Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 12.djvu/77

POLITICAL PARTIES IN OREGON 69 27 votes, Dryer 18, Chinn 11, A. G. Henry 8 and Holbrook 1 ; on the second Gaines 63, Chinn 3. The only platform adopted was the slogan, "Gen. Gaines against the world!" On the day following, the Americans met in convention at Albany and ratified the nomination of Gaines. 1 Indeed Bush boldly charged that Gaines was a Know Nothing; that the Know Nothings were in control of the Corvallis Whig convention, having previously settled the nomination in a private caucus. Democratic courage and resolution had risen with the peril. In January, a Territorial Jackson club was organized at Salem as additional machinery with which to combat the contagious heresy. County Clubs were to be organized throughout the Territory. A central vigilance committee was appointed. 2 The constitution of the Yamhill county club provided for a vigi- lance committee to consist of one from each precinct to report from time to time on the state of the Democratic cause in the several precincts. 3 The Linn county nominating convention urged that each and every Democrat constitute a vigilance committee to rally the Democracy and prevent unsuspecting Democrats from being drawn into the "gull-traps of the mid- night assassin." 4 This spirit of bitter antagonism toward the American party is similarly reflected in the various county Democratic conventions. The Territorial convention of April llth passed strong resolutions of condemnation and aversion. 5 Insisting that Gaines was a Know Nothing and was asking support as such, Bush appealed to the bona fide Whigs to vote for Lane and rebuke "the minions of Know Nothingism" with which they had nothing in common. He "points with pride" to a letter which he reproduces from John T. Crooks, an old line Whig who "washes his hands of the bastard party i Statesman, April 28. May 12, the Statesman speaks of the marriage of the two parties as having taken place at Corvallis, the infair being held at Albany. 2lbid., January 16. 3lbid., February 20. 4Statesman, April 10; Resolved, that that Oregon Statesman and others who have labored to lay bare the cloven foot and deformity of this heinous midnight monster by giving the people a true and timely exposure of its sly and treason- able machinations, are really deserving of the fullest approbation of the Democrats of this Territory. ., April 17.