Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-10-07
The History of Presidential Elections
THE Extension Of the Suffrage
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN
Author OF The American Government"

When John Quincy Adams appointed
Henry Clay. Secretary of State, he
made certain his own defeat for re-
election. 1t was charged that Henry
Clay had bargained away his strength
to Adams to make Adams President IN
return for the state portfolio. Ihat
the charge was not true seems 10 De
accented by most historians. But what
a campaign story it was! Had it moi
been said that the bargain was made.
and we're not the conditions of tn"
bargain fulfilled to the letter? The
nroof of the pudding is in its eating.
and the proof of the bargain in its
fulfllment. Certainly Adams had no.
kept free from the appearance or evil
Adams was a minority candidate all
the way around, and yet he got into
the presidency. This state OF aitalrs
aroused the country, and led the peo-
| pie of every State to insist on the Sc
| lection of electors by popular vote
! Eighteen States had chosen their elec-
tors that way in 1924, but in some OF
| those States the ballot was so hedgeo
about with qualifications that the vote
was not at all representative. But IN
| 1928 all of the "a States except Del
| aware and South Carolina gave the
| suffrage to the people and many OF
| them liberalized the qualifications OF the
| right to vote.
The campaign really began as soon
! as Adams was chosen. Jackson mas
| tened home and with. flourish resigned
| his scat in the Senate, saying that
| constitutional amendment was going 10
| be offered to guarantee to the people
| the right to choose their President, ana
! that he would have to advocate IL II ne
remained in the Senate, course which
his enemies would charge was purSue1
| from selfish interest.
| The game of the Jackson people now
was to enlist the support of the Craw-
| ford following for their candidate
Martin Van Bureau and his friend,
| Carnbreling. who controlled New YORK
politics, perceiving the plain drift OF
public sentiment toward Jackson, got
aboard his bandwagon before 1t started
and qualified as drivers OF the Dig
| carry-all.
There we're some side issues in the
campaign, but they were completely
overshadowed by the issue Of whether
Clay had made deal with Adams.
They rang the changes on the story
everywhere John Randolph in Con-
gresS exclaimed: Let Judas take his
so pieces of silver. Jackson was de-
feated, horse, foot and dragons; cut
up and clean broke down by this coalt-
ton of Blifil and Black George, by this
combination, unheard of until then, OF
the Puritan with the Backlog" This
charge resulted in Clay's challenge for
la duel. Each fired one shot, escaped
unhurt, shook hands, and went back TO
their respective places with ClayS
| honor satisfied But "Blifll and Black
| George" and Puritan and Blackleg'
went resounding through the country,
making votes for Jackson.
New Campaign Slogans.
"Iet the peopie ruiei" and jackson
and reform!" were the rallying cries
everywhere. For the first time in the
history of the Nation the masses had
real hand in the political game, and
they were playing it with the zeal that
characterizes the child with new toy.
The Tammany Society, founded as an
| fundamentally with which to combat
the ariStocratic Society OF the C1nc1n-
natl, took part in the fight, and by q
narrow chance missed taking the road
that led into the Wing party rather
than the Democratic party. AS far
back as the first Madison election the
two tickets in Ohio were known as
Tammany and Anti-Tammany, the
Tammany ticket supporting Madison
and receiving two votes to one for the
Tammany organization.
If Adams was not the popular choice
in 1924, he had little chance to be so
four years later. He did not know how
to play politics and he was an absolute
failure as a conciliator. He allowed his
Postmaster General to use the patron
age of the postal system against him,
/ 11n
said he did not think it right to remove
q man lust because he preferred some
other candidate for the presidency. His
diary gives a glimpse of how he felt.
When Richard Rush preferred the mis-
sion to England to being his running
mate on the presidential ticket, he
wrote, Il can easily conjecture why 1t
/ is-the preference of the harbor to the
tempest" Again, when he was making
an appointment which he knew would
have a bad effect, he wrote, 1.-THE eff
feet will be bad, probably violent and
decisive, but why should require men
to sacrifice themselves for me?"
Adams was anti-Mason, and yet he
was pictured in anti-MaSonie commune
ties as a Mason. In proof. bogus
| transcript Of a lodge record showing
his initiation was offered in evidence
and widely printed. An inventory OF
| the property of the White House was
taken for Congress, and in it was in
advertently included privately owned
billiard table valued at $63 and set
Of chess men valued at $23. This was
seized upon as proving the extravaganza
| of Adams and that he had a gaming
table and gambling furniture provided
at Government expense. A member Of
Congress declared that Adams had spent
1 900 on the East room. and although
it was proved that the East room was
then about as bare of furniture as a
monks cell, the story still worked to
the prejudice of Mr.. Adams.
Before the canvass began Clay went
To Adams and assured him that while