of Vermont stayed away. This gave the friends of
Jefferson their opportunity, and, fortunately for the country, Thomas
Jefferson was elected instead of the miscreant Burr.

THE CONSTITUTION AMENDED.

As a result of this noted contest, the Constitution was so amended that
each elector voted for a President and a Vice-President, instead of for
two candidates for President. It was a needed improvement, since it
insured that both should belong to the same political party.

During the first term of Washington, the country was divided into two
powerful political parties. Men who, like Washington, Hamilton, and
others, believed in a strong central government, with only such
political power as was absolutely necessary distributed among the
various States, were Federalists. Those who insisted upon the greatest
possible power for the States, yielding nothing to Congress beyond what
was distinctly specified in the Constitution, were Republicans, of whom
Thomas Jefferson was the foremost leader. Other points of difference
developed as the years passed, but the main distinction was as given.
After the election of John Adams, the Federalist party gradually
dwindled, and in the war of 1812 its unpatriotic course fatally weakened
the organization.

THE COUNTRY DIVIDED IN PARTIES.

The Republican party took the name of Democratic-Republican, which is
its official title to-day. During Monroe's administration, when almost
the last vestige of Federalist vanished, their opponents gradually
acquired the name of Democrats, by which they are now known. After a
time, the Federalists were succeeded by the Whigs, who held well
together until the quarrel over the admission of Kansas and the question
of slavery split the party into fragments. From these, including Know
Nothings, Abolitionists, Free Soilers, and Northern Democrats, was
builded, in 1856, the present Republican party, whose foundation stone
was opposition to the extension of slavery. Many minor parties have
sprung into ephemeral life from time to time, but the Democrats and
Republicans will undoubtedly be the two great political organizations
for many years to come, as they have been for so many years past.

IMPROVEMENT OF THE METHOD OF NOMINATING PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES.

It will be noted that the old-fashioned method of nominating
presidential candidates was clumsy and frequently unfair. Candidates
sometimes announced themselves for offices within the gift of the
peopl