Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-09-27
Presidential Campaigns
VII. The Taylor Cass-van Burcn
Race of lS4S.
n,r Ereinric I Ha skin
ny Frederic j. Haskin

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hero, 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 he had never cast n vote IN ms iiie ana
had never taken any interest IN politics.
IL mattercd not that the war in which he
won glory and rcnown was condemned by
the Wings as n crime against ciVllization'
IL mattcrcd not that he was southern
stakeholder, when Northern Wings were
beginning to battle every day against the
extension of slavery. 1t mattered not that
Henry Clay, the leader of the Wings,
again wanted the nomination from his
par,y. Nothing mattered except that the
Whics wanted 10 win, that they had won In
lS3O with n war hero and an allteratlve
slogan. and that they could do 1T again.
Thus to General Harrison and Tip
pccanoe and TYLER, too" WAS added Gen
crnl Tavlor and "Old Rough and Ready.
These were the only men the Wing party
ever nut in the White House, and 1T IS re-
markable that they are the only two Presl.
dents who have died In office OF natural
causes.
General TAYLOR, the freshness of his war
won laurels, the magic of the memory OF
Buena Vista, none of these things would
havr ayailed 10 defeat the Democrats had
IL not been for the fact,onal party fight IN
Now York State, which ultimately result
ed in the formation of the Free Soil Dem
ocratic marty and the candidacy Of Martin
Nan Brren for President. Van Buren, did
not carry a single State, but he got a
sufficient number of votes to take more
than one State away from the Democratic
candidate and give It's electoral vote TO
General Taylor.
The Democratic national convention
met that wear in Baltimore on May p.
The nomination for President was a race
between Lewis Cass of Michigan and James
buchanan of Pennsylvania. Cass was
nominated on the fourth ballot without
difficulty. But the great fight IN the con-
vention was not over the nominations, IT
was upon the status of fhe two contests In
delegations from New York.
THE BARN-BURNERs.
TNerrthev were, Samuel ]. TSlden, later
the leader OF the national Democracy, as
spokcsrnan and advocate for the barn
Fburners. and Daniel T.. Sickles, the orator
for the Nunkers. Then only % years old,
iSicklcs was already a member of the legis-
hature and n leader In the Hunker, or con-
,Servative wing of the DemocratcPartya IN
New York.
The Barn-burners were liberal Demo-
scrats, whose name was gwen to them BE-
cause of the similarity of their doctrines
in politics to the economy of the Dutch
farmer who burned his barn to get nd oil
the rats. Some authorities, not friendly,
assert that the name was derived from the
depredations of certain persons IN western
New York, not unlike the keutrCky
Nightriders of more recent fame. The
Hunkcrs were the conservatives, who be-
lieved in standing by the party, whatever
betided. '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 remark
able than their hunger and thirst after
righteousn ess."
A.prrTFR CONVENTION.
Rarr-hurners and Hunkers came down to
Baltimore, each swearing death against
the other. Behind the Barn-burners was
the awful shadow of Martin Van Buren,
who had been the head of the greatest
Democratic political machine the party
had possessed. The party had defeated
him for denomination four years previous
" bv the imposition of the two-thirds
rule. and by permitting delegates to disre-
gard instructions. His friend, Sllas Wright,
had declined the Vice-Presidential nomin-
alton in 1874. but had saved the day by
running for governor of New York and
liningup The Van Buren strength for the
Polk ticket Two years later, IN lS46,
Wright had been defeated for reelection
as governor, and the blame was laid on
the Hunkers. Van Buren and his friends
wanted revenge.
The Baltimore convention WAS unable
70 decide between these bitter factions,
and therefore voted to seat both deaega-
tions, giving half-vote to each. Both
sides declind to accept the compromise
and refused TO vote IN the convention
When Lewis Cass had been nominated for
President and William O. Butler for Vice
President, young Dan Sickies jumped TO
his feet 10 promise the vote of New York |
for the nominees, making an lmpasaoned |
speech which brought the attention of the |
whole country TO him.
But the Barn-burners went home sore. |
Ii was not long until the Free Soil move |
ment was under way. Martin Van Buren |
became its candidate for President and |
Charles Francis Adams was nominated for |
Nlce-President. The Abolition party was |
swallowed UP In 1t. 1t was the first con-
siderable movement toward the wreckIng |
OF the old non-sectional parties and hasten |
ing the inevitable Civil War. And when /
the votes were counted, General Taylor |
WIS tleCttQ anu MAJ III du bNtu u4tQ /
hls revenge.
General Taylor WIS nominated at the |
Wing national convention IN Philadel- |
phia. Governor Morehead of North Caro-
lima was President of the convention and |
il became his duty TO inform the candi- |
dates that they had been nominated. 1t /
was before the days Of compulsory pre-
payment of postage and Governor More
head sent the letter TO General Taylor's |
address IN Louisiana, postage collect.
DIDN'T KNOW he WAS NOMINATED.
"Old Rough and Ready" had been
getting too many letters from cranks all |
over the country, for each Of which he wae
compelled TO pay from 10 to 40 cents
postage Therefore he had ordered the
postmaster to return al letters addressed
10 HIM and not prepaid, TO the dead letter
Office Governor Morehead's letter shared
this fate. Thus 1T happened that General
Taylor did not know be had been nominat-
ed until the committee sent to formally
notify him OF his selection had reached his
Louisiana home. He was very surprised TO
hear the news from the committee and
the committee was surprised to learn he
didn't know 1t before. 1t Is the only
instance on record that formal notifca-
tion 10 a candidate for President was
genuine news.
The campaign which placed "Old