The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-05-23

Frank j. Warne in Philadelphia Ledger.
The coming national convention of
the Republican party, to be held In
this city in June, will be the twelfth
in the history of that party. The
first was held in this city, June 1, 1858.
John C. Fremont, of California. and
William l.. Dayton, of New Jersey.
were nominated for president and vice.
president respectively.
The first national convention of any
political party in the United States
was held in this city in September,
1880, by the -Masons. There were
present ninety-six delegates, repre-
senting ten of the twenty-four states
then in the Union. Without making
nominations, the body called a second
convention, to meet in Baltimore in
September of the year following. At
this convention William Wirt,of Mary
land, was nominated for president. and
Amos Ellmaker of Pennsylvania, for
vice. president. The initiative was
followed by the national Republican
party. which also met in Baltimore in
December of the same year. Its nomi-
Sees were Henry Clay, of Kentucky
for president, and John Sergeant, of
Pennsylvania, for vice president. A
national convention of young Repub-
llcans in Washington in May of the
year following, endorsed the nomina-
tion of Clay. 1t also passed a set of
resolutions-the first platform of prin-
ciples adopted by any national con-
vention. Baltimore was also the place
of holding the first national Democrat
ic convention. 1t met in May 1892,
concurred in the repeated nominations
of Andrew Jackson, of Tennessee, for
reelection to the presidency, and
nominated Martin Van Buren, of New
York, for the vice. presidency.
NO NOMINATIONS IN FIRST FOUR
ELECTIONS.
Prior to the election of 1882, with the
exception of the first four elections,
presidential candidates We're presented
by congressional caucus and by eau
cuses of state legislatures. In the first
election, that of 1889, there were no
formal nominations, in fact no nomi-
mating machinery was in operation
until the election of 1904. Political
parties as we now know them had not
come into existence at the time of the
first election, and what parties differ
ence Of opinion had given rise to were
agreed upon, making George Washing
ton, of Virginia, the chief executive OF
the new government. His services to
the country in the hour of it's greatest
need had been so conspicuous that
there was a general understanding he
was to be its first president. He re-
Ccived every electoral vote cast, being
the only president in our history TO be
so honored. Washington and Adams
were reelected in 1892 without formal
nomination, Washington again receiv-
ing every electoral vote cast.
Washington's refusal to serve a third
term marks conspicuously the working
of those forces which gave to us nomi-
mating machinery. He was the only
statesman who could be unanimously
elected to the high Office OF president
and when he was no longer to be con-
sdered for that position the leaders at
once became divided in choosing his
successor. In the election of 1895 tbs
electors voted for thirteen men--no
distinction being made at that time in
the votes cast for president and those
for -president-the five highest be-
ing Adams with II votes. Thomas JEFF
ferson 6S, Thomas Pinckney 50. Aaron
Burr so and Samuel Adams Is. This
resulted in the election of John Adams,
a Federalist, for president, and Jeffer-
son, q Republican, for vice-president.
Such a state of affairs is impossible
now through an amendment to the
constitution.
THE RISE OF PARTIES.
Since Washington's first term two
political parties had been forming
along well defined, but opposing prn-
ciples OF government. The first i'm
petus to the formation of these parties
grew out of the quarrel between Ham
ilton and Jefferson, both members of
Washington's cabinet, the former as
secretary oil the treasury and the lat
ter as secretary of state. BY the
election of 1900 these parties were con-
testing with each other for control of
the government through the election
of one of their number as president.
Each party soon found necessary some
means for settling disputes among
themselves as TO the presidential can
didate. In the Federalist party there
was strong element opposed to the
reelection OF Adams. To overcome
this OPPOSITION a secret meeting Of the
party leaders, who were usually mem
bers of congress, was held at the capi-
tol. No formal nominations were
made, In the same year the Republi-
cans in the senate and house also
found party conditions such as to ne
cessitate a conference OF the leaders,
the conditions being opposition to
Aaron Burr for vice president The
Republicans were united on Thomas
Jefferson, Of Virginia, for the presl-
dency.
THE CAUCUS SYSTEM.
These secret meetings in 1900 paved
the way for the introduction of the
caucus system of nominating candi-
dates for president and vice-president.
The caucus was as old as the charters
OF many of the original thirteen states.
1T was through the agency of eau
cuses," says Professor John Bach Nc
Master, in his history Of the people OF
the United States. that the revolu-
tion was begun, that the first congres.
was assembled, that independence was
declared, that the confederation wa.
formed, that war was carried on, that
the way was made ready for the fran.
ing OF the constitution. And it was
by the caucus that Hamilton sought
TO defeat Adams" In writing on the
caucus system of nominating candi.
dates the same writer says: I'm
many of the states the custom of Sc.
lecting the party candidates in a eau.
Gus OF the party members OF the legis-
lature was not unknown. But not till
1904 was the custom formally applied
to the selection Of candidates for fed.
eral offices. In that year few of the
Republican senators and representa-
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