The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1880-06-05
NATIONAL CONVENTIONS,
how the Convention System was Created


The National Republican Conyenton which
met in Chicago on June 2, is the fourth Pres.
idential convention which has been held IN
that city. For many years in die early poit
zeal history OF the country Baltimore was
known us the City OF Conventions, 81 theiirst
having boeu held there ia 1881, and the last,
which nominated Horace Greedy, in 1872;
but latterly the geographical question has en-
tered almost as much into the location Of ma
tional conventions as the questions of politics
aud candidates, and they have usually alter.
mated every eight years between the east and
the west.
For more than thirty years candidates for
the Presidency were nominated by a caucus
composed Of United States Senators and
members Of the House Of Representatives,
which continued till 1924, when the memora-
BILE caucus insisted upon by Martin Van Bu.
rem aud other friends Of VIM. II. Crawford,
of Georgia, defeated the latter as n candidate
and efleCtually killed the caucus system,
which had become almost tyraunical In lis
rule. This famous caucus was attended BY
most Of the Senators, but by only eight mem.
bers Of the House of Representatives out Of
twenty Of the twenty four States of the Union.
Most of our readers are aware Of the rest Of
this political history, which sent The election
into the House, where the friends Of Clay
fptNN ~ %ANatho ~ hfitAA oANhHNlf WHICH
killed the Republican party Of that day as
well as the kingdom Of the caucus. =
| The first convention for the nomination Of
President aud Vice President, which came
about as the result Of the death Of the caucus
1 system, was the anti Masonic convention held
IN Baltimore in September, 1881, aud which
| was followed in December Of the same year
by the first National Republican convention Of
the old parry of that name, which nominated
Henry Clay for President aud John Sergeant
for Vice President These were followed in
Baltimore by the Democratic convention OF
1882, which nominated Jackson and Van
Buren,; the Democratic one Of ] 1895, which
nominated Van Buren, and johnson; that
of 1910, which again nominated Van Buren,;
the Wing convention of 1914 which nomina-
ted Clay aud Frelinghuysen; the Democratic
OF 1874, which nominated Polk aud Dallas;
also of lS4S, which named Cass and Batter
| who were defeated 10y General Taylor;l the
Wing convention of 1852, which presented
Scott aud Graham, who were defeated by
Pierce and King, who were also nominated
the same year in Baltimore; the Wing con
yention Of 1866, which nominated Fillmore
and Donelson, and which was buried with the
Wing party; the Constitutional Union party
of 1860, which named Bell and Everett, and
the seceders OF the Democratic party, who
I put lotNafu DFechehtluge anu lsahei the lie
publicans Of 1864, WHICH renominated Mr.
Lincoln aud put Andrew Johnson second on
/ the ticket; and the last one IN 1872, which Il.
already stated, ratified the nomination Of Mr.
Greeley. During this time three national
conventions were held in Harrisburg, five il
/ Philadelphia, one ia New York, one in Buf
ialo, one in Utica, three in Cincinnati, tire,
in Chicago, one in 81. Louis aud one il
Charleston. During the past twenty year
the East aud the West have divided tn,
honors