The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-09-29

PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS
VII-The Tayior-c Glass; Van Buren, Race Of IL

revenge.
The Baltimore conye,ts..
unable to decide between ~. il,
ter factions. and therefor ~
seat both delegations, giyins 4. !, I
vote to each. Both sides dssl,s..
accept the compromise A. 49,
to vote in the convention
Lewis Cass had been nomin,.ss ~.
president and William O. ButIsa
vice president, young Dan NJ,
Jumped to his, feet to prom;ss
vote. Of New York for the noms.s
making an impassioned ss
which brought the attention rs.s.
whole country to him.
But the Barn-burners v.r. =
sore. 1t was not long until ~ +
Soil movement was under -
Martin Van Buren, became n -
didate for president and ChssI.
Francis Adams was nominate !
vice president. The Abolition -.
was swallowed up in II. If,vss ~
first considerable movement tsss,s
the wrecking Of the ola ~
sectional parties and hastsoips ~
Inevitable Civil war. And W. As]
votes were countd, General TsSist'
was elected and Martin Van ~
had his revenge.
General Taylor was nominate y
the Wing national conveution ! [
Philadelphia Governor More
of North Carolina was presideef +;
the convention and it becama -;
duty to inform the candidates tis,
they had been nominated. Il =
before the days Of compulsory -
payment OF postage and Goyeine
Moreheed sent the letter to Geoarnl
TaylOr's address in Louisiana. ~.
age collect.
Didn't Know lie Was Nominal
"Old Rough and Ready" had NJ
getting too many letters frua
cranks all over the country. fof
each of which he was compelled d
pay from 10 to 40 cents postsse
Therefore he had ordered the M.
master to return all letters u
dressed to him and not prepaid. "a
the dead letter Office. Govern
Morehead's letter shared this fats
Thus it happened that General II.
lOr did not know he had been nqI.
mated until the committee sent 3
formally notify him Of his selectia
had reached hk Louisiana home +
was very surprised to hear the aams
from the committee and the con.
mittee was surprised to Learn be
didn't know it before. 1t 10 IL
only instance on record that . IT,
NAL notification to a candidate for
president was genuine news.
The campaign which placed @0ld
Rough and Ready in the Whit
house was a political contest II
| which the winning candidate DID
nothing to contribute to his on
success. He merely looked on Will
, the Democrats went to pieces o.
the rock of the "Wilmot Proviso'
The "proviso" as it was familiar.
referred to in those days when
was a burning issue, had brouth
the slavery question into natioA,
politics with vengeance.
The famous pfoviso was write
by Representative Brinkerhof, .
Ohio Democrat. The bill to apr
pirate money to close negotiation
with Mexico concerning the war AZ
| to acquire territory was before q
+; house. A half dozen anti-slave
Democrats had copies Of the p,
viso, and the first one to get Y
speakers eye was to offer it~H
gave the opportunity to David VI
mot of Pennsylvania. He o6eft
the amendment providing that sls
cry should not be permitted in y
states or territories to be erect
out OF the territory to be erect
' Mexico. AT the first General c.
was favorable to the proviso, b
he soon found that it "
better politics 10 trim, and he did !
| Upon the Wilmot provisO U
Democrats split wide open and 60
the Wings their last chance to ele
a president. If the northern WEN
had had the courage Of their Co
victions that year they would Do
taken the northern views OF .
slavery question and could M
elected an anti-slavery PRESIDE
long before Lincoln was elected, q
their party would have lived. D
in those days the Wing party W
a northern party led by southe
men, and the Democratic party "
a southern party led by northe!
men. There was still hope =
compromise and permanent pea
between the sections. Men cou
not see the inevitable conflict ana
of them.