Evening star., 1896-07-07
DE DEMOCRATICBAllOTS
Work of the Conventions of That
Party
FROM 1882 TO THE PRESENT YEAR
Men Named at These Gatherings
Elected and Defeated.
M z NJ o e A B e B A T T L E S

The convention that meets in Chicago to-
day is the eighteenth that has been held
in the history of the democratic party
Three of the sixteen conventions preced-
ing. however, were held in the same year,
being the result of factional fights and diff
ferences in the party in 1860, and there was
a boIting convention in 1872, so that the
convention of 1896 is really the fifteenth
quadrennial gathering of the democrats of
the country. The first gathering of the
men of democratic faith was in 1892 which
was the first year when presidential cam
GIdates were nominated by the convention
method. There was common consent
among democrats that Andrew Jackson
should be reelected President, and his
nomination was the purest formality. The
convention was held in Baltimore and was
really called for the purpose of naming
"Old Hickory's'' running mate, Martin Van
Buren,, who was nominated the first
ballot, receiving ms votes to 40 for Bar
bour and 70 for Johnson. Jackson and Van
Buren, were elected, defeating Henry Clay
and John Sargeant.
In 1876 Baltimore was again the scene of
the democratic convention and Martin Van
BLren was nominated Tor the presidency
Wlth6 ut opposition, with Richard NJ. john
sen OF Kentucky as his political compau-
ion- This ticket was elected triumphantly
over four other tickets placed in the field
by state nominations. the presidential cam
didateS including William Henry Harrison
and Daniel Webster.
Again in 1910 the democrats named Van
Buren by acclamation, but made no NOM
nation for Vice President. The wings
ram4d William Henry Harrison and John
Tyler. and they were elected by an over
whelning vote
The First Fight.
The first real contest for ba
among the democrats came in 1914. the con-
vention being held again in Baltimore with
Van Buren, as the favorite against the
field, and with majority of the votes
pledged for him. The two-thirds rule how
ever, operated then, as several times since
to defeat the favorite, for Van Buren's
strength was greatest at the start and
gradually dwirdled. The first ballot gave
MIN li3, CaSS. So, Buchanan, 4; Johnson,
"a From that time Van Buren's vote di-
minished, scarcely without interruption,
and CaSS strength increased. On the sew
enth ballot Van Buren, had 30 to 123 for
Cass, - for Buchanan and II for Johnson.
1t looked though Cass would be nom
IL ated on the next ballot, but a combina-
ton was formed with the votes cast for
Buchanan and johnson as a nucleus In
favor of James X. Polk of Tennessee and
on the eighth ballot he received "A votes
to 104 for Van Buren and ia for CaSs.
Polk was nominated on the ninth ballot,
II fo- Cass. SiIas Wright Of New York was
nominated for the vice presidency, but de-
cliEed, and George NJ Dallas of Pennsyl-
vania was substituted. Polk and Dallas
were elected over Henry Clay and Theo-
core Frelinghuysen, who were named by
the wings.
Lewis Cass of Michigan was the favorite
at the convention of 1SiS, also held at Bal
timore, and he was nominated on the
fourth ballot over Buchanan and Wood
bury. William o. Butler of Kentucky was
named for second place The wings named
Zachary Taylor of Louisiana and Millard
Fillmore of New York, who received 163
electoral votes to 12I for Csss and Butler.
The Great Struggle of 1852.
Again Lewis Cass was the favorite
against the field in 1882 the convention
of that year being held once more at Bal
timore. Cass' principal opponent was
James Buchanan, while Stephen A. Doug
lass and William L. Marcy were his pow
erful competitors On the first ballot
Cess received 116 votes. Buchanan o2,
Marcy -. For twenty-nine ballots CaSs
strength ebbed away. Buchanan fiuctuated
at about even rate from So to 1O4
Douglass gained from 20 on the first to
OIL on the twerty-ninth ballot. while Mar
cy's strength emphatically remained un-
changed. Then Cass began to show signs
of reviving as the favorite, and on the
thirty-first ballot he had G votes to "A
for Buchanan, ~ for Douglass and 20 for
Marcy. on the thirty-second ballot Cass
had g3, Buchanan ~, Douglass 50, Marcy
26 and Franklin Pierce of New Hampshire,
who had before been unmentioned as
presidential possibility, received one vote,
which left him on the thirty-third ballot,
while Cass' strength Sprang up to 123,
Buchanan dropped to IS and Douglass fell
to %. 1t seemed as though the Michigan
man would take the prize From that
point on Buchanan and Douglass lost their
hold on the convention. while Marcy forged
ahead. and a triangular fight was soon de-
veloped between Cass. Marcy and Pierce.
1t looked as though Marcy would be the
winning man, but gradually Cass' strength
was thrown tC Pierce, who was NOM
mated on the forty-ninth ballot. receiving
d. votes tc = for Cass and for Douglass
William r. King of Alabama was named
for Vice President, and this ticket was
successful. defeating Winfield Scott and
William A. Graham, named by the wings.
buchanan Nominated.
The persistency with which Buchanan's
friends stood by him in the great fight
of 1852 made him the leader four years
afterward, and at the beginning of the
convention, which was held in Cincinnati
he led the field. the first ballot giving him
135 votes to 122 for Pierce. So for Douglass
and . for Cass- Pierce, notwithstanding
his great vote, soon ceased to become an
important factor in the balloting, and his
strength ebbed away to Douglass. The
sixteenth ballot gave Buchanan 16S, Doug
u
situation seemed to lie with Douglass, but
between ballots one of those peculiar COM
binations formed that often mark
the course of political conventions, and
en- the seventeenth ballot James Buchanan
of Pennsylvania received the entire vote
of the convention. John e. Breckenridge
of Kentucky was named with HIM. and
these men were elected President and Vice
President over John c. Fremont and WILL
lam l.. Dayton. who We're named by the
republicans, and Millard Fillmore and An
drew ]. Donaldson, nominated by the
American party.
The Charleston Convention.
The year 1860 was memorable in party
politics for the unprecedented fight at
Charleston, where the democratic conven-
ton was held, without reaching a result.
The slavery issue had divided the party
into two bitter factions, those who radi-
cally favored the maintenance of slavery
Ut all hazards and those who took con-
Servative view of the question and advised
more tolerant force toward the north.
Stephen A. douglass of Illinois was by far
the favorite- on the first ballot he COM
manded 1IJ to 80 for Guthrie, AZ for
Hunter, - for Johnson and others scat
tered Fifty-seven ballots were taken with
out result. Douglass strength had re-
manned practically stationary, while Guth-
RES had gone up to 65. The men who held
the balance of power were stubborn and re-