Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-09-25
PRESIDENTIAL
CAMPAIGNS
By FREDERIC ]. HASKIN
NO. 1.-THE JACKSON
ADAMS RACE

president in 1925, and the long three
years campaign which resulted in
House was on. Jackson had received
plurality of both popular and cleo
toral vote, and probably would have
received majority of both if the
people had been permitted to vote
for presidential electors. The slogan,
Let the people rule" was so potent
that of the six. states which chose
electors by their legislatures in 1924.
all but South Carolina had surrender
ed that right to the popular suffrage
before 1928. Jackson had been the
choice of the greater number of the
people and the indignation against
the manner in which he was prevent
ed from taking the presidency was
intense: Out Of it grew the division
Of political parties and the system
OF political methods which obtains
to this day.
The campaign of 1928 was the first
in which there were two parties open
ly bidding for the votes of the whole
people: Both jackson and Adams
still claimed to be the true opponents
of the Democratic-Republ party
or Jefferson, ut the line of demarca-
ton was distinct and the parties were
known as jackson" and Adams"
1t was not, until three or four years
later that the Adams people adopted
the name of National Republicans
thereby driving the Jackson party to
the popular designation, Democrat
lc, which it still holds, although the
othc1al name "'Democratic-R epubli-
can" was adhered to until after the
Civil war
The election of John. Quincy Adams
to be president by the house Of repre-
sentatives, through virtue of votes
delivered to Adams by Henry Clay,
and the fact that Henry Clay imme-
dlately, became secretary of So re in
Adams cabinet gave rise to tie idea
Whlch was the principal issue of the
campaign of 1928, tie issue which
gives it the name Of the bargain
ana an corruption, campaign. Andrew
jackson accused Adams and CLAW of
entering into corrupt bargain by
winch the votes Of st ties controlled
by Clay were delivered to Adams in
return for the promise of a high cab
met position. Henry Clay denied this
charge and proved to the satisfaction
of majority of historians that il had
no foundation in fact.
An A-cient scarSal
!, Newspapers printed q week before
the election i'll The house of represent
tblves pub, bel ,ep).ts Of a deal"
between ->t'a'-,s and Clay which
WouIe , u ;,.;e ADAMS president and
clay Secretary of state. 1t was a dis
pute groWing out of this rumor which
caused the era wford supporters 70
oecome e.?.bfttered against Clay be-
1 Wbe, the :, presidency was decided.
p mrtn A" Of c waS Gh0sen the sup
char"ed Clay with the sale of the
presidency. The New YORK; Eyenine
Post fair sample of the Crawford
press, declared that Clay's action
outrage on public morals" All Of
this was in February, 1925.
1t was rot until two years later
General Jackson took up these ru-
mors or a barter and sale, and by
name, caused them to Gbs eceeme Of an h iss
sue sue in the campaign. He added to
the charges the assertion that friends
OF Clay had come to friends of him
WIN thrd,,, the ne proposition that Clay would
son would pledge himself not to make
AS2 f>s secretary of state. This por-
tion OF the bargain and corruption"
charge was never proved, but large
ahaJorlty OF the people in the country
fmly believed that it was true and
1t always weighed against Mr., Claws
aspirations. '
Clay issued pamphlet in 1920
urging the people to vote for Adams
and denying the charges made by
pamphlet he proved by the MARQUIS
oe La Fayette, by senator's, bar
keepers and every sort and condition
OF man that he had always said that
ne was against Jackson and that he
would rather see either Adams or
Crawford elected than to see Jackson
IN the White House. La Fayette de-
clared that Clay's fear of Jackson
was the fear of a military dictator.
the fear of an unschoo1ed man at the
like.
The Hero Stuff
Jackson's great popularity as
TX nr l1t,
the votes in 1924. Four years later
ne was still the hero, and he had
the added strength of the popular be-
lief that he had been cheated out or
the presidency. Adams had little sin
cere following outside of New Eng
land, he was a miserably poor poll
tician, and even Clay could not do
anything to rally the popular vote
to his standard. But the Adams ap-
peal was made altogether to the con-
servat1Ve element in the country.
Jackson was declared to be a man
of blood and carnage" Against MS
victory over the British at New Or
leans was set the fact that he sus-
pended the writ of habeas corpus in
that same city. Jackson's summary
execution Of six militiamen was the
excuse of flooding the country with
circulars and cartoons, showing the
murderer Jackson gloating over the
six collins Of the innocent victims Of
MS thirst Tor blood.
On the other side, all the old
charges against Adams were brought |
up in addition to the corrupt bar
gain" issue. He was accused of be-
ing an aristocrat and of seeking to
perpetuate his family in the office Of
president; his Unitarian religious
beliefs were attacked as being infidel-
ism, and his loyalty during the War
of 1872 was again questioned. And
all this in spite of the fact that |
Adams was one of the best and
purest men who has ever occupied
he White House, the most scholarly
IF our presidents and a true patriot.
Candidates Not Nominated
The question of nomination of can
.lidates did not enter. into this cam
Daign. Both Jackson and Adams
we're nominated by various state leg
'slatures. but as matter of fact
he two tickets, jackson and Cal
dominated by common consent.
Jackson and Calhoun in his cam
oaign were the first regular Tam
many Hall nominations for president
and vice president. Of course the
Hall had taken. great interest in ma
Washington's second administration,
but this was it's first regular" year.
1t is interesting to note by what a
narrow margin Tammany Hall be-
and Republican. In 1924 Tammany
supported William H. Crawford and
had a plurality in the legislature
which selected electors. A combina-
ton between the Adams and Clay
men kept Crawford out of the votes
of New York, and Tammany was
sore"
Having been organized in the first
place as a Democratic opposition to
the aristocratic Society of the Gin
cinnati," the Tammany braves were
naturally on the side of the 'low-
brows." But they had supported the
Virginia aristocratic clique and had
followed Crawford. When Crawford
was ended, Martin Van Buren, recog-
niza6 tI,o 11occihilitioc of tba roo1itioo1