Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-10-07
PRESIDENTIAL
CAMPAIGNS
By FREDERIC J. HASKIN
VIII THE TAYLOR-CASS-
VAN BUREN, RACE OF 1913
WV ASHINGTON, D. c., Sept. "a
Nv Once more the Wings put
their faith in war hero,

WY ASElNGTON, ID. c., Sept. "a
NM Once more the Wings put
W their faith in a war hero,
49,, and for the second and last
time they were victorious. Zachary
Taylor was nominated because he
was the popular hero of the war
with Mexico. 1t mattered not that
ne mad never cast q vote in his life
ana had never taken any interest in
P POI ~ mattered not that the
war In which he won glory and re-
noWn was condemned by the Wings
as crime against civilization. It
mattered not that he was a southern
sIaVeholder when northern Wings
were beginning to battle every day
against the extension of slavery. It
mattered not that Henry Gay, the
leader of the Wings, again wanted
the nomination from his party. Moth
ing mattered except that the Wings
wanted to win, that they had won
IN IS4O with a war hero and an ain
lucrative slogan, and thatthey could
do 1T again. Thus to General Har-
r1son 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
ot General Taylor, the freshness Of
us War-Won laurelS, the magic of
the memory of Buena Vista, none Of
theSe things would have. availed to
ueIeat the Democrats had it not been
Tor the fractional party fight in New
1ork state, which ultimately resulted
IN the formation of the Free Soil
temperate party and the candidacy
OF Martin Van Buren, for president
van Buren did not carry a single
state, but he got sufficient mum
per OF votes to take more than one
State away from the Democratic can
dldate and give its electoral vote to
General Taylor.
=. The Democratic national conven-
t!on met that year in Baltimore on
May 22. The nomination for presi-
dent was a race between Lewis ,Cass,
of Michigan, and James Buchanan
OF pennsylvania. Cass was nomi-
mated on the fourth ballot without
difficulty. But the great fight in
the convention was not over the
nominations, it was upon the status
OF the two contesting delegations
from New York.
The Barn-Burners
There they were, Samuel J. Tilden,
later the leader of the national De-
mocracy, as spokesman and advo-
lei E. Sickles, the orator for the
dunkers. Then only twenty-three
years old, Sickles was already a
member of the legislature and a lead
er in the Hunker, or conservative,
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
burned his barn to get rid of the
rats. Some authorities, not friendly,
assert that the name was derived
from the depredations of certain per-
sons in western New York, not un-
like the Kentucky night-riders of
were the conservatives, who believed
in standing by the party, whatever
betide. "Hunker" is New York
Dutch-English for banker" which is
akin to hunger" and the name was
applied to those of the Democrats
whose desire for the possession of
office was more remarkable than
their hunger and thirst after right
eousness."
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 BHren, who had been
the head of the greatest Democratic
political machine the party had pos
for denomination four years previous
ly by the imposition of the tWo-thirds
rule, and by permitting delegates to
disregard instructions. Hhis friend,
Silas Wright, had declined the vice
presidential 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 re-
l.
was laid on the Hunkers. 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 a half vote
to each. Both sides declined to ac-
Cept the compromise and refused to
vote in the convention. When Lewis
CaSS had oeen nominated for presi-
dent and William o. Butler for vice
president, young Dan Stckles jumped
to his feet to 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 it's candidate
for president and Charles Francis
Adams was nominated for vice pres
ident. The Abolition party was swal-
lowed up in it. 1t was the first con-
siderable movement toward the
wrecking of the old non-sectional
parties and fastening the inevitable
Civil war. And when the votes were
counted, General Taylor was elected
and Martin Van Buren, had his re-
venge.
General Taylor was nominated at
the Whig national convention In
Philadelphia. 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 acd Governor Morehead sent
the letter to General Taylor's address
in Louisiana postage collect.