The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-09-27
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL i.
hfom1dtiorf Bureau
FREDERIC j. HAsKIN. Director!
Washington, D. C.
PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS.
. The Adams jackson Crawford
-. Clay Race in 1924.

- Clay Race in 1924.
Editors Note: The following is the
first Of series of t{Yenty-four articles
by Mr.. Haskin in which he will discuss
! the most interesting features of each of
the presidential campaigns from 1924
to 1920 This series of articles will be
/ valuable to everybody interested in the
present. campaign for president and
viii contain much interesting historical
! information of the kind usually over
looked in the histories=the Incidents
| and the stories of the campaigns. Taken.
piete history Of the qusdrennia mia. str gi
| giles Of the American people to choose
president II,,i sa Cut them out and paste
Washington, d. G., Sept. 24-when
| the citizens of Blount county, Tennes-
see, held a mass meeting at N1aryville
early in the year 1923 they little
Z thought that their action was 10 revo-
i lutionize the methods of choosing a
| president of the United States; that
| they were to be responsible for the
beginning of political party organiza-
/ lions in this country; or that they
/ were to take the first step in the
movement which succeeded in obtain
! ing recognition of the fact that a man
/ has a right to aspire to the office of
| president, whether trained or unframed
/ in state-craft. These vitality IMPORTANT
| things which directly resulted from
| the Bleunt county mass meeting be-
| came issues in the campaign in 1929
and caused that contest to be the first
in which the American nation selected
a president according to the general
! methods still obtaining
This Blount county mass meeting
| started all the trouble. 1t refused to
| be bound by the tLen recognized rules
/ that president must be selected from
| among those schooled in statecraft
and experienced in administration.
| Every president up~to that time had
been a man directly connected with
| the separation from England and the
formation OF the republic under the
constitution. Each president had been
either vice president or a cabinet Of
1lceP In the administration preceding
his selection. The people had prac-
ucally nothing TO say in the matter
| or choosing electors and such a thing
as popular interest in a presidential
campaign was unknown. Further
more, with the exception of the four
years of John Adams administration.
the head of the government had been
Virginfan and a representative of an
exclusive clique which set much store
by knowledge and culture, however
democratic they may have been in
their theories of government.
The Four Candidates.
The idea of the succession to the
presidency was firmly fixed in the
minds of the politicians. 1t happened
that four candidates appeared on the
horizon. They were John Quincy
Adams of Massachusetts, secretary of
state; William H. Crawford of Geor-
gia, secretary of the treasury; John
c Calhoun of South Sarolina, secre-
tary Of war, and Henry Clay of Ken
lucky, speaker of the house of repre-
sentatives. So it appeared that the
country was safe, whatever the out
come, for every one of the aspirants
was trained statesman of prominence
in the administration.
Then this Blount county mass meet
ing appeared on the scene. 1t pow
vowed awhile one first Monday" and
they adopted a resolution formally
nominating for president of the United
States. Andrew Jackson of Tennessee.
Thus originated what would be known
IN twentieth century political nomen-
clature as the Tennessee Idea" An
drew Jackson had been a great SOL
der. Everybody recognized that fact
and everybody praised him for the
strategy of The Horseshoe and the
military genius of the Battle of New
Orleans. But he had little or no ex-
perienee in statecraft notwithstanding
a short service in both houses of con-
Sress, The conservatives all over
the country held up their hands in
holy horror and cried out: This man
is not fit to be president. He is un-
doesn't know the classics. He wouldn't
know how to act at a dinner party.
He is unspeakable."
For a time the three members Of
Monroe's cabinet and the speaker of
the house who were running for presi-
dent declined to pay much attention
to the Jackson candidacy, which was
regarded as a joke. At this time, 1t
must be remembered, there was only
one party. The old Federal party or
ganization had disappeared and Mon
roe had received every vote but one
in the electoral colleges of 1920. The
Democratic party had everything its
own way.
King Caucus Canned.
The Tennessee idea was erysta1lizad
in a set of resolutions passed by the
state legislature, and sent to the legis-
latures of other states for approval
denouncing king Caucus Presi-
Dental nominations had been dictated
by the congressional caucus. but the
method was already becoming unpop-
ular. The Tennessee Idea spread, and
with its spread the Tennessee candi-
date became stronger. The hero of
New Orleans appealed to the popular
mind. even if he was unpopular with
the statesmen.
Early in 1924 King Caucus made
his last stand. only &C of the 261 MEM
bers of congress attending the meet
ing. which Solemnly declared William
H Crawford, secretary OF the treas
ury, to be the regular Democratic
Republican nominee for president
metropolitan was the Off
cial name of the party. altho either
name was used popularity. The old
conservative organization made a firm
stand for Crawford. He had the sup
port of Thomas Jefferson, the founder
of the party, of President Monroe, and
of all the ultra-conservatiye forces
But Jackson's strength began to be
apparent, and some of the lpracticai
politicians of the east were not slow
to recognize the fact. A Jackson con-
vention was held at Harrisburg. Pa,
which adopted a resolution denounc-
In O Of T. h,