Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1891-03-12
REPUBLICAN CONVENTIONS.

Cincinnati Commercial Gazette.
The call for a Convention in BostoI
of veteran Massachusetts Republicans
to celebrate the thirty-seventh ami
versary of the party has attracted
attention to the fact that it was Michi
gan, and not Massachusetts, which held
the first regular Republican State Con
vention. This was the largest Conyen-
ton ever known in. Michigan, and
assembled at Jackson on July 6, 1854
The call was drafted by Isaac p.
Christiancy, and the Convention was
addressed by that gentleman, Zachariah
Chandler and others, among whom was
fugitive slave named Lewis Clarke,
said to have been the original of Harriet
| Beecher Stoves George Harris" in
"Uncle Toms Cabin The Convention
chose a State Committe and nominated
State ticket, headed Kinsley S. Bing-
ham for Governor-the first Republican
ticket, under that name as such, ever
put before the people of any part of the
United States. The "History of the
Republican Party" QSS1, discussing
this Convention, says: Although ridi-
culed by the pro-slavery Democratic
organs as fanatics, black Republicans,
feather-legs,' 'woolly-heads, long
heels, 'thick-lips, &C., the patriotic
yeomanry of Michigan rallied at the
polls on election day and triumphantly
bore the Jackson nominees into Office.
Since that time the State has never
failed to return Republican Presidential
Electors and Republican Governors, ex-
cept in 1882, when the at-moneyiteS,
Democrats, sore-heads and rag tag and
bobtails jumped into the same pot
and succeeded in electing the Chief
Executive"
Wisconsin claims the honor of taking
the first steps towards conceiving and
naming the Republican party, and in
deed held a meeting to call Convention
even earlier than Michigan, but recon
sidered the matter and decided to hold
the Convention on July 13-one week
after Michigan-the anniversary of the
passage of the Ordinance of 1887, which
forever dedicated the Northwest Terri
tory to freedom. No State officers were
to be elected that year, but the Conven-
ton adopted the name Republican, and
in the campaign which ensued the Re-
publicans elected two of the three Con-
gressmen to be chosen, and Legislature
so strongly Republican that Charles
Durkee was made Senator-the first
ever chosen distinctively Republican
and Abolitionist in the United States.
On July 13, 1854, an immense mass
Convention, inwhich Schuyler Colfax
was leading spirit, assembled at In
dianapolis. Thomas Smith, up to that
time a prominent Democrat, presided
The name Republican was not adopted,
but radical anti-slavery platform was
The Republicans that year elected their
entire State ticket by an average majority
of 1900, secured the Legislature, and
sent nine straight Republicans to Con-
gress.
The Convention which formed the
Republican party of Massachusetts, was
not held until July ~, 1904. IL assem-
bled at Worcester, and was eloquently
addressed by Charles Sumner. But the |
party polled but little above 5000 |
votes in the State, which was swept |
clean by the Known Nothings on vote
of over $4,000.
The Ohio Republicans, who were
ahead of Massachusetts, held their first |
Convention OF Columbus, July 13, 1854, |
mass Convention which led
to it was held March % of that year, |
with Joseph R. Swan, President, and B.
R. Cowen, Secretary. The result was
that the Republicans that year elected |
State officers by handsome majorities,
secured control of the Legislature, and |
sent to Congress solid representation,
in which was included Hon. John Sher-
man, the eminent financier, and still the
noblest Republican of them all.