The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1884-07-12
How David Davis Led LincOln's Forces
to Victory in SO.

The second National Republican Conven-
ton was called to meet at Chicago on
Wednesday, the 10th of May, 1860 and Mr..
Stewards friends regarded his nomination
for President as certain. The Illinois State
Republican Convention met at Decatur a
fortnight previous. 1t was attended by the
political friends of Abraham Lincoln. who
had written urging them to come, as he
thought that if supported by the Illinois
delegation he might secure the nomination.
Few of them agreed with him, but they
worked zealously for him, and elected three
Lincoln delegates large - David Davis,
Norman B. Judd, and Stephen Z. Logan.
The other delegate Orville H. Browning,
his election, saying that Bates would have
no show, and that when Browning saw this,
he would not only go over to him but would
take some of his friends with him.
Judge Davis had never attendeda primary
meeting or a caucus, much less conven-
ton. but Lincoln prevailed upon him to go
| to Chicago and conduct his campaign The
Judge arrived on the Saturday night pre-
vious to the meeting of the convention
| He found that the parlors of the hotels had
| all been engaged, and he had to establish
| his headquarters IN two small connecting
rooms in the third story of the fremont
| House. The outlook was not encouraging
rs the only Lincoln men on the ground
were few of the delegates from Illinois
and Indiana. Thurlow Weed had thor
oughly organizedthe Seward cohorts. and the
| streets were filed with thousands who were
shouting the New York war cry. Lincoln S
raw levies were scattered far aud wide and
| left at the mercy of disciplined politicians.
! They had no organization. They were even
without headquarters. The hotels We're
| packed with the noisy friends of Bates and
| Seward.
| David Davis proved himself political
! Carnot, and threw the railsplitters flag to
the breeze. The raw levies were gath
cred and disciplined. Night and day was
he busy, forming combinations and visiting
| delegations. Horace Greeley, under the
guise of a delegate from Oregon, appeared
as the leader of the Bates men, and Thur
low Weed footed defiance from his Seward
| bugle. Davis visited both leaders, and was
| showered with chatf. 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
be greatly enhanced by the presence of his
| friends In force. 1t was an electric shock
| The State was aroused. On Monday and
| Tuesday trains poured into the city over
| flowing with Lincoln shouters. They were
enthusiastic friends, who gladly paid their
own way out of love for Lincoln. They
massed themselves in the streets, and raised
! din that astonished the noisy retainers of
Seward. They thronged the corridors of
the hotels and awoke the echoes of the night
with their cheers. Hourly their number
| increased. They poured into the wigwam
as soon as the doors were opened, and the
very atmosphere of the convention seemed
surcharged with their enthusiasm.
The two small rooms on the third floor of
the fremont House were the scene of un-
wonted activity. Every order was promptly
| executed Lawyers acted as messengers
and judges watched the cars for belated del
egates. Under Davis guidance the work
was thoroughly done, When he entered the
city on Saturday night barely fifty weak
| kneed delegates stood under the Lincoln
flag. On the first ballot the rail-spiitter
polled 102 votes, to 1884 for Seward and As
for Bates. The lanky cohorts In the gal
| lenes nearly lifted the roof with their
cheers. The second ballot gave Lincoln
Isl, Seward 1914, and Bates IS. Again the
brawny friends of Old Abe reared with de-
light. The Seward men turned pale, and
Ihurlow's knees smote together as he saw
the writing on the wall. Lincoln was nom
mated on the next ballot by a vote of 354 to
llO3 for Seward, and the whole State of
Illinois was thrown into ecstasy. That
night Judge Davis went to bed for the first
time IN SIX days, having conquered at total
cost, all told, of 500.
Judge Davis went to Springfield the next
day and had long interview with Mr.. Lin
coin. The candidate offered to refund the
500, but the Judge said that his friends
would not hear of it. Mr.. Lincoln's friends
urged Judge Davis to take the stump in his
behalf. He did so, and made the most eff
fective speeches. Nor did he relax his ex-
ertions until the closing Of the polls. Lin
coin carried the State by plurality of ii .s46