Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-10-30

lions. There were two parties in England,
but both of them were represented in all
phases Of political activity by gentlemen
who were acknowledged to occupy a posi-
ton socially superior to the common peo-
Pile. These gentlemen and their class, re-
CARELESS of their partisan affiliations were
then and still are known as the governing
class. This practice was followed in the
American republic. The Federalists Adams,
Jay and Marshall as well as the Demo
Gratis jefferson, Madison and Monroe were
all social aristocrats. However radical
may have been Mr.. Jefferson's democratic
political theories, and however far he may
have gone in decrying the superiority Of
the aristocrats, he was by birth and edu-
cation a representative Of the ruling
classes.
In the generation of political leaders
which appeared on the stage in the uprising
Of 1910, men like Clay and Calhoun also
were Of this same class. Violent as they
sometimes were in their political disputes,
until 1893 they were all agreed, and their
position that only men trained especially
in the profession OF statecraft should be
entrusted with public office, was no,
questioned in any quarter
With the exception of the four wears of
the Adams administration, the president
always had been a Virginian, and a MEM
Der Of a certain aristocratic clan. It had
! become the accepted rule that either the
vice president or some member of the cab.
met should succeed to the chief magis
tracy. Washington was succeeded by Vice
President Adams Adams was succeeded
by Vice President jefferson, jefferson wa,
succeeded by Secretary of State Madison
Madison was succeeded by Secretary o
State Monroe, and Monroes second tern
was about to expire and as there was blu
one party, the question Of succession wa
much mooted
John Quincy Adams, secretary of state
thought that he was in line of succession
according to the practice of years William
II. Crawford, secretary of the treasury
John c. Calhoun, secretary Of war an,
Henry Clay speaker Of the house of rep
resentatves also aspired to succeed Mon
roe In the White House. These three cabi
net members and the speaker Of the hous
all were together in Washington, and the
had no thought but that they would b
permitted to fight the matter out anon
themselves and the others of their cast
Of professional politicians.
But they were destined to be disap
pointed. A new generation Of people ha
sprung up who were not bound in an
AeloAAAoA W me AehlOlltS OF bIluSn Cul
toms. They were beginning to demand
more direct opportunity to participate
the affairs Of government. In state al
] ter state the legislatures, in resonse
5 popular demand, had been forced to eH
tend the suffrage by removing or reducin
! property qualifications.
t In the spring of 1898 the citizens
. Blount county, Tennessee, held a mas
meeting at their county seat of Maryvill
and adopted resolutions which embodie
s for the first time a statement of the ne
idea in politics, which was that any ma
n has a right to aspire to any office, fro
y president down, whether trained or vi
/ trained in statcraft, without regard to h
o filled or not filled public office in the pas
/ The mass meeting praised Andrew JAG