The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-06-18
ILLINOIS VICTORY.
How LincOln's Nomination Was
Secured In 1880.
The Work Which David Davis
DID for the Rallsplrtter-
ThuriOw WEEDS De-
feat-The Total
Cost.

The second National Republican
convention was called TO meet at
Chicago on Wednesday. May Is, 1850.
aud Mr.. Sewa,d's friends REGARDED
his nomination a. president a. GER
tain. The Illinois state Republican
convention me. at Decatur q fort
night previous. 1t was attended by
the political friends OF Abraham Lln~
coin, who had written urging them
TO come, as he thought thal il sup
ported by the Illinois delegation he
might secure the nomination. Few
o: them agreed with him, but they
worked zeaIousIy for him, and lected
three Lincoln delegates at-large-
| David DAVIS, Norman Il. Judd and
| Stephen T. Logan. The other dele
gate, Orville fl. Browning, was q
| Bates man, but Lincoln approved
Of his election. saying that Bates
would have 10 show, and that when
| Browning saw this. he would lot
| only 90 over to him, but would take
some of his friends with him.
Judge Davis had never attended a
primary meeting or a caucus, much
les a convention, but Lincoln pre-
vailed upon him to go to Chicago
and conduct his campaign. The
Judge arrived on the Ger Of action
the Saturday night previous to the
meeting Of the convention. He
found that the parlors at the hotels
had all been engaged, and he had to
establish bis headquarters in two
small connecting rooms in the third
story Of the fremont house. The
outlook was not encouraging, as the
only Lincoln men on the ground
were a few of the delegates from Hi
nois and Indiana. Ihurlow Weed
had thoroughly organized the Sc
ward cohorts, and the streets were
filed with thousands who were
shouting the New York war cry.
LincOln's raw levies were scattered
far and wide, and left at the mercy
OF disciplined politicians. They bad
no organization. They were even
without a headquarters. The hotels
were packed with the noisy friends
of Bates and Seward.
David Davis proved himself a poll
tical Cornot, and threw the Rail- |
spIitter's flag to the breeze. The
raw levies were gathered and dis |
ciplined. Night and day was he
busy, forming combinations and Wis.,
ting delegations. Horace Greedy, |
under the guise of a delegate from
Oregon. appeared as the leader of the
Bates men, and Tburlow Weed
footed defiance from his Seward bu-
gle. Davis visited 10th leaders, and
shOwered with chaff. But his
raw levies were not without backing.
On Saturday night he telegraphed to
the lawyers OF the eighth circuit,
assuring them that Old Abe's stock
WAS rising, and that its value would
he greatly enhanced by the presence
OF his friends in force. IL was an
shock. The State was
aroused. On Monday and I tuesday,
the trains poured into the city over
with Lincoln shouters. They
were enthusiastic friends, who
paid their own way out
Of love for Lincoln. They massed
themselves in the streets, and
a din that astonisLed the Doisy
retaIners of Seward. They thronged
he corridors of the hotels, and
awoke the echoes Of the night with
heir cheers. Hourly their number
increased. They poured into the
Nigwam as soon as the doors were
opened, and the very atmosphere OF
he convention seemed surcharged
With their enthusiasm.
The two small rooms on the third
lOOr Of the fremont House were the
Of unwOnted activity. Every
order was promptly executed. Law
'ers acted as messengers and judges
watched the cars for belated dele
Under Davis's guidance
he work was thoroughly done.
When he entered the city on Sat-
|rday night barely fifty weak>kneed
delegates stood under the Lincoln flag.
IN the fir t ballot the Rallspiuter
'olled l02 votes to lT3! for Seward
nd As tor Bates. The lanky cohorts :
D the gallery nearly lifted the roof e
nth their cheers. The second bal =
II gave Lincoln Isl, Seward lS44 and r
35. Again the brawny friends I
f Old Abe roared with delight. The
eward men turned pale, and Thur =
'w's knees smole together as he saw /
he writing on the wall. Lincoln
as nominated on the next ballot byJ /
vote of 354 to lIOI for Seward, and I
whole state of Illinois was thrown :
ito ecstacy. That night Judge Davis 4
ent to bed for the first time in six
avs, having conquered at a total
'st, all told, of 500.
Judge Davis went to Springfield /
the next day, and had a long =
'terview with Mr.. Lincoln. The
lndidate offered to reiand the 500, 4
at the Judge said that his friends 4
ouid not hear of it. MIR. Lincoln's
ienGs urged Judge Davis to take
le stump IN his behalf. He did so
I'd made most effective speeches. =
did he relax his exertions until
Ie closing of the polls. Lincoln
the State by Il plurality of 1
GAG over Douglas, and a majority
only 4,620 over all the candidates.
u popular vote of 369, 500.
ID