Evening star., 1912-06-06

institution of supreme authority in party
politics in the United States dates from
the campaign of 1892. in which Andrew
Jackson triumphed over Henry Clay. Inc
idea, as has been said, originated with
| the ephemeral anti-Masonic party. In
1896 one William Morgan. a citizen OF
1 western New York, mysteriously dlsap-
peared. 1t was alleged that he had been
abducted or murdered by Free Masons
| because he had revealed the secrets OF
that order Agitations against the Ma
sonic lodges, in particular. and secret So
cieties in general, in many communities
led to very bitter feeling, which expressed
! itself in the form of political organiza-
tions.
The anti-Masons carried many local
elections and a few state elections, and
at once aspired to become nat1onal
party. They had no representatives IN
| office, either in the executive departments
or in Congress at Washington. and there
| fore 1t was necessary for them to IN
vent some new machinery for the ma
| tional expression of their party tenets
An informal mass convention was held at
| Philadelphia in September, 1880. This
| body issued the first call for a national
nominating convention. adopting reso-
pie Of the United States. opposed to
secret societies, to meet in convention on
Monday, the 26th day of September.
1881, at the city of Baltimore; and
| by delegates equal in number to their
representatives in both Houses of Con-
gress to make nominations of suitable
candidates for the offices of President
and Vice President" Ten states were
| representated in this mass convention
and only thirteen in the more formal
| gathering at Baltimore.
| The example of the anti-Masons was at
once followed by the democrats then
al l 9
Three Conventions y a kson
Adopt Same Resolution. ans" and
by the wings. then known as national
republicans" All three held national con-
ventions, and all three of the conventions
met in Baltimore. 1t is interesting to
note that each of these three first ma
tional conventions began their work by
adopting, in substance. the same resolu-
ton. Immediately after each convention
was organized a resolution was adopted,
inviting the venerable Charles Carroll OF
Carrollton, the only surviving signer of
the Declaration of Independence, to
seat within the bar of the convention.
Mr.. Carroll, on account of his age and
infirmity, was compelled to decline each
| of the three invitations. but he graciously
received the delegates to each of the con-
ventions at his home. He had long out
lived all of his fellows of the heroic act
of 1116 and he himself crossed the river
in the autumn of 1892
The anti-Masonic convention was held
in September, 1881, more than a year be-
fore the elections were to be held. 1t
was called at the time ''.he general anti
Masonic convention of the United States.''
l1n-.x Ll.
the word national" There were about
120 delegates in attendance. and the only
order of procedure adopted which still
persists Is that the voting was by states
and the delegates apportioned according
to the electoral votes of the states.
BY this time the politicians who hoped
to unhorse Jackson had seized upon the
anti Masonic
Politicians Hoped org anization
to Unhorse Jackson. as. as .oa, eIn.un and
it is clear that the Baltimore con-
vention was more concerned with beating
Jackson than with destroying Masonry
There were no less than four men who
had been members of the cabinet under
John Quincy Adams who were giving
their advice and counsel to the anti
Masons, and Chief Justice John Mar
shall of the United States Supreme Court
attended the sessions OIL the convention
The radical anti Masons were in a mi
nority in their own convention, and soon
ceased to struggle for the nomination of
their favorlte, Judge John Mclean OF
Ohio. On the first ballot, William Writ
who had been Attorney General under
both Monroe and John Quincy Adams,
was nominated for President by los out
of the Ill votes cast. Mr.. Writ lived in
Baltimore and attended the convention,
the convention but by one delegate, John
s. Shriver. The amusing fact is that Mr..
Writ was himself a Mason, and that he
accepted the nomination. in letter sent
to the convention on the spot, on cond1-
| ton that the anti-Masonic party would
not do anything radically anti-Masonic.
Writ himself already was a duly elected
| delegate to the national republican,
| convention that had been called to meet
| in Baltimore in December. The Jackson
papers had a great deal of fun at the
| expense of Mr.. Wirts sudden conversion
| from Freemason to anti-Masonry. In
the election of that year Mr.. Writ car
| ried one State-Vermont.
The national republican" convention
met on December Il. 1881. There We're
1856 delegates
First National present. and
Republican Meeting. the resolution
inviting Charles Carroll of Carrollton to
attend the convention, the first action
taken was to appoint place on the con-
vention floor to the editors" who de-
sired to report the proceedings. The con-
vention was in session five days. but its
meetings were purely formal. for all the