The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-02

This he agreed to do. but failed to appea
at the critical moment. and the anti-Haye
Republicans. thus left without a leader fel
, back to their party lines and gave the vot
, of the State and the Presidential certifl
| cate to Hayes.
The Democratic National Convention o
1850 was held on June 2. at Cincinnati
Daniel Dougherty, who had journeyed t,
Cincinnati solely as spectator. at tn,
twelfth hour obtained the proxy Of Penn
sylvana delegate. and presented the nam,
of Gen. Winfield S. Hancock in speech
of such beauty and iimpressiveness tha
it swept the Convention off it's feet anC
Hancock was nominated on the first bal
lot He had not majority when the bal
lot closed. but changes made before the
result was announced gave him the requi.
site two-thirds vote. With him was NOM
mated William II. English of Indiana fol
Vice President.
The First Cleveland Convention.
An interesting and peTrlexing condition
of affairs confronted the Democratic Ma
tional Convention held at Chicago on July
S, 1854. Whom to nominate for President
was a problem difficult of solution. Til
dens failing health forbade his candidacy
|
Convention he announced that he could
not accept a nomination. There were nu-
merous entries in the race that followed,
including Bayard, Mcdonald, Thurman,
| Carlisle, Hoadley. and Randall, but all
! these veteran leaders were put aside for
man who four years before had been
practically unknown outside of his own
town. In 1852 Grover Cleveland. while
Mayor OF Buffalo, was elected Governor of
New York by plurality Of 10000, due
almost entirely to a bitter factionaI fight
| within the Republican party. The very
| prodigality of this majority fastened upon
MN the eyes OF his party. and caused DAN
| lei Manning to fix upon him as the most
/ available candidate for the Presidential
| nomination.
Manning began the canvass which he
hoped would result in Cleveland's nomina-
ton Immediately after the latter's inau-
guration as Governor. This canvass was
conducted with great secrecy. but great
| Skill, and in less than a year powerful
combinations had been effected with the
Democratic leaders in most of the South
ern States. Moreover, Manning contrived
by the adoption of the unit rule. to carry
the New York delegation solid for Cleve-
land, though Tammany stoutly opposed
him. THUS it became evident at an early
stage OF the Convention that Cleveland
would be the nominee. All that was need
ed to ensure this result was the aid of the
friends Of Randall, who had q delegation
from his own State strongly committed to
his support, but whose pronounced pro-
lection views made him ineligible for the
nomination.
Randall. summoned by telegraph. reached
| Chicago on the morning of the last day OF
the Convention, and, after brief confer
ence with Manning. passed the word to his
friends to support Cleveland. That set
tied the contest. More than two-thirds of
the delegates voted for Cleveland on the
second and final ballot: and his nomina-
ton was made unanimous on motion of
Thomas A. Hendricks who was subsequent
ly named for Vice President.
The Democratic National Convention
held in st. Louis on June I, 1888, met to
register purpose fully agreed upon in
advance. President Cleveland was re-
nominated by practically unanimous
vote. and second place on the tickle. was
given, without dissenting voice, to Allen
G. Thurman. of Ohio. But if the second
Cleveland Convention was perfunctory
affair. the one which met at Chicago en-
June 81. 1892. was marked by desperate
and acrimonious strife.
Cleveland was a third time put forward
as candidate, but, strong with the peo-
pie. he was also weak with the politi al
leaders. The delegation from his own
State Of New York was solIdly and bit. erly
opposed to him, and had majority Of tie
delegates from other States followed their
irclinations he would have been defeated !
Test votes were carefully avoided and /
Cleveland handled as a singie-ballot cardi- |
date, who, il not nominated at first would !
not be nominated at all. Held firmly to |
this line Of action By Whitney's strategy. !
the Convention sat at night and far On |
in the morning hours when Cleveland re- !
cefved Gil votes. just ten more than were !
needed to nominate him. Had he rot |
been nominated on that ballot his defeat |
would have been certain ard as it was |
the nomination of Adiai E. Stevenson, OF !
Illinois. tor Vice President was made over
his friends.
The Convention of 1890.
The latest Democratic National Conven-
tion is of such recent occurrence as to be
fresh in the minds of all. It was held at
Chicago on July I. 1896. and continued its
sessions through five days, nominating
William ]. Bryan. of Nebraska for Presi-
dent. and Arthur SewaIl, of Maine, fer Vice
President. upon a free silver platform.
Bryan's nomination was the issue OF long
and spirited struggle between a number
OF candidates. in which at the beginning
Richard p. Bland. OF Missouri. had the
best position Bryan made his first impress
sion on the Convention at the third days
session, when, owing to the Illness OF the
chairman CT the Committee on Platform. he
was assigned to make the closing argu-
ment in support of the committees report
brilliant speechmaker, OF the class espec-
tally admired in the South and West. his
oraticn, full Of striking metaphor, held his
twenty thousand hearers spellbound.
As the last period fell from Bryan's lips.
you shall not press down upon the brows
OF labor this crown of thorns; you shall
not cruelty mankind upon cross of gold"
there was an instant's hush, and then a
storm burst forth whose fury seemed to
sweep everything before 1t. Thunderous
cheers rent the air, while hats, flags,
and everything else that
could be thrown alOft or waved wildly
were brought into use
Bedlam reigned for many minutes, and
even after en- enforced rlull it broke forth
atresh at every mention of Bryan's name
IN the following day. when the ba!lo.ing
began. the weaker candidates dropped cut c
me by ore. their broken support dividing
tself between Bland and Bryan, till, after
he fourth ballot, the announcement was I
made that Bryans total had risen 10 $50 I
'otes against BANDS 24l. Then followed I
stampede to Bryan, which ended in his /
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