, 1922-08-24
By DR.. {. A. KILL

alists putting no candidate in the
field in 1920.
In the presidential election OF
1924, there were no recognized
parties, and political issues were sc
obscure that the contest turned chief
ly upon the personal merits of the
candidates. The leading candidates
twere John Quincy Adams. Of Massa
chusetts. secretary OF state; William
NJ. Crawford, Of Georgia. secretary o
the treasury: Henry Clay. Of Ken
lucky. speaker Of the house. and An
drew Jackson. a private citizen O
Tennessee, who came into prOmin'
ence at the battle of New Orleans
On account OF the number Of the
candidates and the character OF the
contest. the campaign of 1924 hal
been humorously styled the "scrut
race for the presidency" All the
candidates claimed to be Republi'
cans. When the electoral votes were
counted. Jackson had 80. John
Quincy Adams 81. Crawford Il: ella,
81. No candidate had a majority, SO
the election went to the house OF
representatives. AS only the three
Clay was no eligible, and his friends
lthlCN kASii NOtSo w AuoiAAot "a
his election.
In the canvas of 1928. the sup
porters of Jackson took the name OF
Democrats. while his opponents. who
favored the reelection of Adams,
were known at first as National Re-
publicans. But in the course of
Jackson's administration. as they
saw lit to represent him as a kind Of
a tyrant. like George I'LL. they as
sumed the name of Wings; and
henceforth. until 1854, Wing and
Democrat were the names Of the two
great political parties in the United
States. Jackson was reelected in
1928. and was followed by the cleo
ton of Van Buren, in 1896. over Will
liam H. Harrison, and whose term
was characterized by the great panic
Of 1887.
In the election of 1910, the Wings
elected Harrison by a large majority
over Van Buren,. John Tyler, Of
Virginia, a Democrat in politics, was
elected vice president. The election
OF Tyler was a political mistake IN
the part of the Wings, for in one
month after his Inauguration, Presi-
dent Harrison died. and Tyler sue
ceeded to the presidency. Thus the
government had a Democratic head,
and the Wings lost. in the main, the
fruist Of their victory.
During this administration the
slavery question began to divide the
parties. and when Texas applied for
admission into the Union, she was
favored by the Democratic party. be-
cause this party dominated the south.
but the annexation was opposed by
the Wings on the ground that 1t
would bring on war with Mexico.
which had not acknowledged the in
dependence of Texas. The election
OF 1914 was closely contested. James
X. Polk, of Tennessee, Democrat, be-
ing elected over Henry Clay. Of Ken
lucky, Whig. War as you know fol-
lowed. In the same year that peace
was made with Mexico (184S) came
the presidential election. Several at
tempts had been made by the Wings
to pass the Wilmot Proviso. which. as
you know would have forbade slavery
without success. but it called into ex-
istence the Free Soil Party. whose
cardinal principle was opposition to
the extension OF slavery in the
United States. 1t was organized at
Buffalo, N. Y. in 184S, and COM
prised the Liberty party. which, in
turn. was organized from among the
members of the old anti-slavery So
ciety. and presented a candidate for
president in 1910 and 1874; the
Barnburners, which was a nickname
for a faction of the Democrat party
in New York after the election Of
Polk to the presidency in 1874. They
were adherents of Martin Van Buren,,
and opposed the further extension Of
slavery into the territories. The
third faction going to make up the
Free Soil party we're the anti-slavery
Wings. This party nominated Van
Buren, for the presidency. and while
he received no electoral votes. he di-
vided the Democrat party in New
York and Zachary Taylor of Louis
lana and Willard Fillmore OF New
York, Wings. were elected over Lewis
Cass of Michigan. and William o.
Butler, of Kentucky. Taylor was
brave, honest and shrewd. and by far
the ablest president from Jackson to
Lincoln. Unfortunately he died after
serving but little ore than a year.
and Fillmore succeeded him.
In 1852, the Democrats nominated
Franklin Pierce Of New Hampshire,
n william X. King OF Alabama,
and their platform denounced all az.
itation Of the slavery question. The
Wings nominated winfield Scott, OF
Virginia, and William A. Graham, OF
North Carolina. The Free Soilers
nominated John P. Hale. also Of New
Hampshire. and George P. Julian OF
Indiana. Some Of the Wings, dis.
satisfied with General Scott. wished
to bring forward Daniel Webster q
an Independent candidate, but he
died in October Of that year. The
slavery question was the principal Is.
sue and the Wings met with . crush.
ing defeat - 254 to 4, which put An
end to their party.
Two years later the Republican
party was born. 1t was an anal.
gamation of little parties and fac.
tions. which, in the course OF twenty
years, had been split from the Whigs