POLITICAL PARTIES
X520
POLO
ington became president, April 30, 1789, the Federalists came into power, and Alexander Hamilton, as secretary of state, rescued the country from bankruptcy by his splendid financiering. During Washington's second term there was a split in his cabinet, and at its close the Anti-Federalists, headed by Thomas Jefferson and Edmund Randolph, elected tneir candidate, Thomas Jefferson, as vice-president, although the Federalists elected John Adams as president. The combination was embarrassing; but, as the electoral law has been changed, it cannot again occur. The result was the defeat of Adams for a second term and the election of Jefferson to the presidency. In 1801 the Anti-Federalist administration began and the party name was changed to Republican and, later, to Democrat. This party; held power until 1840, although in the election of 1824 there were four candidates, all claiming to be Republicans and one wing, under lead of Adams and Clay being known as National Republicans. They were John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, Henry Clay and W. H. Crawford. As neither was elected by popular vote, the matter was decided by the house of representatives, which placed Adams in the presidential chair. Four years later General Jackson, the "hero of New Orleans," was elected and his administration was noted for opposition to the United States Bank and for putting into practice the doctrine that "to the victor belongs the spoils." The Whig party, which was formed in opposition to the Democratic party and took ground in favor of a protective tariff and internal improvements, led by Daniel Webster and Henry Clay, gained its first success in the election of William Henry Harrison in 1840, but the slavery question and the death of Clay and of Webster, both in 1851, so weakened the Whigs that General Winfield Scott, in spite of his splendid military record, was defeated by Franklin Pierce, and the party ceased to exist in 1852. Several other parties arose: the Anti-Masonic party of 1826; the Liberty party in 1840, which was merged in the Free Soil party in 1848; the American party or Know-Nothings in 1854; the Republican party, made up of the Free Soil party and the anti-slavery wing of the Whigs in 1856; the Constitutional Union party in 1860; the Greenback party in 1866; the Prohibition party in 1872; and the Union Labor party in 1888. In 1856 James Buchanan, the Democratic candidate, was elected, and during his administration the Civil War began. In 1860 Abraham Lincoln was elected by the Republican party, which remained in power until 1884, when Grover Cleveland, the Democratic candidate, was elected. In 1888 the Republicans elected Benjamin Harrison, and in 1892 Grover Cleveland was again elected by the Democratic party. In 1896 the Republicans elected William McKinley, of
Ohio, and in 19.00 he was given a second term in the presidential chair. His chief opponent in both years was William J. Bryan of Nebraska, the nominee of the Silver Democrat and Populist parties. The other factors in both elections were those marshaled under the banners of the Gold Democrats, the Prohibitionists, the Social Democrats and the Socialist Labor Party. In the contest of 1896 John M. Palmer of Illinois led the forces of the National or Gold Democrats. For vice-president the winning men were Garret A. Hobart of New Jersey in 1896 and Theodore Roosevelt in 1900. On the death of President McKinley (q. v.) in September, 1901, Viee-President Roosevelt succeeded to the presidency. In 1004 Theodore Roosevelt was the nominee of the Republican party, and was elected president oy an unusual majority, his chief opponent being Alton B. Parker, the nominee of the Democratic party. In 1908 William Jennings Bryan for the third time was nominated by the Democrats, while William Howard Taft was the candidate of the Republicans. The Prohibitionists, Socialists and the Independence League also put forward candidates. The vote resulted in the election of Mr. Taft who was re-nominated in 1912 but was defeated by the Democratic candidate, Woodrow Wilson, after an unusually heated campaign. Theodore Roosevelt led the Progressives, a party which was formed as the result of dissatisfaction with certain of Mr. Taft's policies (see TAFT) and the charge that Mr. Roosevelt and his delegates had been unfairly treated in the Republican Convention. The party was the crystallization of a growing sentiment in both the Republican and Democratic parties in opposition to the control of legislation by large business interests, but it was the movement among the Republicans which was the most important element in its formation and it drew its membership largely from Republican ranks.
Po'lo, an equestrian game, which may be briefly described as hockey on horseback. An oblong space is marked out, the usual size of which 18*300 by 200 yards; at each end, in the center of the line, two poles are fixed 20 or 22 feet apart, forming the goals through which it is the object of the opposing sides to strike the ball. The players are mounted on ponies, the size of which should not exceed 14 hands, and each player is armed with a polo-stick, a strong cane about four feet long with a crosshead about eight inches in length, with which to *trike the ball of light wood. The proper number of players is four to a side, and in polo, as in most other games, combination is the first condition of success. The ponies need to be carefully trained, and they sometimes become very clever in understanding what is required of them. To become a good player requires a quick eye, good
