The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-09-28
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC j. HAsKEN, Director.
washington. D. C.
PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS.
Fl The Jackson-Adarns Race of 1872,

/
| president in 1925, and the long three
( years campaign which resulted in
( Jackson's elevation to the White
! House was on. Jackson had received
| toral vote, and probably would have
received a majority of both if the peo-
! pie 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 surrendered 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 man
I ner in which he was prevented 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 in 1928 was the first
In which there were two parties openly
bidding for the votes of the whole
people. Both Jackson and Adams still
claimed to be the true opponents of
| the cratic-Republican party of
Jefferson, but the line of demarcation
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 "Democra tic -
which it still holds altho the official
name 'Democratic-Repub was
adhered 10 until after the Civil war.
The election of John Quincy Adams
to be president by the house of rep
resentatives, thru virtue of votes de-
livered to Adams by Henry Clay. and
the fact that Henry Clay Immediately
became secretary of STATEN Adams
cabinet gave rise to the idea which
was the principal issue of the cam
paign of 1928, the issue which gives 1t
the name of the bargain and corrup-
ton" campaign. Andrew Jackson ac-
cused Adams and Clay of entering into
corrupt bargain by which the votes
of states controlled by Clay were de-
livered to Adams in return for the
promise of a high cabinet position.
Henry Clay denied this charge and
proved to the satisfa elton of a ma
jority of historians that it had no
foundation in fact.
An Ancient Scandal.
Newspapers printed a week before
the election in the house of representa-
ttves published reports of a deal be-
tween Adams and Clay which would
make Adams president and Clay Secre-
tary of state. 1t was a dispute grow
ing out of this rumor which caused
the Crawford supporters to become
embittered against Clay before the
presidency was decided. When Adams
II,
ford Immediately charged Clay with
the sale of the presidency. The New
Y ork Evening Post, a fair sample OF
the Crawford press, declared that
Clay's action was "a most indecent
and daring outrage on public morals"
All Of this was in February, 1925.
1t was not until two years later
that General jackson took up these
rumors of barter and sale, and by
giving them the prestige of his name.
caused them to become an issue in the
campaign. He added to the charges
the assertion that friends of Clay had
come to friends of his with the propo-
sition that Clay would throw the cleo
ton to Jackson If Jackson would
pledge himself not to make Adams
the bargain and corruption charge
was never proved, but large ma
jority of the people in the country
firmly believed that it was true and
it. always weighed against Mr.. Gays
aspirations.
Clay issued a pamphlet in 1920 urg-
ing the people to vote for Adams and
denying the charges made by Jackson
and his followers. In that pamphlet
he proved by the Marquis de La Lafay-
cite, by senators, barkeepers and every
sort and condition of man that he had
always said that he was against Jack
son and that he would rather see
either Adams or Crawford elected
than to see Jsckaon in the White
House. La Fayette declared that
Ciay's fear of Jackson was the fear
of military dictator, the fear of an
unschooled man at the helm of the
ship of state, and the like.
The Hero Stuff.
Jackson's great popularity as a war
hero gave him the plurality of the
votes in 1924 Four years later he
was still the hero, and he had the
! - -. 1sAF
that he had been cheated out of the
presidency. Adams had little sincere
following outside of New England, he
was miserably poor Politician. and
even Clay could not do anything, to
rally the popular vote to his standard.
But the Adams appeal was made al
together to the conservative element
in the country.
jackson was declared to be a man of
''blood and carnage" Against his
victory over the British at New Or
( leans was set the fact that he sus-
pended the writ of habeas corpzsg in
that city. Jackson's summary eyecu-
ton of six militiamen was the excuse
-of flooding the country with circulars
and cartoons. showing the murderer
jackson gioating over the six coffins
of the innocent victims Of his thirst
foR 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 being
an aristocrat and of seeking to per-
petuate his family in the office of
president; his Unitarian religious be-
liefs were attacked as being infideE
I ism. and his loyalty during the War
of 1879 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 the White
House the most scholarly of our presi-
dents and a true patriot
Candidates Not Nominated.
The question of nomination of can
didates did not enter into this cam
paign. Both Jackson and Adams were
nominated by. various state Iegisla-
lures. but as a matter of fact the two
tickets, Jackson and Calhoun. and
Adams and Rush, were nominated by
common consent
Jackson ana Calhoun in his cam
paign were the first regular Tammany
Hall nominations for president and
vice T1reSidenf. of course baI