The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-11-02
CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGNS
vIII-GRoWTH OF SECTIONAL DIVISION
By FREDERIC ! HASKfN

al union must and shall be preserved"
Again Clay came to his aid, and by
dlnt of exercise OF his moat per-
suasive faculties he framed another
compromise tariff bill which enabled
Jackson 70 maintain his bold front
against the nullihers and at the nAme
time TO back down from extreme pro-
tectionism and therefore In measure
TO placate southern sentiment When
Jackson was about TO retire and had
cast his mantle upon the shoulders OF
Van Buren,, the opposition could not
agree upon a candidate. They held
no national convention. Van Buren,
received 40 electoral votes against
70 for William Henry Harrison, who
received the greater part OF the Wing
support, 20 for Hugh Lawson White,
an insurgent Democratic senator from
Tennessee. and IL for Willie p. Mag
mum, being the vote OF the South Car
ollna legislature. All this time the
opposition to Jackson held TO the Of
fetal name OF National Republican"
while the Jackson men called them
selves Democratic Republicans.
Four years later, In 1870, the Demo-
Gratis generally adopted the popular
name which they still bear, and the
National Republicans made Wing
their official as we'll as their popular
title.
All OF this time the leaders OF both
parties were careful not TO say any.
thing whatever about the real prob
lem which was pressing for solution
slavery. IL was not a federal Ques-
ton. Neither party would take a
stand upon II. Calhoun and his South
Carolinians were always lighting the
tariff. but the Whigs could depend up
on them te-eppose- Jackson Jackson
and Clay, the chief leaders OF each
party, were shareholders from tho
south. The only hope of overthrow
ing Jackson lay in a combination OF
New England. South Carolina, and
York, Pennsylvania and the West
were for Jackson. There was no pos
sible way TO bring up the slavery
question without destroying both POI
litical parties. and thus for forty
years all politicians of whatever par
~ were willing TO fight together TO
keep slavery out of politics.
II was kept out OF national cam
palgns, but II was kept always before
congress by John Quincy Adams In
the house, and IL was always before
the people in local elections. Mem
bers of congress were chosen first be-
cause OF their stand on the issue OF
slavery, secondly because they were
Wings or Democrats. When they ar
rived at Washington they divided
without regard to party appellatf0n In
support or opposition of John Quincy
Adams perpetual efforts TO submit
anti-slavery petitions. But for the
general public, and In all admittedly
political questions they were yet
Democrats and Wings.
The long series OF Democratic
triumphs was about 70 be broken. The
panic OF 1887 did the work, and In
1888 the Wings made great gains. and
when the house met to organize there
were 119 Democrats and 11S Wings,
exclusive OF the five members from
New Jersey. whose seats were con-
tested. The governor had issued GER
tifciates to the Wings. The clerk OF
the house was Democrat He refus-
ed to call the names OF the New Jer-
sey members For four days the
house was in turmoil. until finally the
venerable ex.president Adams assum-
ed the chair amid general acclaim and
the house decided TO elect a speaker
before deciding the New Jersey con-
test. This gave the Democrats a ma
iority OF one, but some Calhoun sup
poTters became insurgents and united
with the Wings to elect r. M r.
Hunter, OF Virginia. He Is distinguish
ed in history as being the only speak
er OF the house OF representatives
who declined to take any part in par
tisan warfare.
Two years later Van Buren, was
again the Democratic nominee, while
the Wings set aside their idol Clay
because he was a Mason and they
/ wished 10 pander to the anti.Masonic
sentiment. They nominated Harrison
because he was a war hero. Then
they selected John Tyler for vice
president as he was a southern states
rights man OF Calhoun type. The
Wings that time threw away their
one great chance by trucking to ex-
pediency The campaign was one OF
the most exciting the country ever
saw, and II proved TO be Whig land
, slide. "Tippecanoe and Tyler, too"
carried Maine with Governor Kent In
September, and received pa electoral
votes to so for Van Buren,. South
Carolina returned to Democratic al
legiance-the slavery question was
beginning to press hard-and Van
Buren, carried only six other states
Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri,
New Hampshire, and Virginia. South,
North, East and West had been car
ried into the Wing camp.
Tomorrow-5reaking Up the Parties.