Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1912-06-01

ident always being made vice presi-
dent. But the loyalty Of the electors
to the mandate of the people was such
that as early as 1900 Jefferson and
Burr the two Democratic-Republic
candidates, each received 70 votes.
The election therefore went to the
House of Representatives where jeff
erson was elected This was followed
Immediately by the amendment of the
Constitution to provide for separate
ballot of the electors for the office of
vice president.
In this year of 1900, for the first
time, there were nominations for pres
ident The Federalist members of
Congress held conference in the
Senate chamber early in the year and
agreed to support Mr.. Adams for a
second term. A few weeks later the
Democratic-Republican members of
Congress held secret caucus and
agreed to support Jefferson for pres
ident and Burr for vice president.
These conferences decisions were not
presumed to be anything more than
the expression of the general sense
of the supporters of the two parties
Formal Nominations Begin.
Four years later, however, formal
nominations for the presidency were
made. A regular caucus of the Demo
cratic-Re1ublican members of Con
gress was held on February rs, 1904,
at which Thomas jefferson and George
Clinton were unanimously nominated
for the office of president and vice
president, respectively The Federal
lists did not hold a caucus, but by
general agreement they supported
Charles C. Pinckney for president and
Rufus King for vice president. In the
election Jefferson received 162 votes
as against only IA for Pinckney
The members of Congress assumed
that they We're the political as well as
the legislative representatives of the
people and felt themselves obligated
to bear the burdens of party direction
and administration in addition to the
constitutional duties imposed upon
them That this was not usurpation,
but perfectly natural conclusion is
apparent when one remembers that
they had always before them, and at
close rangeth example of the British
Parliament, in which then as now the
members of the House of Comomns
-.
tiers as well as in politics of legisla-
ton. In the Democratic-Republican
congressional caucus held January %,
1908, James Madison received SO of
the SO votes cast for president and
George Clinton. received 70 of the So
votes cast for vice president The Fed
eralists. without holding a caucus,
again by common agreement accepted
Pinckney and King, who had been
their candidates four years before.
When the next election year rolled
around Madison was renominated by
the unanimous vote of the caucus.
John Langdon, of New Hampshire was
nominated for the vice president, re-
ceiving GA of the so votes cast How
ever. Langdon declined the nomina-
ton and at a second caucus held
few weeks later Elbridge Gerry was
nominated BY this time the FEEDER
alists' strength in Congress had so
diminished that no attempt to hold
caucus was made, but national con-
vention, the first in our history. was
held in September 1872 in New York.
Convention Idea Dropped.
This convention nominated Dewitt
Clinton for president and Jared Inger
soil for vice president. Its candidates
were defeated. and 1t does not appear
that the convention idea was receiv-
cd with any degree of appreciation by
the people At any rate, the idea was
dropped to be revived again under
very different circumstances.
There was considerable contest
for the presidential nomination for the
first time in 1916. The Democratic
Republican caucus was held on March
is. James Monroe defeated William
II. Crawford for the nomination by
vote OF Do 10 "a. Against Mohlos thS
Federalists received the vote of only
three states, and in these three the
electors were chosen by the legislaS
tors. and not by the people.
Four years later there. was absolute
~ no opposition to the reelection Of
Monroe. The Federaiist party had
lied, and there was general agreement
IN the psmocratic.R sguhllcan patty