The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1896-06-17
CONVENTION HISTORY.
Ten Great Gatherings of the
Past.
A REVIEW OF TIMELY INTEREST.
The First Republican Convention Was Held
ut Philadelphia-The Gas Incident ut
Cincinnati - Changes Wrought by the
Whirligig of Time.

WASHINGTON, June l7.-lSpeclal. =
Harry II. Smith, formerly journal clerk
OF the house of representatives and par
hamentary authority and historian of note,
has just published book of great timely
interest 1t gives IA history OF the ten ma
tional conventions of the Republican party.
The first convention was held at Philadel-
phia June 1919, 1856. All of the northern
states were represented, as We're Maryland,
Delaware and Kentucky Robert Emmett
of New York was temporary chairman and
Henry Stone of Indiana permanent chair
man. On an informal ballot for president
Colonel John C. Fremont of California
received $50 votes, John Mclean of Ohio
1876, Charles Sumner 2 and William II.
Seward l. Fremont was then unanimous
ly nominated.
The Famous Wigwam.
The second convention was held in the
famous Wigwam at Chicago May 1918,
1860 All the free states were represented,
and delegates were also present from Della
ware, Indiana, kentucky, Missouri, Texas
and Virginia as well as from the terri
tories of Kansas and Nebraska. Horace
Greeley was n delegate from Oregon Da-
vid Wilmot of Pennsylvania was temporary
chairman and George Ashman of Massa-
chusetts was made permanent president.
There were four ballots for president On
the first Seward had 173, Lincoln 102,
Cameron so, Chase So Bates 40, Mclean
10 On the second Seward had 1874, Lin
coin ISL, Chase 43, Bates 35 Dayton 10
and few scattering. On the third Lin
coin had 231, Seward $780, Chase 25, and
scattering This brought Lincoln TO with
in pa votes of nomination, and he was
chosen on the next ballot.
The third convention met at Baltimore
on June and s, 1864. Lincoln was re-
nominated without opposition, save that
the vote of Missouri was cast for General
Grant, according TO instructions.
The fourth convention met ut Chicago
on May 90 and 81, 1868. Carl Schurz was
temporary chairman and General Hawley
of Connecticut permanent president. Gen
eral Logan named General Grant for pres
ident, and every vote in the convention
was cast for him Five ballots were neces-
sary to choose a candidate for vice presi
dent.
The fifth convention met at Philadelphia
on June and 6, 1872. Morton McMichael
of Pennsylvania was temporary chairman
and Thomas Settle of North Carolina per-
manent president. Shelby NJ. Cullom
presented the name of General Grant for
the convention was cast for him
In Blaine's Day.
The sixth convention met at Cincinnati
on June 1915, 1876. Theodore Pomeroy
of New York was temporary chairman and
Edward Mcpherson of Pennsylvania per-
manent president On the first ballot for
president votes were cast as follows
Blaine, 2S5; o. p Morton, 1874; Benjamin
q.
b. Hayes, 81; John +. Hartranft, 5S
Marshall Jewell, II, and William A.
Wheeler, 3. On the second ballot Blaine
had 296, Morton 12O Bristow ia, Conk-
ling 90, Hayes GA, Hartranft SO. The
third ballot gave Blaine 1893; Bristow, 121;
Morton, 113; Conkling, so; Hayes, "a,
Hartranft, 90. There were few changes
on the next two ballots, save that Morton
votes went TO Hayes, swelling his total TO
104. The sixth ballot brol Il Hayes up
to l13, and on the seventh L,.llot Morton
was withdrawn and his remaining strength
cast for Hayes, giving the Ohio man 3S4
to 35l for Blaine.
The common impression that the gas
pipes were tempered with in this conven-
ton is not well founded. Nothing was
wrong with the gas pipes, nor was the gas
turned off. But eithcI through a conspiracy
in the interest of Hayes or n sad mistake
President Mcpherson was informed that
owing to some accident it would be i'm
possible TO light the hall in the evening,
and the convention Immediately ad journed
Probably If it had remained in session and
taken ballot Blaine would have been
nominated.
The seventh convention was held at Chi
cago June 2-S, 1880. Senator Hoar was
temporary chairman and also permanent
president. There was an unusually large
number of contested seats. At this con-
vention the rights of district delegates to
cast their votes irrespective of state action
or instruction was decided once for all
The first ballot for president was: Grant,
304; Blaine 2S4; Sherman, 93; Edmunds, "a;
Window, 90; Washbnrne, 80. The thirty
fifth ballot gave Garfield 800, Grant 306
and Blaine AZ.
The Eighth and Ninth Conventions.
The eighth convention met at Chicago
June 3-6, 1884. For the first time there
was a contest over the temporary chair
manship, the Blaine forces beating Powell
Clayton with John r. Lynch, the colored
man from Mississippi, by vote of 424 to
3S4. John B. Henderson of Missouri was
permanent president and William McKin-
ley chairman of the resolutions committee.
On the first ballot Blaine had 334K votes,
Arthur 27S, Edmunds SO, Logan 63&,
Sherman 30 On the second ballot Blaine
gained votes. On the third he gained
16, and on the fourth the Logan forces
went TO Blaine, giving him the nomina-
ton, with 541 votes to 207 for Arthur
and Al for Edmunds.
The ninth convention met at Chicago
June 1926, 1883. John M. Thurston of
Nebraska was temporary chairman and NJ.
NJ. Estee of California permanent presi-
dent On the first ballot for president
Sherman had 900 votes. Gresham 1917 De-
pew 90, Harrison SO, Tiger "a, Allison ~,
Blaine 80. There were scattering votes for
Fuller, Hawlcy, ingalls,, Phelps Rusk,
Lincoln and Mckinley On the second and
third ballots the changes were unimpor-
tant, but on the fourth ballot Sherman had
235, Harrison 2l6, Algcr 1875, Gresham %,
Allison SS. The fifth and sixth ballots
were substantially the same, and on the
seventh Harrison rose To 279, to 230 for
Sherman. Allison's name was then with
drawn, and Harrison won, with ga votes,
Sherman having Is, Alger 100 and Gresh-
am 50.
The tenth convention was held at Min