The San Francisco call., 1896-06-19
WHERE THEY WERE HELD.
Chicago Built the First Convention
Hall for the Nomination
of Lincoln.

| Chicago inaugurated the idea that Ma
| tional Convention halls should be built to
hold the multitude back in May, 1860,
when it constructed the immense wooden
wigwam made famous by the first NOM
| inatioD of Abraham Lincoln.
! The Democratic convention of 1856,
| which nominated Pierce and King, was
held in Cincinnati, the first one in the
| West.
The Charleston convention of 1860 was
! held in a hall that would seat only 1900
| people, and the three Baltimore conven-
| tions of the same year were held. one (the
| Douglas) in theater, the Bell-Everett in
church and the Breckinridge in hall
with capacity of not more than 2000. But
! halls of that size will not answer now, for
| there are almost 1000 delegates and repre-
| sentatives of the press who have business
| to transact in the convention building, to
say nothing of the throngs of outsiders
who think it their duty to see personally
to the naming of the Presidential candi-
dates and the framing of the platform
principles upon which they shall stand.
New York has had but one National
Convention of either of the great political
parties, the Democratic of 1863 which
nominated Seymour and Blair, and that
was held in Tammany Hall. Even then,
an effort was made to stampede the con-
vention for Pendleton of New York, and
both parties have been wary of New York
ever since.
Baltimore, in the early days of the
present great parties, was the great politi-
cal convention city. It had the convention
that nominated Van Buren and Johnson,
and the next four that succeeded in the
Democratic party, that of 1840, when Van
Buren was nominated the second time,
and without Vice,President; that of 1874,
which named Polk and Dallas; 184S, which
named Lewis Cass and Butler, and 1852,
which named Pierce and King. Those
conventions were easily accommodated in
ordinary sized halls, for the crowds that
attended them were as nothing compared
to the throngs that flow into convention
cities nowadays.
The National Union Convention of 1868
which nominated General Grant for Presi-
dent was held in Crosby's Opera-house in
Chicago, beginning May 20. The scene rep
resents the time of the announcement of
General Grant as a candidate, May 21.
The Republican National Convention of
1872 was held in the Academy of Music,
Philadelphia. The convention is pictured
as it appeared when the chairman an
nounced the nomination Of General Grant.
The Republican National Convention of
1876 was held in Exposition Hall, Cincin-
natl, and began June IA. The hall was a
parallelogram a block in length and quar-
ter of block wide. 1t accommodated over
5000 persons who were present the second
day. The chairman has just announced
the nomination of Governor Rutherford B.
Hayes of Ohio for President.
The Republican National Convention of
1880, which nominated James A. Garfield,
was held in the Exposition building in
Chicago, being organized June 2.
The Republican National Convention of
1884, which nominated James G. Blaine
for President, was held in Chicago in the
Exposition building, opening June 8.
The convention of 1888, by which Ben
jamin Harrison was made the Republican
standard-bearer, was held in the Audi
forum building, Chicago. The view rep
resents the convention in session This
was at the time unfinished. There were
no windows, and the hall was Illuminated
by electric lights. 1t was covered during
the convention with temporary roofing,
and floors and galleries of pine were built
for the occasion. The seating capacity
was 1000.
The Republican Convention of 1892,
which nominated Benjamin Harrison,
was held in Minneapolis. The conven-
ton auditorium was constructed within
an industrial exposition building. The
seating capacity could easily have been
made 10000 but was limited to 1000 for
prudential reasons. The delegates were
seated on the main floor directly under a
huge skylight. Minneapolis expended
about $90,0 to care for the convention.
The doctrine Of nationolitu. plnnted deem IN