Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-10-29
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS.
XV-The Democracy Reunited.
XVu-Birth of the Republican Party.
By Frederic J. Haskin.

Choate, who had nominated him in the
WING convention in one of the finest
nominating speeches ever heard in con-
vention. and advised him not to ruin his
future by voting the WING ticket, saying
that 1t was destined to defeat and the
party destined to exist only in history
after that campaign. The message was
published in the democratic press and
proved one Of the fulfilled deathbed
prophecies of American political history.
The campaign of 1852 was like the one
of today in the activity OF the woman
suffrage advocates. The suffragettes held
great national convention. made up
mostly OF Demonstrating women. Eliza
beth Cady Stanton and Susan B. An
thony were two prominent figures. The
prohibition party also got into the field
strong the prohibition sentiment was is
disclosed by the fact that Sam Houston
of Texas, was considered by some for
the democratic presidential nomination
eac," as the prohibitionists of the Maine
variety We're called. But the democracy
was not ready to hitch its wagon to a
prohibition star.
The election of Pierce was taken by
the country at large as ending perma-
nently the threatening danger of civil
war over the slavery question. Henry
Clay had proposed his celebrated COM
promises of 1850 and Congress, with the
cooperation of President Fillmore pass
ed them. Daniel Webster and many other
northern wings aided in their passage
The democrats approved them in their
platform and the vast ma jOrity secured
by Pierce and King was taken as the
countryS final verdict on the slavery
question.
XVII-BIRTH OF THE REPUBLI-
CAN PARTY.
The birth of the republican party in
1856. rising Phoenix-like out of the ashes
of the ruins Of the defeated opposition to
democracy in 1852. stands out as one of
the remarkable political events Of Ameri-
can history. But four years before the
country had been almost unanimous in
favor of the adjustment of the slavery
question as made by the compromise Of
1850, but the democrats not content with
that, proceeded to push their advantage
farther under Pierce. and the republican
party sprang. full grown, into the arena
OF politics, as protest against such a
course. 1t remained for Pennsylvania, in
race in which the democracy won by an
eyelash finish, to cast the vote which, the
only time in it's history, put one Of its
sons into the White House. and kept out
Of 1t man whose election probably
would have meant disunion and civil war
four years before they came.
Many historians have speculated as to
what would have happened had fusion
won in Pennsylvania in 1856 and Fremont
succeeded Pierce in the White House
That secession would have followed seems
inevitable. Even eX-President Fillmore de-
clared the south could not be expected
to endure the humiliation of republican
victory with a President and a Vice
President from the north. The entire
temper of the south was of that nature
And what would Fremont have done nj the
presidential chair if such an event had
come about? With his temperament and
his mediocre gifts what would have been
the outcome? Many a northern authority
has registered his vow Of thankfulness
that by the narrow majority of 1.O25 votes
Pennsylvania postponed until 1860 the
pivotal election in American politics
The republican party met in Pittsburgh
on WashingtOn's birthday, and called
national convention to convene in Phila-
delphia on Bunker Hill day. 1t met ac-
cordirg to schedule, and such a small
thing as credentials never entered into
the minds of the leaders of the move
ment. They felt that everybody at the
convention was sincerely interested in the
cause of anti-slavery. so every delegate
had a