Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1912-10-22

When John Quincy Adams appointed
Henry Clay secretary Of state no made
certain his own defeat for reelection.
1t was charged that Henry Clay had
bargained away his strength to Adams
to make Adams president in return for
the state portfolio. That the charge
was not true seems to be accepted by
all historians. But what a campaign
story 1t was! Had 1t not been said
that the bargain was made, and were
not the conditions Of the bargain fu!-
filled to the letter? The proof Of the
pudding is in its eating. and the proof
of the bargain in it's fulfillment. Ger
tainly Adams had not kept free from
the appearance of evil. II he had not
appointed Clay the story Of the cor
rupt bargain would have fallen flat.
The people felt that the defeat Of
jackson was tfwarting of the popular
will. He had won in the popular cleo
ton and had received the most votes in
the electoral colleges. Adams was n
minority candidate all the way around,
and yet he got into the presidency. This
state Of affairs aroused the country and
led the people Of every state to insist
on the selection Of electors by popular
vote. Eighteen states had chosen their
electors that way in 1924, but in some
OF those states the ballot was so hedged
about with qualifications that the vote
was not at all representative. But in
1928 all Of the "a states except Della
ware and South Carolina gave the suf-
frage to the people and many of them
liberalized the qualifications of the right
to vote.
Jackson fastened Homo.
The campaign really began as soon
as Adams was chosen. Jackson has
tened home and with a flourish re-
signed his seat in the senate, saying
that constitutional amendment was
going to be offered to guarantee to the
people the right to cl,oose their presi-
dent, and that he would have to advo-
cate 1t If he remained in the senate, a
course which his enemies would charge
was pursued from selfish interest Re-
fore this the Tennessee legislature had
again nominated him for president and
renewed the agitation against the sale
of the presidency by Clay in return for
the portfolio OF state.
The game of the Jackson people now
was to enlist the support of the Craw-
ford following for their candidate
Martin Van Buren, and his friend Cam
breling, who controlled New York pol
itics. perceiving the plain drift of pub
lie sentiment toward Jackson got
aboard his band wagon before it starte /
and qualified as drivers OF the big car
ry-all. They made a tour of the south
spreading Jackson sentiment and init
mating to the friends of Crawford tina.
1t was high time to climb aboard
There were some side issues in the
campaign. but they were completely
overshadowed by the issue of whether
Clay had made a deal with Adams.
And on that issue, finding Clay in pos
session of the goods, the people turned
deaf ear to all that was said to dis
prove 1t. Clay received votes OF conf
dence wherever he went, but still the
story spread and grew, and one might
as we'll have tried to dam the Missis-
sippi as to counteract the story The
Jackson people made the most Of II
everywhere At musters OF the militia
at county court days, at barn raisings
every where. it was repeated with in
Vulnerable frills and 1t was believed
Clay's Honor Satisfied.
They rang the changes on the story
everywhere. John Randolph in con-
gress exclaimed: let Judas take his