential electors.
Calhoun withdrew from the presidential
! race and became q candidate for vice
president. An attempt was made to
, convene a Democratic nominating eau
Gus, but only Sc OF the 267 members of
congress attended the meeting when
solemnly declared william II. Crawford,
of Georgia, to be the regular Democratic
Republican nominee for president of the
| United States. The older generation OF
! Democrats, Including jefferson, the
founder of the party, and Madison and
Monroe. were regular" and supported
Crawford. In IS states the electors
were chosen by the people, and in six
! by the legislatures. Jackson received a
large plurality of the popular vote, and
also a plurality but not a majority of the
electoral vote. The election for pres1-
dent went into the house of representa-
tives Henry Clay was speaker of the
house. but as he was the fourth candi-
date in the electoral colleges, his name
under the constitution could Lot be con-
sidered The vote was cast by states,
the Clay men voting for Adams, and
Adams Yves elected, receiving the vote OF
4; 10 states against l for Jackson and 4 for
Crawford Calhoun was elected vice
president. -... 80 a... p ..-t...t
CLAY was at once appointed secretary
of state in the new cabinet. and the
Jackson men charged that Clay had given
his strength to Adams in consideration OF
a promise TO be appointed to the premier
4 ship. This was denounced as corrupt
!. bargain" and Justly or unjustly, was
made a major political issue. The ma
. iority of the members of the house elect
| ed in 1924 were inclined to support the
/ administration, as Adams had declined
to use the appointing power. and had
/ continued the offices of the Monroe adj
: ministration in power. ....
Rut the people were not content. They
, felt that the political aristocrats al
washington had conspired TO defeat fol
the presidency the man who was evident
F, ly the choice Of great plurality of the
people.
! The congressional campaign of 1926 was
/ a ve-itabIe revolution. The old style
statesmen were retired and representa-
! tives of the "piain people" we're select
, ed 10 succeed them. When the elections
were over it was found that fhe house
was composed of 12s antiAdams men tC
iS5 Adams men Practically ell of then
claimed TO be Democrats, but this reVo'
linton was TO divide that party and &C
usher in the new Wing party. But the DO
liticsl effect of the revolution was ire
nendoiIs. Every legislature In the unior
hut one was forced to provide for tho
popular election of presidential electors
ard from that day until this political
/ nominations, in theory at least, have hac
I their source in the people. That the same
revolution established the modern spoil'
system and made possible the modern
! political boss does not detract from It's
| glory In view of the fact that its engi
neers were plotting to destroy present
evil. not knowing what the future NIGH
bring forth.