Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-10-26
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS.
Xm-THE RISE OF THE WINGS.
By Frederic ]. Haskin.

Il by FfeoSfi
There were many events In the election
of 1896. when Van Buren, Won out against
a whole field Of candidates, which may
yet find a parallel I'm the presidential eieo-
ton of 1912. 1t has been suggested by
some that II Roosevelt and Taft together
poll more votes than Wilson, and II
combination of their electors should rep
resent a majority in the electoral col
Ieges. some way may yet be found to
bring that majority to the support Of the
one or the other before the electoral col
leges meet and vote in January. How
ever this may be, that was one OF the
ideas that animated the opposition 10
Van Buren, I'm 1886 Divers and sundry
factions were opposed to jackson ana 10
his method of picking his successor. fac
tons which could lot find any platform
upon which they could all unite. but
which were willing to fight in common
cause provided they could aght independ-
ently. In this opposition here were the
anti-Ma sons. the protective tariff men.
the states Fighters, the anti-Jacksonites
and the remnants of other 'isms."
great national figure who could unite the
entire opposition. and. lacking that. they
would have to play up local pride ana
try to capitalize it. So they put up Dan
lei Webster In New England. trusting
that he could carry that section. 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. Ten
nessee nominated Senator Hugh l..
White, erstwhile the intimate friend of
Jackson. but now a rank traitor" be-
cause he would not fall in with Jackson's
plans to have Van Buren, succeed to the
presidency. With South Carolina deter
mined not to vote for any candidate that
had a ghost Of show, ii 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
Everything to Gain anti-van Blu
and Nothing to Lose. could ali unite
on one man. and thus elect him: or. If
that scheme failed, they could throw the
election into the House and trust to God
for the rest From their standpoint they
had everything to gain and nothing to
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 reason
that when the vote was counted Van
Buren, had more votes than all of them
together.
Jackson's determination to have Van
Buren, succeed him was such that he even
went far il is said have
templated the ACCESSIBILITY Of resigning in
order that Vice President Van Buren,
might become President by that route.
But if he did think these things he
thought afterward that he could aid Van
Buren, better while he himself sat in the
presidential chair.
Tennessee got into the game early by
nominating Senator White. Its legisla-
Jackson could bring to bear upon its
members. nominated White by a vote
that lacked but two Of being unanimous
Jackson had some terrific charges against
White printed in his organ, the Washing
ton Globe, and copies Of these charges
We're frapked to the members of the Ten
nessee legislature, some of them address,
ed in Jackson's own handwriting But
they had ne effect. Alabama followed the
lead Of Tennessee. although its legisla-
ture afterward rescinded this action.
~
Tennessee having nominated White in
January, 1885, Jackson was forced to get
Van Buren, in
Forced to Act Far nomination near
Ahead Of Election. na,s .hs sf a al -,
election. He suggested that a. national
convention be called to meet in Balti-
more. This was done. and eoS delegates
fnnl aorf In
resentation the story OF that convention
makes one laugh. OF this number of
delegates, ISL were from Maryland. JOS
from Virginia and 81 from. New Jersey.
1t seems that the Maryland state conven-
ton, not wishing to discriminate, had de-
cided that all of its delegates should take
part in the national convention.
When the convention got down to busi-
ness Van Buren, was it's unanimous
choice for first place, but for the vice
presidency the vote was divided between
COL r. NJ. johnson Of Kentucky and Will
liam c. Rives of Virginia Next day
Johnson received the necessary two
thirds. and was declared the nominee
Virginia served notice, however that it
would not support Johnson.
\ pennsylvania state convention nomi-
mated William Henry. Harrison and
oA-'-'' 0iduScl Ou anu 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 We're carried out. The states
still We're not voting on q uniform cleo
ton day, some of them voting toward
the last Of October and others as late
as the middle Of November. When the
returns began to come in they were not
promising to the democrats. Ohio and
New Jersey. both of which had supported
Jackson four years before, swung away
from Van Buren, to William Henry Har-
rison. But when all the votes were
counted II was found that Van Buren,
had carried fifteen out Of the twenty-six
states, although a few popular votes,
rightly placed. would have given the al
lies majority. South Carolina cast its
notes.-the electors being chosen by the
1egfs .ature-for Willie p. Mangum of
North Carolina.
When the votes were counted in Con-
gress, Henry Clay had secured the pas
sage Of a resolution to ascertain whether
any electoral votes had been cast by
persons holding positions of profit or
trust under the government. The re-
sulting investigation disclosed that sew
oil