The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-08-16

NATIONAL CONVENTIONS.
A HisseFy eS the fresaaential ma.
From the Baltinorean.
As early a. 1886 the Wing members OF
the House Of Commons introduced a sys-
tenn now known as the caucus system, by
holding meetings at various tsverns to per-
feet the organization and discipline of the
party. The thing. however, was not known
BY that name. Tho idea was borrowed
here from England, but the oldest written
use of the word is passage in John Ad.
ans diary, dated Boston, February, l763,
referring to q" caue1s club" that met in
that town. This club, it is thought proba-
BILE, was originally mechanics club, call
ed from the leading trades in it, the calk-
er's club, which name, with variation, it
still retained after it had passed into the
hands of the politicians Meetings held
to provide nominating and canvassing ma
chinery soon received the name of eau
cusses.
At length Congressional caucus, the
first that we have any account Of, was hold
in Philadelphia in the year 1900, to nomi-
nate candidates for President and Vice
President. Thirty-seven Representatives
and nine Senators were present, and nomi-
noted jefferson and Burr The first eau
cusses. however, were like informal meet
ings of a certain number of gentlemen to
express their preference for candidate
On the 10Th of January, 1903, a regular
caucus was held in Washington, attended
by ninety-four Democrats, being q majority
of the two houses, which nominated for the
Presidency James Madison, who was after
wards elected by the people.
In 1872 another caucus of administra-
ton members was held in Washington,
which nominated Mr.. Madison for re-elec-
tion. Mr.. Monroe was also brought before
the people by the same instrumentality
About this time Congressional caucusses
fell into disfavor. That held in 1923 to
nominate successor to Monroe was slen-
derly attended, and its nomination was ex-
tensively dIsregarded, so that Mr.. Craw-
ford, its nominee, was behind both Jackson
and Adams in the popular vote. At the
Presidential elections of 1923, Jackson be-
came the candidate of one party, and Adj
ans of the other, without any formal nomi-
nation.
The Congressional caucus system was
thus finally exploded. We now como to
the convention system.
The first convention for the nomination
of President and Vice President was the
anti-Masonic meeting, held at Baltimore,
in September, 1881. This faction it was
which brought Mr.. Seward and Mr.. Fill
more into public life. Mr.. Clay would have
received the nomination of the convention,
but that he was himself member of the
Masonic order. The opposition to Gener-
al jackson had now assumed the name of
National Republicans, and the Baltimore
convention was called to concentrate all
the parties against the Democracy. VIM.
Writ, of Maryland, was nominated for the
President, and Amos Ellmaker, of Pennsy[
vania, for Vice President
In December, 1881, the first National
Republican Convention was held in Balti.
more, and nominated Henry Clay, of Ken
lucky, for President, and John Sergeant
of Pennsylvania, for Vice President. Thus
Mr.. Clay and Mr. Writ were placed in the
field to lead the opposition. and it was hop
ed that the election would be- thrown into
the House. 4-+-
General Jscksons position was a strong
one, and the administration party thought
of no one else for the succession. Mr..
Calhoun, then Vice President, had quar-
relied with the President, and it was impor-
tant to,select some strong man for the sec
ond place on the ticket for the succession.
jackson was accordingly nominaned by the
administration members ofthe New York
Legislature, and the State of New Hamp-
shire has, in addition to the glory of pre-
senting President in the person of Frank
lin Pierce, the further gem in her politica
crown Of having originated the system of
National Conventions. The Legislature Of
New Hampshire sent out the first call for
Democratic National Convention, TO nomi-
nate q candidate for Vice President. No
number of delegates being mentioned, each
State sent as many as could afford the
time, and on the 2lst of May, 1882, the
Democracy mustered in great force at Bal
timore, and this may be called the first Ma
tional Convention worthy of the name that
vas ever held General Robert Lucas, of
Ohio, presided over the deliberations of
this body, which adopted the celebrated
two-thirds rule, drawn up by Mr.. Saunders,
of North Carolina, as follows:
Resolved, That each State be entitled
in the nomination to be made OF candi-
date for the Vice Presidency, to number
OF votes equal to the number that they
will be entitled to in the Electoral Col
legcs under the new apportionment, in vo,
ing for President and Vice President, and
that two-thirds ofthe whole number of votes
in the convention shall be necessary to
constitute choice.
This is the celebrated machine which
has been used to execute all the best men
in the party, and which has killed off Mr.
Cass. .....-....... ....... -......-
The total number of electoral votes at
the time was two hundred and eighty eight,
of which two hundred and eighty three were
represented Mr.. Van Buren, received Two
hundred and three; Mr.. Barbour, of Yirgi-
MIA, forty-nine Eboth had assisted in the OBJ
sequies of King Caucus, and both were sim
cere mOurnersE Richard NJ. johnson twen-
ty-six. The convention then adopted a
platform, which, in point of brevity, is
model. The ticket was chosen, receiving
two hundred and nineteen electoral votes
to forty-nine for Mr.. Clay.
The anti-Masonic ticket received the
electoral vote of Vermont [7.] South Caro-
lima voted for John Floyd. Pennsylvania
gave its vote for Wm Wilkins. In this
election pledged electoral tickets became
more firmly established. When the time
approached for the next National Conven-
ton, which was to nominate for the success
sion, the Democratic party was united,
while the opposition, though numerically
powerful, was politically weak, being split
up into various factions. The Southern
antiJackson candidate was Hugh L. White
of Tennessee, nominated by the Alabama
Legislature. He was also supported by the
Tennessee Legislature and by the delega-
ton from that State in Congress, except
Messrs. Polk and johnson. An opposition
meeting at Harrisburg, Pa, put General
w. H. Harrison, of Ohio, in nomination.
The Wings in the Massachusetts, Iegisla
ture nominated Daniel Webster, and John
Mclean was brought forward in the same
manner in Ohio.
The convention question seriously agi
tated the Democratic party. Mr.. Van Bu-
rem and his friends we're strongly in favor
of a convention. General jackson, in
February, 1895, came out in favor of Ma
tional Convention to nominate candidates
for President and Vice President. None