The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-06-20
SOME INTERESTING
PAST CONVENTIONS
Plunges Iuto The Historic Past for Paral.
lels to ST. Louis.
LIVELY SCENES OF FORMER TIMES
Brief Retrospect of Some Of the Com.
binations Made Against and for
Winning Candidates Of Both the
Leading Parties.-Things People
Have Forgotten All About.
From the Buffalo Express.


Politics was very much simplifled In
1854, compared to that of 1860, when
amid the thunder of cannon all over the
south, and when the horrid din OF war
was easily audible at the national cap
ital, Lincoln and Johnson were NOM
mated at Baltimore, and Mcclellan
and "Gentieman George" Pendleton at
Chicago. The only ripple of discomfort
with the old parties was the detection
Of the radical Republicans. who NOM
mated General Fremont and John G.
Cochrane of New York, at Cleveland.
Fremont, partially through jealousy.
partially because of sincere dissat-
isfaction with the conduct of the war,
resigned his commission, in company
with several generals of less note, and
had q sublime confidence in his ability
to divert enough of the Republican vote
to ensure his election. Yet how many
public men. to say nothing of men not
in public life, will recall the holding Of
that convention? Radicals and Peace
Democrats We're alike remanded to the
rear, and Lincoln was sustained only to
be killed by the bullet of Booth.
In 1868, at Chicago, 1t was inevitable
that the Republicans should nominate
Grant. and upon the ticket with him
was placed ColfaX of Indiana. who was
then quite popular. At Chicago, also a
nominated by the Democrats, with
Francis p. Blair of Missouri, as the
candidate for vice-preSident. The
Grant convention was full of the enthu-
siasm that must inevitably associate
with the name of the victorious general
of a great war. There was no contest
and the spectacle was rather a mass
meeting to celebrate the restoration of
the union and the end Of the term Of
81, Tnhncnn than n
convention of q political party. For
hours the vast assembly did little but
stand on its feet and cheer and sing
patriotic songs. Old Jesse Grant. father
of the general, stood near the front OF
the stage, the tears coursing down his
cheeks, witnessing the gloritication of
his son. Fenton and Wilson We're both
prominently in the race for the vice
presidential race. and there was much
soreness over the nomination of Colfax.
and not a few were pleased with that
gentleman's subsequent humiliation.
A STRUGGLE OF GIANTS.
The Democratic convention in 1865
was the scene of grand struggle be-
| tween such giants of the party as Sey-
mour, Pendleton, Reverdy, johnson
| Packer, Doolttle, Hendricks, Blair, and
| Salmon p. Chase, who had accepted the
| platform and cut loose from his old
| friends. August Belmont spent $4,000,
1t Is said, to accomplish the nomination
| of Hancock. Seymour was honestly a
supporter of Chase and protested
against the use of his name, but destiny
had marked him for defeat by Grant.
| In the twenty-second ballot Pendleton
cast the vote of Ohio for SeymourA and
the grand nominating rush of states
| followed.
The Republican convention of 1872
was little more than an endorsement of
the administration, but it was amid
tremendous enthusiasm which fairly
Music. In Philadelphia when the
| "Galena Tanner and the "Natick
Cobbler" We're replaced in nomination.
This was the year OF the Liberal Ret
publican upheavel. Horace Greeley
and b. Gratz Brown had been nominat-
ed at Cincinnati and were certain to be
endorsed by the Democrats. There
were strong protests against the policy
| Of the administration, and especially
against the immediate advisers of Grant
The Cincinnati convention was one Of
the widest enthusiasm. Many men who
had been high in the councils Of the
Republican party were the foremost
figures Of the great assembly. and they
congratulated themselves that the
Grant ring" was about to be snapped
| in pieces. Bayard. now Minister to
England, was the only prominent mem-
ber Of the Democratic convention at
Baltimore which endorsed the Cincin-
| natl platform and candidates, who at
tempted to stem the tide Of Greeley, but
he was summarily sQuelched. Penn
sylvania cast the majority of her vote
for jeremiah Black, but 1t was Wallace,
| nftarwarl SanDfOr who finally n1nval RI
make the nomination of Greeley and
Brown unanimous. The scenes attend
ing the nominations at Cincinnati were
| SO inspiring that the mass of the
Democrats would hear of nothing but
| endorsement of the ticket and platform.
| Probably no other nominations We're
ever supported by such a brilliant
array of editorial talent. Reid, Mcclure,
Watterson, Halstead. White, Bowles,
Washington, Mclean and other great
editors of the day joined their mighty
forces to accomplish the election of the
Sage of Chappaqua," but the stars had
written it otherwise. A small wing of
the Democratic party met at Louisville
| in September and nominated Charles
O'Connor and John Quincy Adams. and
a Labor Reform party nominated Judge
David Davis and Joel Parker, at Col
umbus,. but these tickets scarcely
caused ripple in the tremendous cam
paign waged over Grant and Greeley,
and which resulted in the defeat of the
great editor and in his death of heart
break.
THE FIGHT OF &c.
In 1875 there was a strong feeling. in
favor Of the nomination of Grant for q
third term, but this was dlssipated long
before the Republican convention met
at Cincinnati in June, and party affec-
tions We're divided between Blaine and
COnkling, with numerous favorite sons
in the background. 1t was the contest
between the two brilliant leaders trans
ferred from the halls Of congress to the
floor of the political convention. That
Blaine had the great delegate as well
as the popular following no one denied
Conkling could not control the delega-
ton from his own state. Cameron was
able to divert the vote Of Pennsylvania
from Blaine only by securing instruc-
tions for Hartranft. Bristow, as an
"anti-boss' Republican. had strong
following. Oliver p. Morton. Logan
Hayes, Evarts, Morgan. Wheeler
sons trailed along. their hope based
upon probable breakdown of the lead.
erS.
On the very Sunday previous to the
meeting of the convention, and when
nearly all Of the delegates were on the
ground. Blaine was stricken down while
on his way to church with something
closely akin to apopleXy, and his adher.
ents and opponents alike were gloomy
and sympathetic. Later reports of the
, favorable condition of the patient re.
vived the Blaine enthusiasm and the
Blaine antagonism and on Monday the
fight was as intense as though The
hand of disease had not touched tht
man from Maine.
Edward Mcpherson, who died trag glC
, death at his Pennsylvania home few
months ago, was made permanent
, chairman of the convention. The mos
sensational episode of the convention
was the almost riot that followed. Nc
Pherson's ruling in the case of Penn
IL Ii,