El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-10-24

provided they could 1lgnL Independent
". In this opposition there were the
anti Masons, the protective tariff men,
the states Fighters, the antt-Jackson-
ties, and the remnants Of other
'isms"
Capitalized Local Pride.
But they realized that they had no
great national figure who could unite
the entire opposition and lacking that
they would have to play up local pride
and try to capitalize it. So they put
up Daniel Webster in New England,
trusting that he could carry that sec
ton. Then they put up William Henry
Harrison, of Indiana, and justice John
Mclean, of Ohio, trusting that they
could hold the west out of the Van
Buren, column. Tennessee nominated
senator Hugh L White, erstwhlle the
intimate friend of Jackson, but now
rank traitor" because he would not
fall in with JacksOn's plans to have
Van Buren, succeed to the presidency.
With South Carolina determined not
to vote for any candidate that had a
ghost of a show, it was felt that the
aggregate vote OF the opposition might
be enough to prevent the success OF
Van Buren,.
If such a result should eventuate,
they reasoned, one of two things could
happen-either the anu-Van Buren,
electors could all unite on one man,
and thus elect him; or, if that scheme
failed. they could throw the election
in the house and trust to God for the
rest From their standpoint they had
everything to gain and nothing 10 lose
by such a course, for the worst that
could happen would be the elevation
Of Van Buren, to the presidential chair
Their scheme failed for the good rea-
son that when the vote was counted
Van Buren, had more votes than all OF
them together.
Jackson Insisted on Van Buren,.
JacksOn's determination to have Van
Buren, succeed him was such that ne
even went so far, it is said, as to have
contemplated the advisability Of re-
signing in order that vice president
Van Buren, might become president by
that route But If he did think these
t--ings he thought afterward that he
could aid Van Buren, better while ne
himself sat in the presidential chair.
Tennessee got into the game early
by nominating senator White It's Iegls-
iature, in the face Of the hardest pres
sure Jackson could bring to bear upon
its members, nominated White by
vote that lacked but two OF being
unanimous. Jackson had some terrific
charges against White printed in his
organ. the washington Globe, and cop
les of these charges were ranked to
the members Of the Tennessee 1eglsla-
ture, some Of them addressed in Jack
sons own handwriting. But they had
no effect Alabama followed the lead
of Tennessee, although its legislature
afterWard resCinded this action
Tennessee having nominated White
in January, 1885, Jackson was Iorceu
to get Van Buren, in nomination nearly
a year and a half ahead Of the election
He suggested that a national cOnven-
ton be called TO meet in Baltimore
This was done. and 626 delegates took
part. In these days Of precise repre-
makes one laugh. OF this number OF
delegates, 181 were from Maryland, los
from Virginia, and 80 from New Jersey.
1t seems that the Maryland state con-
ventiOn, not wishing to discriminate,
had decided that all OF its delegates
should take part in the national con-
ventiOn.
Van Buren's Nomination.
When the convention got down to
business, Van Buren, was its unani-
nous choice for first place, but for
the vice presidency the vote stood 1lS
for Col. r. n. Johnson, of Kentucky
and for William G. RiVes, OF Virginia
Next day Johnson received the neceS-
sary twO-thirds, and was declared the
nominee. Virginia served notice, how
ever that it would not support John
SON
A Pennsylvania state convention
nominated William Henry Harrison and
Francis Granger on an anti-Masonic
ticket Granger also ran as the vice
presidential candidate on the Webster
ticket. John Tyler, OF Virginia, was
to run on the ticket with White. These
plans all were carried out The states
still were not voting on uniform
election day, some of them voting to-
wards the last of October and others
as late as the middle of November.
When the returns began to come in
they we're not promising to the Demo
Gratis. Ohio and New Jersey, both Of
which had supported Jackson four
years before, swung away from Van
Buren, to William Henry Harrison. But
when tall the votes were counted it
was found that Van Buren, had carr
ried Is out of the 26 states, although
a few popular votes, rightly placed,
would have given the allies a ma Or-
ity. South Carolina cast its votes. the
electors being chosen by the leEisla-
ture, for Willie Z. Mangum of North
Carolina.
Contest Thrown Into senate.
When the votes were counted in con-
gress, Henry Clay had secured the
passage Of q resolution to ascertain
whether any electoral votes had been
cast by persons holding positions Of
profit or trust under the government.
The resulting investigation disclosed
that several deputy pOstmasters and
a pension agent were among the cleo
tors, but their votes were counted
just the same.
Virginia made good its threat not to
support Johnson for the vice preSl-
dency, and instead gave % electoral
votes to William Smith, of Alabama
This threw the election of the vice
president into the senate-the only
time in the history of the country that
such a thing has happened When the
JacksOn-Clay, CrawfOrd-Adams contest
was thrown into the house it did not
affect the vice presidency, because Cal
houn. having his name on more than
one ticket, got a majority of the cleo
toral votes. In 1900, when there was
a contest between jefferson and Burr
the election of jefferson to the presi-
dent automatically put Burr in the vice
-presidency-a thing impossible under
the constitution as it now stands.
Campaign of YilHfieatiOn.
No campaign in the history Of the
country ever was disgraced by more
vilIificatiOn than this contest for the
succession to Jackson. The Van Buren,
crowd accused everybody in Opposi-
ton without discrimination, of being
bribed by the United States bank to
become the creatures of the British
Rothschilds, who were presented as the
real owners of the bank. Nicholas
Biddle, and "Biddle's bank" were at
tackled with more venom than ever be-
fore
On the other hand the Wings, as
the opposition were beginning to be
called, could not allow themselves to
be outdone in that respect They at
tackled Jackson, accusing him OF every