Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-10-04

cal opponents OF SeoIBS washington
accused him of wanting to be king and
intending to perpetuate himself in the
presidency for life. At that time he
announced his refusal Of third term
and the fight between Adams and
jefferson began. Backing Adams were
the FederaliSts.. led by the shrewd and
vigorous Hamilton. and with eight years
in power back of them. Backing Jeffer-
son was Madison, the great conStitu-
tionalist. and the growing Democratic
Republican party.
Nominations were. made by caucuSes
of the members of Congress of the rival
parties, as they were the only political
groups which naturally came together,
and transportation problems precluded
conventions. Pinckney was named for
Vice President with Adams, and Burr
with jefferson, but the Democrats we're
not fully organized and in several
States others than Burr were support
ed, while a few vital votes were des-
tined to be diverted from Jefferson to
other prominent Democrats.
Issues Are Numerous.
The issues were numerous. including
Hamilton's plan for the United States
Bank. which Jeffersonians declared I'M
constitutional and a surrender to the
money power. Hamilton's program also
called for the Federal Governments as
Stunning the debts of the several colo
mics. in addition to the debts of the
Continental Congress. The Revolution
airy soldiers were bitter on this score,
because they had been largely paid off
iVN rr,I1t oh he
with banks and spectators at few
cents on the dollar Now Hamilton
proposed to redeem these at full value,
enriching the spectators and money
powers. The Weather colonies object
ed to assuming the debts of the poorer,
New England having suffered heavily
In the war and being deeply in debt.
while Virginia and other States were
relatively debt free
The Federalists adhered to the strong
central government plan. while the
Democrats stood for the fullest measure
of State rights. Adams and Hamilton
were accused of copying everything
British. The Jeffersonians were stu
dents Of the French philosophy and
friendly to the revolutionary doc
trines-the bolsheviks of their time
Jefferson wanted popular elections
and universal suffrage. Hamilton had
the established legislative machinery
better organized and wanted no mob
rule. Both sides had their PAM
phleteers and newspapers and the vio-
lence of attack on character was far
worse than anything in modern his
tory. Democratic extremists suggested
the need of guillotine for tyrants
and named Washington as the worst
OF these. Jefferson recounted. not
without satisfaction. Washington's re-
mark that he never but once regretted
accepting second term, and that was
every moment since he had done so.
He declared he would rather retire to
his farm than be emperor of the whole
world, yet his enemies accused him of
striving to be king.
Jefferson Assailed.
jefferson was equally assailed N
viIest fashion. denounced as an atheist
because of his authorship of the Vir-
ginia bill of religious liberty. accused
of cowardice during the Revolution and
portrayed as person of lowest per-
sonal morals. His fair for ingenious
inventions was Knocked and 1t was said
that as President he would do nothing
better than invent whirligig chair.
Hamilton kept cool eye on practical
things and organized steadily where the
results would tell. He knew the dubious
points In the constitutional plan of
election, and had observed that in, 1892
for instance, the Governor of Massa-
ci1usetts had protested that no author
ity could compel him to certify the
choice of electors II he didn't like them
or choose to certify their credentials
Hamilton also knew that the Constitu
ton barred office holders from being
named electors. but he knew there was
no power to enforce that proviso., He
knew that several electors had been sick
and absent in the past, and saw to II
that none of the Federalists should be
missing this time. or, If they were. that
the electors present in the State should
fill the vacancies. Although the
Democrats in Pennsylvania were &C
cused of spending too much money for
handbills and pamphlets, Hamilton
probably had the larger funds and spent
them more wisely.
The French Ambassador injected his
views into the campaign. much to the
detriment of jefferson, whom he fa-
vored. This episode lost ground for the
Democrats In New York and New Eng
land. Meanwhile the Federalists re-
membered that every elector could act
according to his own conscience. and
overlooked no chance to win even a
single friend in the unfriendly States.
Obligations Uncertain.
The obligation upon electors to sup
port the choice of their State was still
little uncertain. and the final win
ming of one vote for Adams in Virginia
one in North Carolina and one in
Pennsylvania was a triumph for practi-
cal politics
Adams secured II electoral votes
jefferson So, Pinckney SO and Burr 80
Virginia gave Is to Samuel Adams in.
stead of Burr. Samuel was a fiery
Democrat in his Federalist Cousin
Johns own State. The result made
Adams President with his greates
rival Vice President. Thirty-three vote.
we're for scattering names.
There were plenty of protests about
the returns. In Pennsylvania William
Brown of Lancaster led the ticket oil
electors, but the officials did not recorC
single vote for him until Gov. Mifflir
threatened to Jail them In Maryland
which went Z for Adams and for JEFF.
ferson, there were charges that hun.
dredS of FederaliSt voters had been i'm.
ported Tor the occasion. The individual
electors In Democratic States who voted
for Adams were accused of bribery anc
treachery of all sorts. In Vermont the
whole election was Of dubious legality
and Jefferson was advised to protest 1t
The Democratic majority in the House
of Representatives might have beer
agreeable to refusing to count the re.
turns. but out of the maelstrom oil
vilification the patriotic Virginian alone
showed cool head and calm integrity
Surely" he said, "in so great Q
matter the substance and not the form
should prevail. pray you declare upor
every occasion my preference for the
choice of the people, substantially ex.
pressed, and to prevent the phenomenon
of a pseudo President at so early a
day." Thus he dismissed a contest
| which might we'll have won for him ar