The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-12-08

scenes Re had Witnessed there.
II began gcing 10 >oavent.o1s n 1856
he sad Il was one of the supporters e
Douglas before The 1856 Convention. 7
was speaker Of the aouss III our leSisis ture
atterward when DoGgl1s was elected &C
the senate the last time. Douglas friends
had control Of the convention of 1886 With
the aid OF President Pierce, but Buchanan
beat him for the nomination.
A Remarkable scene.
Probably the most remarkable scene in
that convention was when Thomas Prizes
At the head OF the uaseatsd Missouri dele
cation marched into the convention hail.
Sterling Price was at the head of the con-
testing delegation from Missouri. They
were Douglas men, and they Were seated
by the convention. which was under the
control of Douglas friends. The conven-
tica was in session when Thomas Price at
the head Of his delegation marched 10 the
hall he was man with a commanding
figure and a head Well thrown hack-an I'M
posing man, more than SIX feet tall. The
doorway OF the convention hall was closed
with bar which swung upward.
When Price and has people came in
sight, the doorkeeper sat down on tie bar
But that didn't stop Price. He lifted the
BAR, man and all, and the man fell on the
floor. There were cries oof Shame! and
a great deal Of confusion, but Price
marched Up the aisle a little way and
saying, Democrats, Buchanan Demo-
Gratis, by c.! led his people down 10 the
front of the convention. What he expect
ed 10 do l cannot understand Breckin-
ridge was in the chair. l think he was
one OF the vice presidents of the conven-
ton and was occupying II temporarily.
Price was a rough fellow, but ne was
a gentleman, and when Breckenridge
spoke to him quietly. telling him the
convention had decided against him, he
took off his hat, which up 10 that time he
had Kept on his head, and saving, Gen
tlemen, we bow 10 the will of the conyen-
tion,' turned around and marched out
again at the head of his people.
But they nominated Buchanan. Pierce
and Douglas were too thoroughly identi-
ned with the Missouri compromise. Buch-
anan had been out OF the country, and he
had made no enemies. So lot of trad
ing was done. The South got Breckin-
ridge on the ticket, and Buchanan was
named.
Il was not in the convention at Charles
ton as a delegate" continued Col. Nor
rison, but l was there as one of Doug
las friends. There was quite n delega-
ton of US working for him. We had a
pretty hot time at Charleston, and then
We went home, and later we met again in
Baltimore. But il was only a question of
time when the South would break away.
Only Virginia held it from going. Other
Southern states We're afraid to go without
Virginia, and Virginia did not want to
go out.
There was a man named Russell at the
head of the Virginia delegation. a tall,
thin man, good talker. He held the
convention together a long time But
finally, when he took the floor one day,
the Indiana people began to cry: We've
heard enough of this. We've been hearing
this same story for two weeks. Then
Russell said, emphasizing his words with
a forefnger that seemed to me then as
long as my arm, II the voice of Virginia
is not TO be heard in this convention, her
silence will be ominous. And in less than
two minutes that convention had broken
up"
/ asked Col. Morrison if he believed the
Democracy could have elected its candi-
date if it had stuck together.
NO" ne said, lit wasn't to be. / think
now, looking back at it. the result could
not have been changed But Douglas,
you know, got almost many votes
Lincoln in the North. Lincoln carried all
of the Northern states and Breckenridge
all but one of the Southern states. The
only state that went for Douglas was
Missouri"
Convention History.
Col Morrison was not in the conven-
ton of 1864. which nominated Mcclellan,
and he was in the convention of 1865, held
IN New 1Ork, IN WHICH seymour was
nominated. Seymour was the presiding
officer of that convention. and Washing
ton Mclean of the Cincinnati Enquirer
has been credited in history with bring
ing about his nomination Unexpectedly.
II guess Vallandigham had more 10 do
with il than Mclean said Mr.. Morrison.
"Pendleton was the chief candidate be-
fore the convention. / was the only MEN,
Der of the Illinois delegation, l think, who
was against him, and | was opposed TO
him because of his Identification with the
greenback movement. / was for Hen
bricks. His strength was exhausted soon
and then Hancock was tried and failed.
Chase? He never stood show of being
nominated. But the name of Seymour
took the convention by storm. The same
trick was tried in 1884. you remember.
with Hendricks, but it did not work that
time"
Mr.. Morrison went to the Cincinnati
convention OF the Liberal Republicans in
1872, where Illinois strength was divided
between Judge Lyman Trumbull and
Judge David Davis, either OF whom
might otherwise have been nominated, but
the convention named instead Horace
Greeley of the New York Tribune, "A nom>
nation which was Endorsed afterward by
the regular Democratic convention. In
1876 he was in the st. Louis convention
which nominated Tilden, and he was a
delegate at large in the conventions or
1884 and 1885, But In 1892 he was not even
an onlooker. That was the year in which
Mr. Morrison might have been the NOM
inee if certain ffill and German comblna-
lions had not been made. But that is
quite another story, and one with which
those who were in the councils OF the
Democratic party are familiar.
Col. Morrison on senator Hill.
asked Mr.. Morrison IL he believed the
story that Mr.. Hill had become sponsor
for him before the next Democratic con-
vention. He shook his head. Il don't be-
lieve Mr.. lin said what has been attribut-
ed to him" he said. But he added some
pleasant things about Mr.. Hill and par
ticularly about his ability as a lawyer.
"A great many people said Mr.. Hill would
be lost in the senate" said Col Morrison.
'He has not helped himself politically by
his experience there perhaps, but he has
added 10 his personal reputation" And
when Col. Morrison says anything as
pleasant as that about a man he does not
say It TO fatter him. and gain his good
viii: he means every word Of IL.
Col Morrison does not look for any re-
vision OF the tariff in the session OF con-
gress this winter. IL any proposition TO
change the duties so as TO increase the
revenue Is made, il will have amendments
without end tackled on 1t, and In that way
II will be defeated. Not that he thinks
the tariff question Is settled. He told me
several years ago that he did not believe
a settlement Of the tariff question would
be seen I'm his time or mine. He believes
a non-partfsau commission for the adjust
nent OF the tarir is impossible. Besides