The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1895-12-29
NOT A WINNERS CITY.
A Politicians Comments on Conventions
In st. Louis.


Some wiscacres OF politics. who base
their predictions Of party success on pre-
cedents, may find ground for objection
to st. Louis as the convention city for
the republicans. Since National party
conventions were instituted st. Louis has
twice carried off the honors and each
time the candidate named has gone down
In defeat. These candidates were Samuel
j. III en- and Grover Cleveland.
IN Old politician comments gravely on
this situation. "rilden," he. says. was
elected. so lar as the popular vote and
unanimous democratic sentiment are con-
ce i!rSd But Blu he never never was president,
more pregnant. Thrice that son of for
tune has been nominated by his party
W hen r, was he defeated at the polls. Why.
IN 1883, to be sure, five months following
his nomination at that unlucky city. ST.
rs, it luck or Is 1T fatality?" he was
You can't always tell. Now. 1t is
try have been the scene OF two-thirds Of
the presidential nominations of pres-
important cities in America. either-Baiu-
more and Chicago
The first National presidential con-
ventlon ever held In this country was in
Baltimore, in 1882. The first five presi-
dents were nominated in caucuses of con-
gress, and all the rest might have come
ructon which happened when John Quin-
cy Adams. Henry Clay, Andrew Jackson
ard w. II. Crawfori happened 70 be
wanting the presidency at one and the
Same time. Well under the rule. W. II.
Crawford got the nomination
Now, who was w. III. CrawfordY Ger
tainly he never became president.
CONVENTION At BALTIMORE.
But that Is neither here nor there. In
1882 the present fashion of National party
conventions begBn. Andrew Jackson was
nominated at Baltimore in that year, and
Henry Cay at Philadelphia by the wings.
The first convention in New DIRK CITY
was he'd In 1886, when the wings noml-
mated William Henry Harrison, grand
father of Little Ben But he was beaten
by Martin Van Buren,, New ork demo-
crat, who was nominated at Baltimore.
-Four years later the luck was reversed
as to both the candidates and the cities,
Harrison ii5, "a after beng no4nnated at Har
VAN who this time had been nominated
at Baltimore
I'm 1874 both conventions went to Balti-
that Folk ok defeated cay. ''i In isis the
| democrats stuck by Baltimore and nom
mated Lewis. Cass Of Michigan, but the
! Taylor. the successful candidate. In 1882,
again, both parties chose baltimore. but
the democrats chose the lucky man in
''I'or the first time: in 1876 the MONT
| ma ing convention went west OF the AL
was nominated at Philade' nhia
1T was IN 1850 that the first convention ,f,.ni,
time whom The, unheard of Lincofn
snatched the prize from Seward In mat
| wear the democrats convened At charles
| Baltimore. whore, IN two senarato con-
| von'ions. they nominated Douglas and
| Breckinridge
''rhe democrats convened In Chicago in
| 1874 and nominated General Mcclellan.
| while, singulerly enough. Lincoln's second
nomination. in the Same year, was al
This was almost the last appearance
OF baltimore Hs convention CITY, but not
quite. Grant was first nominated at Chit
| cage IN 1893 to defeat Seymour. who was
| nominated NJ New York. In 1879 Grant
Greeley. after having been nominated By
| tho liberal -ernhl'cane at C'nc'nnnH was
confirmed by the democrets az Baltimore.
"Hayes was nominated at Cincinnati
| Tildeu MT St. Louis Garfield ut Chicago
| Hancock at Cincinnati blaine md CIeve-
,"nd. lSSt both a. Ghio1eo; Herri1on IN
| Horrison in 1902 Mt Minneapolis and
| Cleveland at Ch.csgo
| A TRICK IN SEATING DELEGATES.
| striking things are always art to oc-
cur at a National convention. so that St.
| Louis, whether lucky or unlucky this year,
| may have some fun. The man IS sull
| living who arranged the delegates in
| the convention hall at Chicago in 1860 thai
L.ncoln's nomination could not be prevent
cd 10y the followers of Seward He put
| New York of in one end of the hall and
| all the anti-Seward delegations in between.
| 20 that the workable delegates could hot
| be Influenced.
Great things hinged on this convention
mGneuver Victor Hugo says. and very
| likely 1t Is true, that If it had not ra.iltd
| on the night before Waterloo the map Of
Europe would have been dllferer;. Who
| car say what might have been the result
of the civil war without Abe Lincoln?
at was at the republican convention at
Cincinnati in 1876 that Bob lngersoil gave
10 James g, Elaine the name Of the
| 'piunied knight yet twelve years later.
| In the midst Of a scene scarcely less I'M
| rressivc, the followers of Benjamin HarrI-
son Kissed down Mr. lngersoll when he
ATTEMPTED to speak.
II happened to hear Mr.. Conkling make
his famous Appomattox tree speech at
the republican convention at Chicago in
1850. Surely that was one of the most
| spectacular conventions IN history. With
nominating John sherman found himself
| the pet of the convention and forced
| to take the nomination himself John
| Sherman, who Of the three alone survives,
rem Members this, as has recently been evi-
"Perhaps there has never been a nomi-
mating speech equal in It's spectacular
| less 1t was that Of Bourltc Cochran at
Chicago in 1892 when at . o'clock in the
morning. he arose and crammed down
the throat of hostile convention his
ever famous protest against the renonina-
ton of Mr. Cleveland.
| '"rhat ives n scene for the gods and men
| The elements were raging out doors II
was amid thunder and lightning that Mr..
Cochran, arose and to that noisy acclaim,
| delivered what Is Justly considered The
| best lmpromptu speech Of this generation.
"All this, of course to remind the peo-
PIE Of St. Louis who have maid so dearly
| for the convention. that they may yet get
| dividend. II not in things spiritual. then
In things temporal Potter Palmer used
| TO say that a National convention IN
Chicago was worth $50 900 at his bar Are
there no Potter Palmers in St. Louis?'