leader of this party. At first it was called the Anti-Federalist party, but within a few years it assumed the name Republican.

Successive Party Names.-Since the days of Jefferson and Hamilton the American people have been divided into two great parties along practically the same lines, although the names of the parties have been changed from time to time. The party founded by Hamilton was called Federalist until 1828, when for four years it was designated as the National Republican. In 1832 it became known as the Whig party, a name which endured until 1854, when it began to be called the Republican party, the name which it bears to-day. The party of which Thomas Jefferson was the founder continued to use the name Republican until about 1828, and from that time to the present it has been called the Democratic party.

Each of these parties, when in power, has been more or less inconsistent in applying to actual governmental problems the fundamental principles on which their respective organizations were based, but the history of our country shows that for the most part the differences between them may be traced to the original controversy between Hamilton and Jefferson.

The study of the two great political parties of the present day is divided into two branches-the party organization and the nominating conventions.

Party Organization.-The control of party affairs is vested in different committees, the members of which are chosen by the party through its representatives assembled in convention. The most important committee is the National Committee, which is made up of one representative from each of the States and Territories. This committee represents the party in all national matters, attends to its inter

ests in presidential and congressional elections and calls together the National Convention, designating the time and place for its meeting.

Each party also has a State Committee, which, in some States, is composed of a representative from each county, and in others of a representative from each congressional district. This committee has general control of the affairs of the party throughout the State and calls together the State Conventions.

In the same way, each party has a County Committee in every county. In every political division of the State, including cities, towns, villages, wards, congressional and legislative districts, there is a committee which looks after the interests of the party which it represents in all political matters within its jurisdiction.

Generally speaking, political committees are charged with the duty of promoting the interests of their respective parties at all elections. They must raise the money with which to pay necessary expenses, see that all voters belonging to the party are registered, so that they can vote on election day, arrange for meetings at which their candidates can address the public, print and distribute such literature as will be beneficial to the party and its candidates, and in every way promote the interests committed to their care.

Nominating Conventions.-All candidates for office are selected by nominating conventions, composed of delegates representing the different sections of the country, State, county, or city, as the case may be. For example, candidates for President and Vice President are nominated by the National Convention of each political party. A National Convention meets every four years. It is composed of delegates from all the States, each State sending twice as many delegates as it has representatives in the national Senate

and House of Representatives. The National Convention frames and adopts a declaration of party principles called the party platform, and elects the members of the National Committee for the ensuing four years.

State conventions meet as often as an election for state officers occurs. They are composed of delegates from the different counties of the State, the number of delegates from each county being dependent upon the number of votes cast for the party candidates at the last preceding general election. State conventions nominate candidates for State officers, adopt a party platform and provide for the election of a State Committee.

The same principles are applied in selecting the committees and holding the conventions in each of the political subdivisions into which the State is divided, so that throughout the entire country each party has a series of committees, each of which acts independently within its own territory, but which, taken together, constitute a complete and systematic organization.

Primaries. Delegates to the National Convention are generally chosen by the State conventions of the respective States, but delegates to all other conventions are selected by the members of the party which they represent, assembled in a mass-meeting called a caucus, or at elections held in the various precincts or election districts. Such an election is called primary and, generally speaking, it is held in the manner and under the conditions imposed by the election laws of the various States.

By this method, every voter can participate in the election of delegates to the various nominating conventions and, through these delegates, has a voice in the election of candidates for every office within the gift of the people.

It is the duty of every good citizen, who is qualified to

vote, to take part in primary elections and thereby help to secure the nomination of worthy candidates.

It is the duty of every political party to make strenuous efforts to educate its members upon political subjects, to the end that they may comprehend the purpose and intent of the national and State Constitutions, as well as the spirit of the laws which give effect to their provisions.

END OF PART ONE.

PART II.

GOVERNMENT OF MICHIGAN.

CHAPTER XIII.

EARLY GOVERNMENT.

In our study of the civil institutions of the United States we have seen that, to know fully the history of their origin and growth, we must commence our investigation in remote periods of the past, long before the discovery of this continent, when men first began to realize that governments were but the creations of the people, and that all should participate in governmental affairs.

We have learned that the principles of representative government were first applied in the small German and Scandinavian communities of Northern Europe, that they were transplanted to England by the Anglo-Saxon invaders, and that after centuries of tyranny and misrule they came into recognition as a result of the struggle between Henry III. and his barons under the leadership of Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester.

Several hundred years afterward, similar principles were brought into use in the cabin of the Mayflower, when the Pilgrim Fathers signed their names to the compact which formed the basis for the government of the struggling colony of Plymouth.

In the same manner, to understand the local govern