The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-09-18
THE POLITICAL PARTIES OF THE
 UNITED STATES

This Sunday will mark the sixtieth anniversary of the passing of the first of the great political parties of the United States-the Wings. On Sept. IT, 1856, the last Whig National Con vention was opened in Baltimore. Only few of the old guard were left to carry the banner of the Wings. and the convention simply adopted the nominees of the American or Know nothing" party, who were Willard Fill more, of New York. for president, and Andrew J. Donelson, of Tennessee yfor vice president. This convention mark ed the last appearance of the Whigs in American politics. The great ma jority of the voters of the party had gone over to the new Republican par | Ky, which had held its first conven- tion in Philadelphia the previous June, nominating John c. Fremont, of California, for President, and Will liam L. Dayton, of New Jersey, for vice president. The remainder of the Whigs were swallowed>up in the American party, which did not last long.
 | The name of Whig Is said by some authorities to have been derived from the 'whig' or whey which the rural Nonconformists of England drank at their religious meetings. Others say that the name originated in Scotland, }where the drivers of horses used the word "whiggamore'' in driving, and were called "Whigs." An insurrection in that part of Scotland was called the ''Whiggamore inroad," and afterwards those who opposed the court were called Wings. In the reign. of Charles IT., the name Whig was term of re-
 proachf applied by the court party to | the covenanters of Scotland. The lat ter retaliated by referring to the royal partisans as Tories, a name derived
 from, the popish robbers of Ireland
 Both names, originally applied as marks of opprobrium. became honored | titles in the course of time.\ The
 Whig party in England numbered
 many of the greatest statesman and
 political leaders in its>ranks, and they
 led in such great reforms as the aboli- ton of slavery, Catholic emancipation
 and other humanitarian measures. In l1828 the-more advanced Wings be- lcame known as Liberals, and the party of Asquith and Lloyd George is de-
 scended from the old Wings.
 Tn the English colonies on this side
 of the Atlantic the old distinction be- tween Wings and Tories was kept, up,
 and in the years preceding the Revo-
 lution the Tories favore royalty, while
 the Wings. including the Liberty Men. Patriots and Sons of Liberty, favored lindependence. When the infant re- public was established the Wings di- Ivided into Particularists, favoring state sovereignty and confederation, land Streng Government, favoring a lconstitution. In 17S7 the former be- lcame Anti-Federalists. and the Strong Government Wings Federalists.
 The Federal Party lasted until 1S16,
 and passed out of existence just a century ago. having elected two presi-
 dents: Washington for two terms and
 John Adams for one term. The Anti
 Federalists. known as the Democratic- Republican party from 1793. included
 the Republican or Jeffersonian party
 and the Democrats, sympathizers with
 the French revolutionists The Demo-
 cratic-Republican organization contin-
 ued in existence until 1928 and elect
 ed three presidents-Jefferson Madi- son and Monroe-for two terms each
 The Democratic party of the pres lent had its origin in 1928. Four years DeIOTe lHo ReDubIcap
 party had split into four factions, and
 soon disappeared as a factor in na- l tional politics. The Democrats elected 5 Andrew Jackson in 1928. Jackson had been a candidate in 1924, and received
 more electoral votes than John Qun- r cy Adams, but the latter was chosen ] by the House of Representatives. The
 latter was president during a transi. ] ton period in American politics, but t properly belongs to the list of yresi t dents elected by the old Republican 3 party.
 After electing Jackson for two f terms, and Van Buren, Polk Pierce = and Buchanan for one term each. the @ Democrats became a minority party = ard were not restored to power uni S Cievelands electi )n. President Wtt = son is the seventh Democrat to oc.rp, ,, the White House.
 The disruption of the Democratic
 Republican party bought about a un = ion of a large element in thac orgnnt
 zatIo1 with the National Repubt cans