The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-02
CONVENTIONS OF9HEPAS1
Features of Democratic National
Gatherings Since 1882.
Candidates Informally Selected Pre-
vious to That Time - The Two
lus VI. saunders, OF North Caro-
lima - Some Memorable Contests.


ticn will be the twentieth in the history o
the party. The first was held in Balti
more, on May IL. 1882. Previous to tina
| time, says the New York Evening Post,
each party informally selected its mos
| conspicuous man as a candidate for the
Presidency. or choice OF nominee wa:
made by a caucus of the party's member.
in Congress or in the various State Legs
latures
The Convention OF 1882 was summoned
not for the purpose of nominating canci-
date for the Presidency. for Jackson, ther
near the close of his first term, was the
accepted candidate of his party, but te
nominate a candidate for the Vice Presi-
dency. whom Old Hickory had already de-
terinined should be Martin Van Buren,
When it assembled, the greatest inequal-
ity was found to exist. Some States had
sent but single d legate while others,
which happened TO be near the place OF
meeting, were represented by ten, twenty.
or fifty men.
To remedy this Romulus NJ. Saunders. OF
North Carolina, now unknown to fame. but
in his day a prominent politician, moved
that the delegates should cast the votes
of their States as a unit, and that each
State should have a representation double
the number of its Senators and Represel>
tatives in Congress. To this unit rule, a
perfectly fair one under the circumstances
Saunders added resolution that no candi-
date should be nominated without a two
thirds majority. These resolutions were
.x,s
mated for the Vice Presidency
Van Rurcn and Jobn,on
IT., ,, n.,. ,.,,
u "''e Na.at
Vehtion was also heiu IN Baltimore. II
met on May 90 1895, eighteen months be-
fore the election and Van Buren whnsa
o.,a;s,o,. -, =. =,
Al AoA' Gnu
PREPARATION was nominated LOT PRESIDENT
On tne hrst pailot. hichard NJ. Johnson: OF
hen.ueky' was made the nominee tor wee
rIesiueht. ffopaDiy I"f pruuehtiai reasons
poSslDIs Oh account CT lack Oh harmony
tHe Convention aooptsu no PLATFORM.
Inc tara democratic NATIONAL Com
'ehton' neid IN ba!t,noIe on nay D. ieto'
ieHoihihateu van pufen' ou. ii,aue no hoii.
NATION ior Niee iIesiIeH.' oo teaNins nat
10 .ne several states IN 1919, an. asaIn
III i'fo, ho!iiuius sauhoe,s came toi "'iu
with MS two-thnds RUE, ana IL was
adopted, as there was no opposition to
van buren nomination upon e!ther occa-
sion. an poth OF ,hese conventions. nov
a"'p'ion VI lne wv .hiius rue "as iot
~ We ~ es oinu'Ns upon any 'uo-
-, .o On, e".ioi'
Wneh or eaiie arounu anu the Deih-
.aAe 4,a',onai oou,eh'.on aeain assei IN
:. -, $50 ~. r D., d.. "a 80
io-;,v 81 ~ ;-s,r,,..as Saier..as ,o- -.
pn-,;r.,,o, I've. U pill e Ill
data Co.. 40 VI pr,.;saro, a., II,
con tbar limos y, his div baa =, ,ho
uarmi,ayo axa-,ad oil Nc ino,,a,na Co.
Van pu-en and pail prt rho arnax..ion
of Texas was the burning jssne of the
hour. and Van Buren, had EXPRESSED his
opposition TO it.
Moreover. there had been developed In
New York some hostility TO him, and some
of the politicians in that State we're de-
te-mined TO bea; him. Thus the ques-
tior with the annexationists and the
other enemies OF Van Buren, in the Con-
yention was. how can he be defeated?'
Romulus Saunders again introduced his
Two thirds rule, and IN spite OF the fact
that Van Buren, had majority of the
Convention instructed for him, it was
adopted. Its adoption assured Van Buren's
oeteat-
but neither Sass' 'ohhsoh no, buchanan
'he o.heF PROMINENT cahoioa'es, couia
coihpe. suuoess. anu aAtei d .nies uayS
struggle ali three were Du' aside and the
nomination gwen 10 fois, VINO hau aspired
Si,.s wrigh, Van R,ren.e cIoeev, friand
was the Conventions choice for second
place On the ticket. but his declination to
accept leu 10 lne selection Oh george NJ.
@ VI i,ania. rom ie11 10 the
rantinns ~. go. hr ~ rnit o NO, IN
the two-thiras rule. and these have nads |
and marred the fortunes of many candi- |
date.
1t is matter OF historical record that in |
his Cabinet appointments and in the mea- |
sures which he favored Polk had an eye |
10 his own denomination; but his self-seek-
ing led him to make the fatal blupder oe |
himself closely with one of the |
warning factions of the New York Demo- |
tracy On this ground IL was manifas, ia |
he prudsnt long befora tho Da,nocr..io |
>ra.,a,aI Con,.arti. -. p.,.i. -,
70 80 ~, 81 s... {, VI hay
10 rrse,ion ,nd ho 49,.
nc nc, e1e r,l a,'u nc thei was pu.
l:i ass; oi Mishigan' woodbury., OF
Wv i"inpsnie. anu buchanan, Oh fehh-
'yHania. eacH hau cohsioefaDie follow
ne when the convention opened, but Cass
"as the favorlte from the FIRST. and on the
ourth ballot received the votes of more
han two-thirds of the delegates. With
lin was nominated Gen. William o. But
er, OF Kentucky. for Vice President.
The Stormy Convention of 1S,o.
, 5..,, 49,. +, a. D..
" A'''e "''. '' 'H' Deiioei" 'i' wa
lonai convention hein at baltimore on
une /, 1852. There were four prominent
andidates. Cass. Buchanan. Marcy. an.
,ougIes Cass. candidacy wss bur5erea