Evening star., 1938-07-05

HtOt"g SVUUS ttuL US tFCC ULtUs
term elections 90. so goes the prest-
dency. History also shoUs mdny
Presidents haze gone under in this
ordeal. The hoW and Dhy OF 1t
s described here in the second of a
series OF four articles.
BY WILLIAM C. McCLOY.
Those who prophesy that President
Roosevelt's huge majority for re-
election in 1896 will prevent, in his
case, the traditional reaction against
q President during the congressional
elections of his second term might do
well to compare Mr.. Roosevelt's stu
alton with that of President Monroe
during his second term, which began
in 1920.
President Monroe's second term
started with an even bigger majority
than Mr.. Roosevelt's in the electoral
college, for there was only one vote
against him. An elector from New
Hampshire decided at the last mo-
ment to vote for John Quincy Adams
to prevent any one but George WASH
ington from winning the honor of a
unanimous vote. Vermont, on that
occasion. went with the rest of the
country.
The Federalists-the only large
party opposed to Monroe's Repub-
hcans-had been so certain of a
Monroe victory they had not taken
the trouble to nominate a presidential
candidate against him, and this fact
was hailed by idealists of the day as
the sign of an EZRA of good feeling"
IN which there would be no party
politics, and merit alone would cause
Q mans elevation to office.
But factionalism is the disease of
big majorities and, by the time Mon
roe's second term began, the in
evtable issue among the factions was
the choice of his successor. That
issue destroyed Monroe's big follow
ing as it threatens to divide Roose-
welt followers today. In Monroe's
case. no less than six important can
dldates. each with vigorous organiza-
tion behind him. began to fight more
and more openly during his second
term for the plum of the next presi-
dency.
Cabinet Joined Battle.
From the South came William
Lowndes of South Carolina, nominated
by the Legislature of his State, ac-
cording to the custom of the day,
and one of the Young War Hawks
from Kentucky. a man named Henry
Clay. In the West loomed the
formidable figure of Gen. Andrew
jackson. wearing the laurels he had
won recently at the battle of New
Orleans. But even more determined
were three leading members of Presi-
dent Monroe's own cabinet-John
Quincy Adams, Secretary of State:
William H. Crawford. Secretary of the
Treasury. and John c. Calhoun, Sec
tetary of War.
The extraordinary battle among
these three cabinet officers, belong
ing to the same party, serving under
the same President and meeting fire.
quently around the same table to set
tie the affairs of the Nation with the
President they each hoped to sue
ceed. was fought with the utmost
bitterness.
The first open clash occurred at
the beginning Of Monroe's second
term. when Speaker of the House
had to be chosen. Whichever faction
held the Speakers chair was believed
TO have a strategic advantage in the
presidential election to come four
years later. After an acrimonious
contest 1t finally went to the candi-
date Of the Crawford faction-Philip
Barbour OF Virginia. He promptly
named Adams most venomous per-
soma leneny as chairman of the Com
mittee on Foreign Affairs with whom
Adams, as Secretary of State, was
supposed to work. The resultant
FEELING among these leaders of "one
big party" may be judged by Adams
public reference to Speaker Barbour
As "a shallow-pated wildcat"
Era Of Good Feeling"
In spite of this friction Monroe
with curious naivete, kept all three
men in office together. He was OBJ
sessed with the idea of doing away
with party lines. remaining neutral
and keeping up the EZRA of good feel.
Ing" But he succeeded only in turn
ing that happy period onto an era
OF backbiting and scandal, while pub
lie business waited on the quarrels
Of cabinet officers.
Even after Crawford was stricken
with paralysis and became almost
blind. Monroe continued him in office
and his followers pressed Crawford S
campaign for the presidency, though
he could sign official documents only
with stamp which his daughter
pressed down as he held it in his
shaking hand
Then, in 1922 as in 1898, it was the
midterm congressional elections tha,
clarified the warning factions and
hardened their d;Hernr,.. 4l>x.L,