Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-23
MAKING A NOMINEE
HOW FRANKLIN PIERCE WAS
CHOSEN DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE
Dark Horse In the Baltimore Conven-
ton Of 1s52-Cass, Douglas
and Buchanan.

A writer in a recent Issue of the Minne-
arolis Journal recalls some interesting
"reminiscences connected with the exciting
political campaign of 1852. He says:
Some weeks ago the Journal. arguing
the futility of attempting to boom a can
didate into nomination for the presidency.
said in substance that neither Polk nor
Pierce had been the beneficiary of boom.
The Journal was literally right. But II
one concluded that the nomination of Pierce
was not the result of plan of campaign
made months before and successfully car
ried out in the national convention. he
would be mistaken.
AS thousands of men are now voters
whose fathers were unborn when Franklin
Pierce was elected President, a brief state
ment of the quite easy game played in his
behalf in June, 1852 at Baltimore. may
interest some of your readers
In 1851 and years following was a resi-
dent of Concord N. H., and of the ward in
which was the home of Gen. Franklin
Pierce. Boarding and lodging in the same
family with me was another law student,
Henry P. Rolfe, reading law In the Office Of
Pierce Minot. He was then a young
democrat. but became a republican during
the rebellion.
In 1852 the Boston morning papers used
to reach Concord about 10 o'clock am.
just after the principal morning train for
Boston had left the station. One morning
in June, 1852, Rolfe and I were at the
station when the New Hampshire delegates
to the democratic national convention took
the Boston train on their way to Baltimore.
where the convention was to be held. and
as the train pulled out Rolfe asked me,
while we walked back and forth on the
outside platform, who 1 thought would be
nominated at Baltimore. L answered:
Either Lewis Cass James Buchanan or
mi A
Which one of them, do you think?"
Buchanan" said l.
'Why?" asked Rolfe
I gave some reasons. and then returned
be ~
Franklin PIERCE said he You may be
sure made some exclamation of incredu-
| lily, to which he replied: Let me tell you
what know. and you will see why I think
So"
Plan Of the Generals.
He then proceeded to recall what every
body knew that the three candidates had
named were sure to be presented to the
convention; that they would probably have
about equal initial strength among the del
| egates and would be supported with about
equal sincerity and persistence; that one
| after the other each Of the three would
! gain the votes of some delegates from the
other two: that probably in that way each
| of the three would, on some ballots, re-
| ceive a simple ma jority of the votes but
not the requisite two-thirds. Then" said
Rolfe, when the friends of each are fully
| satisfied that their favorite cannot be nomi-
mated they will all be ready for a new cam
| didate.''
What good will that do Frank Pierce?
1 broke in.
DO you remember the visits of some
Mexican war generals to Concord last
year," he went on.
i remembered them. They were Gems
Pillow Of Tennessee, Clingman Of North
Carolina, Quitnian and Jefferson Davis Of
Mississippi, and Gushing of Massachusetts,
and perhaps one or two others whom do
| not now recall They were there in August,
went to the beaches and the mountains
| with their friend. and comrade, Gen. Pierce,
| in October. had met most of them per-
sonally at one time or another.
you know continued Rolfe, at passed
as mere accidental meeting in Boston of
the southern gentlemen on their several
ways to northern summer resorts, to whom
1t then occurred that If Pierce and Cushing
would join them 1t would add to their en-
/ joyment. 1t was a mere chance meeting
OF friends for vacation. But they fixed
up all the arrangements to make Frank
Pierce the democratic nominee for Presi-
dent, and they IRE assembling at Baltimore
this week to play the parts agreed on last
year. All of those generals but Pierce will
| be In the convention. They are we'll known
party leaders. They do not all favor the
same one of the big three at first. They
all speak well of all three. They will con-
| spicuously try to secure two-thirds of the
convention for one or the other of the three,
but their influence, though strong enough
| to give one after the other majority. will
somehow always fail to bring together two
| thirds for either. When the convention be-
| gins to get tired and delegates are asking
whom, then, can We nominate, and names
are getting mentioned, then Gen. Is
to nominate Gen. Franklin Pierce of New
Hampshire. and Gen. - is to second the
nomination. Other generals and others
| besides the generals will join them, and
Pierce will be the nominee"
Pillow and Clingman.
Rolfe told me the names of the generals,
Pillow and Clingman, who were to nomi-
nate Gen. Pierce. but I do not remember
which one was to lead Off
There are two chances to lose the game
by a mistake of judgment" said Rolfe.
Zone is by bringing in Pierce's name too
soon. If his name Is talked of while the
friends of either Cass, Douglass or Buchan-
an have any hope of success, they will
hold perces friends responsible for the
favorite's defeat, and they will in revenge
defeat our plan. The other possible way
to lose is to bring in the name of Pierce
too late. Some other party or combina-
ton of politicians may have the very same
plan in hand in behalf of some other can
the right time and before us they will prob
ably win the place."
The records of the convention show that
Mr.. Rolfe said only what he knew. The
results were exactly what he expected
The work was done as it was planned
Cass, Buchanan and Douglas fought to
a standstill. Each one reached majority,
neither could get two-thirds Then some
inconspicuous delegate was told to cast
his vote for Gen. Franklin Pierce. That
turned the wind of the convention upon
him, and the generals hurriedly suggested
to delegates that he would make an adj
mirable candidate and. having found no.
body to contradict, Pillow and Clingman
spoke their impromptus and the thing was
done.
Pierce Selected.
Gen. Pierce went to Boston to await re-
suits. where the plot was yet unknown
He showed a natural interest in the bat
tie of the big three. but when at length
a vote was cast for him he was no longer
found among the politicians. When he
was formally put in nomination, messen-
gers were sent to his hotel and elsewhere,
but no one could tell where he could be