The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-10-02
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC j. HAsKN. Director.
Washington, d. @.
PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS.

washington, ID. C., sept. ZS.-Once
more the Wings put their faith in a
war hero, and for the second and last
time they We're victorious. Zachary
| Taylor vas nominated because he was
| the popular hero of the war with
Mexico. 1t mattered not that he had
never cast a vote in his life and had
never taken any interest in politics.
1t mattered not that the war in which
1 he won glory and renown was con-
demned by the Wings as a crime
against civilization. 1t mattered not
| that he was a southern Shareholder
| when the northern Wings were be-
ginning to battle every day against the
extension of slavery. 1t mattered not
| that Henry Clay, the leader Of the
I Wings, again wanted the nomination
| from his party. Nothing mattered ex-
cept that the Wings wanted to win,
| that they had won in 1910 with q war
| hero and an alliterative slogan, and
| they could do it again. Thus to Cen
| eral Harrison and "Tippecanoe and
Tyler, too" was added General Taylor
and "Old Rough and Ready" These
were the only men the Wing party
| ever put in the White House, and it is
remarkable that they are the only
| two presidents who have died in Of
| flee of natural causes.
| But even the hearty attractiveness
of General Taylor, the freshness of
| his warwon laurels. the magic of the
| memory of Buena Vista, none of these
things would have awaited to defeat
| the Democrats had it not been for the
factional party fight in New York
| state, which ultimately resulted in the
formation of the Free Soil Democratic
party and the candidacy of Martin
| Van Buren, for president. Van Buren,
did not carry a single state, but he
got a sufficient number of votes to
l.
the Democratic candidate and give
its electoral vote to General Taylor.
The Democratic national convention
met that year in Baltimore on May %.
The nomination for president was a
race between Lewis Cass of Michigan
and James Buchanan of Pennsylvania.
Cass was nominated on the fourth ball
lot without difficulty. But the great
fight in the convention was not over
the nominations; it was upon the
status of the two contesting delega-
tions from New York.
The Barn-Burners.
There they were, Samuel ]. Tilden,
later the leader of the national
Democracy, as spokesman and advo-
cate for the Barn burners, and Daniel
E. Sickles, the orator for the Hunkers.
Then only % years old, Sickles was al
ready a member of the legislature and
tive wing of the Democratic party in
New York.
The Barn-burners were liberal
Democrats, whose name was given to
them because of the similarity of their
doctrines in politics to the economy of
the Dutch farmer who burned his barn
to get rid of the-rats. Some authori-
ties, not friendly, assert that the name
was derived from the depredations of
certain persons in western New York,
not unlike the Kentucky Night-riders
of more recent fame. The Hunkers
were the conservatives, who believed
in standing by the party. whatever
betided. 'Hunker" is New York
Dutch English for "hanker," which is
| akin to hunger" and the name was
applied to those of the Democrats
whose desire for the possession Of
office was moro remarkable than
their hunger and thirst after
righteousness"
A Bitter Convention.
Barn-burners and Hunkers came
down to Baltimore, each swearing
death against the other. Behind the
Barn burners was the awful shadow of
Martin Van Buren,. who had been the
mead OF the greatest Democratic polit-
ical machine the party had possessed.
The party had defeated him for re-
nomination four years previously by
the imposition OF the two-thirds rule,
and by permitting delegates to disre-
gard instructions. His friend, Siias
Wright, had declined the yice-pr.si-
Dental nomination in 1874, but had
saved the day by running for governor
of New York and lining up the Van
Buren, strength for the Polk ticket.
Two years later, in 1916, Wright had
been defeated for reelection as gov
! ernor, and the blame was laid on the
f1unkers Van Buren, and his friends
wanted revenge.
The Baltimore convention was un-
able to decide between these bitter
factions, and therefore voted to seat
both delegations, giving half vote to
each. Both sides declined to accept
the compromise and refused to vote in
the convention. When Lewis Cass had
been nominated for president and Will
| liam o. Butler for vice president,
young Dan Sickles jumped to his feet
10 promise the vote of New York for
| the nominees, making an impassioned
speech which brought the/attention of
| the whole country to him.
! But the Barn-burners went home
sore. 1t was not long until the free
| soil movement was under way. Mar
tin Van Buren, became its candidate
for president and Charles francis
Adams was nominated for vice presi-
/ dent The Abolition party was swal-
| lowed up in it. 1t was the first con-
| siderable movement toward the
wreckng of the old non-sectional
parties and Fastening the inevitable
| Civil war. And when the votes were
counted. General Taylor was elected
and Martin Nan Buren, had his re-
venge.
General Taylor was nominated at
| the Wing national convention in Phil
adelphia. Governor Morehead of
North Carolina was president of the
convention and it became his duty to
| inform the candidates that they had
been nominated. 1t was before the
days of compulsory prepayment of
postage and Governor Morehead sent
the letter to General Taylor's address
in Louisiana, postage collect.
Didn't Know He Was Nominated.
"Old Rough and Ready had been
! getting too many letters from cranks
all over the country. for each of