Democratic Party
2 of the 7 encyclopedias on this shelf carry an entry for Democratic Party. Both are reproduced below, so you can see where they agree and where they differ.
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
one of the two chief divisions into which the voters of the United States are politically associated, first opposed to the Whigs, then to the Re Republicans. The complete evolution of the Democratic party may be said to date from the accession of Andrew Jackson to the presidency, though its fundamental principles were enunciated by Thomas Jefferson. The political features of Jackson's administration were the opposition to the United States Bank, the denial of the right of any State to nullify the laws of Congress, and the excitement over the tariff question. In 1836 through the influence of Jackson, Martin Van Buren was elected President, and during his administration the prestige of the Democratic party began to wane. In 1837 the country went through a severe commercial panic. Credit, speculation and banking had been carried to extreme limits and disaster followed. For this state of affairs the administration was held responsible. The election of 1840 was a revolution and in the choice of General Harrison by the electoral vote of 234 to 60 the Democratic party, after an ascendency of its principles entailing 40 years of power, was forced to retire. But the Whig triumph was short-lived. General Harrison died one month after his inauguration and John Tyler, who had been nominated for Vice-President to conciliate Virginia, succeeded to the presidential chair. All his life he had held and advocated Democratic doctrines, especially the opposition to the United States Bank, a protective tariff, and internal improvements by the general government. On his accession he continued the cabinet of his predecessor, Daniel Webster being Secretary of State; but after two successive vetoes of the "Fiscal Bank of the United States" bill, his cabinet left him, Mr. Webster remaining only till the conclusion of the Webster-Ashburton treaty, and his administration became essentially Democratic. In 1844 James K. Polk was elected President, after a bitter and exciting contest, over Henry Clay. The annexation of Texas, which was urged by the Democratic party, was the great question in determining this election, and was accomplished March 1, 184 1, 1845, three days before the inauguration of Mr. Polk. This led to a war with Mexico which was declared May 12, 1846. At its successful conclusion not only was the Rio Grande established as the boundary of Texas, but all New Mexico and Upper California were relinquished to the United States. In March, 1820, an act known as the Missouri Compromise, had been passed, forbidding the introduction of slavery in any of the States formed from the Louisiana Cession N. of 36° 30'. On Aug. 8, 1846, the rejection of the socalled Wilmot Proviso by the Senate, which provided "That as an express and fundamental condition to the acquisition of any territory from the Republic of Mexico by the United States....neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall ever exist in any part of said territory," became the starting point of the Free Soil party in 1848. Mr. Wilmot, the mover, was a Democrat. The popularity of General Taylor caused the defeat of Lewis Cass in the election of 1848, and the Democratic party went out of power till 1853, when Franklin Pierce became President. In 1856 it elected James Buchanan President and John C. Breckenridge Vice-President. At the convention held in Charleston, S. C., April, 1860, the slavery issue caused a disruption of the party, the slave section nominating John C. Breckenridge, and the free, Stephen A. Douglas, and, on Mr. Lincoln's election, it lost the supremacy which it had held with little interruption for 60 years. It had, however, a vigorous life, and contested hotly every presidential election, its unsuccessful candidates being George B. McClellan, 1864; Horatio Seymour, 1868; Horace Greeley, 1872; Samuel J. Tilden, 1876; and Winfield S. Hancock, 1880. In 1884 the party elected its candidate for the presidency, Grover Cleveland. In 1888, Mr. Cleveland, having been renominated, the party was defeated. In 1892 Mr. Cleveland again became the nominee of the party against the sharp and critical opposition of the Democratic organization of his own State (New York). In the first year of his second administration, Mr. Cleveland called a special session of Congress for the purpose of repealing the law compelling the monthly purchase of silver by the government; and this was accomplished against the determined opposition of many prominent Democrats. Dissension soon therefore arose in the party over the tariff, centering around the so-called Wilson Bill. The opponents of the administration, led by Gorman of Maryland, Brice of Ohio, and others, succeeded in amending the bill to an extent deemed so undemocratic that the President could give it but a qualified approva ed approval, and it became a law without without his signature. signature. The necessity of issuing bonds for the purpose of maintaining the gold reserve, thus increasing the public debt, and the adoption of silver free coinage in the platform of 1896 overthrew the party, its presidential candidate, William J. Bryan, being defeated by William McKinley, for whom many Democrats in favor of sound money and the gold standard voted. In 1904 Alton B. Parker, a conservative democrat , was nominated. Theodore Roosevelt was chosen by the Republicans and elected, having obtained 336 electoral votes to Judge Parker's 140. In 1908 William J. Bryan and William H. Taft were the contestants. Taft won, receiving 321 Electoral votes to Bryan's 162. Taft was again chosen by the Republicans in 1912. The Democratic convention held at Baltimore, June 25, after several days ' balloting nominated Woodrow Wilson, Governor of New Jersey. The new Progressive party, in convention assembled at Chicago, August 5, nominated Theodore Roosevelt. The result of the election showed, Wilson 435, Roosevelt 88, and Taft 8. At the Democratic convention held at St. Louis, June, 1916, Woodrow Wilson and Thomas Marshall were nominated by acclamation. Charles E. Hughes of New York and C. W. Fairbanks of Indiana were nominated by the Republicans. The result of the election was a plurality vote for Woodrow Wilson of 581,941. In 1920 the Democrats nominated J. M. Cox, Governor of Ohio , who was defeated by Warren G. Harding, the Republican nominee, by a vote of 16 132,914 to 9,142,438. a
Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)
one of the chief political parties in the United States . Its distinguishing doctrine is that of giving the central government as little power as possible. Historically, it is opposed to a strong central government. The first cleavage into political parties was that of Federalists and Anti-Federalists, the former in favor of adopting the United States Constitution, the latter opposed to it on the ground that it gave the government dangerous power. Out of the various Anti-Federal elements. Thomas Jefferson formed the party which has continued to the present time. It was known at first as Republican, then as Democratic-Republican, and finally as Democratic, a name still retained. The Democratic party is strongest in the South. The following presidents have been elected by the Democratic Party: Thomas Jefferson, Martin Van Buren, James Madison, James K. Polk, James Monroe, Franklin Pierce, Andrew Jackson, James Buchanan, Grover Cleveland. If we except the administration of George Washington, who was elected by the whole people, we may say that the Democratic administrations have extended over 56 of the 112 years from the inauguration of John Adams in 1797 to 1909, the end of the term for which Roosevelt was elected. See Republican