Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-09-23
Presidential Campaigns
III. The Jackson-Clay Race Of 1892
BY Frederic j. Uaakln

Hht1Dnal cDHVeHiiDHs tRbfSs Hhtfpfhi \
conventions; the "pee-pul" against the /
and all with the Federal offices at stake |
az sure prizes for the winners, made the /
campaign Of 1892 the fcrcest ~ American |
history ip to that time. For Andrew /
Jackson had hardly arrived in the White |
House on March a, 1929, before he had /
fred a whole raft of Adams office-holdes /
and had replaced them with loyal Jack /
sonites.
'"ro the victors belong the spoils,"
said he, promulgating the doctrine a ro- /
tation in office and instituting the po- /
litieal method OF rewarding partisan ao-
tivity with public Job. lts effect wa |
tremendous, and while jackson dad not /
have the committee form of party or
Ranization which backs up an admins
tration today, he did have Martin Van
Buren in his councils, and Van Buren
was as wise in practical politics ~ was
Napoleon in strategy.
This campaign Of 1892 was the first
in which national nominating conventions
figured The anti-Masons held the first,
and nominated William Writ, who had
been Acknowledgement Of the United
States under Monroe and Adams Tor
President, and Amos Ellmaker Of Penn
sylvania for Vice President. The Ma
tionsl Republicans, already called the
"Whigs" in ordinary conversation, noni-
mated Henry Clay of Kentucky for Prcei-
dent and John Sergeant of Pennsylvania
for Vice President The Democrats held
q convention, but did not nominate a can
didate for president as Jackson was the
unanimous choice q the party Martin
Van Buren was named for Vice President
and the famous two-thirds rule which
afterward proved Van Buren's undoing.
was adopted The state Of South Caro-
lima still chose its electors by the legis-
lature, as il did until after the Civl War,
and II had a party all Of It's own, with
John Floyd of Virginia for President and
Henry Lee Of Massachusetts, for Vice
/ President.
sToaMY SESSION.
/ .Jaeksor's administration had been the
/ stormiest ever known and the conserva-
/ tive statesmen Of the old school wee IN
/ despair. He .iad quarrclled with tho
Vice President, John &. Calhoun, by
/ prefsrrng Van Buren, as a chief coun-
/ sellor. He had broken up his own Cabinet
and had precipitated the most violent
/ social war 81 Washington's history by
insisting upon the acceptance Of Mrs.
Eaton. wife Of his Secretary Of War, by
the official circles of the capital He had
turned out all the old offee-holders and
| had given their places to his friends. lie
had violated every precedent Of presi-
/ Dental behavior, and had transgressed
every tradition Of statecTaft.
His greatest fight had been against the
Bank Of the United States. When he
first became President ne had some cor
respondence with the bank insisting that
the National Government had some right
10 saw who should be chosen officers q
the bank To this claim, Nicholas Biddle,
head of the bank, set up an absolute
denial. Then reports came IN from all over
the country that the various branches of
the bank were discriminating against
Jackson men in business relations, and
that the bank was building up machine
to overthrow Jackson. This Federal bank
had been chartered in 1916 for period
of 20 wears. and il must obtain new lease
of life from the Government during the
administration Of that President 70 be
elected in 1923.
Henry CLAY. hating Jackson with All
his soul. and firm IN the belief that the
people would not re-eiect such an uncouth
monster to the high Office Of President
decided TO force the fighting. II was BY
his advice that the bill 70 recharter the
bank was introduced and passed by Con-
gress during Jackson's first term Thomas
IL. Benton. Senator from Missouri, was
fighting against the rechaTter IN the Senate
declaring for q gold currency and galnlng
his. sobriquet of "Old Bullion But tbs
bank had friends in Congress and the bll
extending it's charter was passed.
swArTTNG THE MONEY DEVIL
Jackson promptly vetoed it. Tha
veto was gwen IN July, lS2S, when th'
presidential campaign was already well Il
nrorress. In these advanced and enlIght
ened davs the President always sees TO !
that Congress has adjourned before tn
e nominations are made, 50 As 70 preFeI
big questions coming up. But Jacksoi
didn't care. He said he had swatted tn
Money Devil and he had The cam
ualgn was on, and 80 far as Jackson mel
were concerned, there was but one issue
the duty of saving Jackson from over
throw by the Money Master.
Clay, the idol of his followers, was con
fident that he could win on the ban
question. He was sure that the peopl
would not consent to a ruthless over
turning of the financial system OF IA
country. Therefore ne made loyalty .
the hank a test of party fealty. But ther
vas a settled conviction that JacksO
was right and the bank was wrong. In
old corruption and bargain cry OF lou
wears ago was heard again, but most c
the old issues were buried In the new.
The anti-Masons were strong IN %
;, North. or had been in state elections, an
Calhoun was leading the anti-Jackso
fight in his own state, where the doctrin
of notification was already being preact
ed The end Of the bank qut to
and the crisis In the nulllhcatio
business were to come in Jackson ; secon
administration, but of course, that Wa
not known. The fact that Clay, a MasOl
was conniving with the anti-Masons, an
that Clay, the author of the America
system" of protection and the Tariff {
denominations was in eollusion Wit
Calhoun. the chief of the nulhhers, adde
to Jackson's strength. The Trip
Unholy Alliance of Clayism, Nulhhcs
ton and Anti-Masonry" was the way II
Jackson orators described the Opposition
THE DAY OF CAMPAIGN SONGS
On the other side every effort was e!
pended TO induce the people 20 wake up I
the dangers of the spoils system as Il
troduced by jackson. His cabinet and b
no less important and much more noto
ious Kitchen Cabinet came in for the
share of the fighting The Wings san!