The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-09-30
Frederic Haskin's Lette
PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS.


lhdicrous. The Wings soop !
lied that Scott would BE- dee6aiSS
but the candidate hoped On. ~
it was all over he gave out -
terview in which he declared ne
he owed his defeat to the New -.
Herald. the Webster detection ~
the lukewarmness Of the FillrTs
administration.
Daniel Webster consented a. ~
come the head OF boiling u q
ticket, but he died few dan
fore the election and his little = ~
died with him. A few days 49,.
his death Webster sent for his Aas
ON friend, Peter Harvey, and 80
ed: rs Rufus Choate going to vu1Ss.
for Scott?" Il don't know.
Harvey's reply. but l think -
Thee Webster said: Tell him ~
to ruin his future by voting -
Scott, and tell him, a. my dyirs y
message to him. that after the ~ y
ond day Of November next the ViI1 +
party as a national party will exiS
only in history" The publlcati11
OF this interview in the Dsmoesrla1 &
papers few days before the 60 {
ton did not aid the Wings a. ],
cause, although Choate announeoi
his fealty to Scott. Webster's NJ
diction was correct. In 1861 u B
Wing party died and in the sas2
year Henry Clay and Daniel WEI
ster. its greatest leaders and r.
worst enemies, were gathered ~
their fathers. In the election NJ
Wing ticket carried but four stato1Rsl!
Massachusetts and Vermont o.
New England and Tennessee asdS
Kentucky In the south. 81
The sMaineacs."
In the Democratic party that
year there was q great fight for III
presidential nomination. Levi
Cass, James Buchanan, stephan A
Douglas and William L. Marcy wen
the principals, but from the first h
was believed that dark hores~
would win. Sam Houston, then &.
senator from Texas, who had beon
governor Of Tennessee and pred.
dent OF the republic Of Texas, NJ
formidable possibility for awhil&
But Houston had lately become 1:
"Maineac," that is to say, he hi
become a tee-totaller and a proAi
bitionist, and was in favor OF thaf
extension Of the Maine liquor law
to all the states. Persons holding |
such views in those days were call.
ed "Maineacs." Z
On the 35th ballot in the Demo
cratic convention the Virginia dele !.
CATION pumped a solid vote for
Franklin Pierce of New Hampshife,
whose name had not been men
toned in the convention although
the New York Herald had suggest
ed him as the possible dark horse
That started the ball and Pierce
was nominated on the 49tf BALLOT
Pierce had good record as a poll
tician, had served with some dis
tinction as a brigadier general ins
the War with Mexico, and had the !
negative strength OF being a CON- !
promise man.
When Pierce was nominated the
Democrats did not yet know how
many mistakes General Scott would
make or how many letters he would
write. They only knew that the
Wings were certain to nominate
him and that he was a war hero.
1t was in the frightened effort 70,
get a hero to match a hero that
Houston was proposed. and that
Pierce was selected. Yet how few
Americans remember today that
Franklin Pierce had a war record
in Mexico.
The Pierce nomination was the,
first in which the Unlocking CALLER
les in 8 national convention took
part. When Pierces name was first
voted for, New Hampshire dele.
gate, wild with excitement, invited
the people in the galleries to join
| in the cheering. They accepted the
invitation. despite the precedent
that had always obtained, forbid
ding the galleries to cheer or ap-
plaud. The result was the first
! convention demonstration 1t last
ed for eight minutes. Thus was
begun the unhappy custom which
has made a bedlam and a mob Of
every national convention since.
The campaign Of 1852 was Affect
ed to a considerable degree BY Two
side-shows that were running-We
prohibition movement and the WON
an suffrage propaganda The SUI
fragets held a great national ceh-
vention, which was ATTENDED "
women from all over the n0rn9n
states, most of them attired IN
"bloomers" Elizabeth Cady Stan.
ton and Susan B. Anthony were Two
prominent figures. The prohibltion
movement did not enter into ma.
tional politics. but it was grea!
factor in state and congressional
contests. !.
| When it was all over the country
breathed easier. The DemocIau
had been restored to power by On
Overwhelming and non-sectiona;
vote. People hoped and believes
that the Compromise OF 1850 wouia
stand. and that the agitation OF inc
slavery question would die out
They were deluded, but their non
est belief at the time explains many
things that seem to be unreasonaois
in the light Of later events.