Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-18

out the speech. became Almighty roar at its
close, and the nomination Of Blaine seemed
as certain as anything human could be.
Mr.. Blaine himself explained the failure
of his nomination later in these brief words:
THE gathering shades OF evening made it
necessary to adjourn full of pathos
to those who knew the man. his grievou5
disappointment and all the circumstances
in the case. The natural thing would have
been to hold an evening session. but alas
for Blaine, there no gas in the hall
There had been some accident, it was eX-
planned but it was freely-charged after
ward that the gas was purpOSely cut Off
by some in sympathy with the anti
Blaine combination. II
At all events no evening session was
held: yet, nevertheless, the crisis was
wrought out that n ght. The friends of all
the other candidates got together in little
conferences, and determined to combine on
the most available candidate. 1t was found
that Conkling could not unite the delegates,
nor could Bristow nor could Morton be
made the standard-bearer, while it was
learned that really the Pennsylvania dele
cation did not desire to give Hartranft
more than complimentary vote. Hayes,
then, who had defeated Thurman brilliantly
for governor the year before, was the only
available man, and while it was not plan
ned to nominate him on the first ballot, 1t
was definitely agreed that he was to be the
ultimate choice.
The next mornings session was trying
one. On the first ballot Blaine had 2SJ
votes; Morton, 1874; Bristow. 113; Conkling,
99; Hayes. 81; Hartranft, IS, and Jewell of
Connecticut, II. Blanes friends took heart
of grace and believed they would yet win
out. And they might had not Blaine
been lying in bed al Washington, disabled
from sunstroke. and so unable to direct
his forces. On the next ballot Blaine and
Hayes made gains. and after that, till the
fifth. there was little change. Then Michi
gan raised Hayes vote to 104. Just before
the seventh ballot the New York delegation
retired for consultation. and agreed to sup
port Hayes. while Pennsylvania split its
vote between Hayes and Blaine. This gave
Hayes 3S4 votes. Blaine 3o1 and BriStow 81
The disappointment was intense, not only
in the convention hail. where pandemonium
reigned when the vote was announced, but
throughout the country as well.
The Longest Suspense.
The longest drawn-out convention sus-
pense since 1860 came in 1880. when Gar
field was made the republican standard
bearer That was the convention In which
the Grant wing of the party tried to put
up the hero Of Appomattox for the third
time. Grants chief opponent was Blaine
Conkling had charge Of the Grant forces.
Almost from the beginning the convention
seemed to understand that the battle was
to be fought out by these two men.
The convention began on June z. and for
d
sides were wary and bent every energy to
the task of seeing that no missteps were
made. On the third day Conklfng intro
duced a resolution calling for the obserV-
ance Of the unit rule. Had this oeen
adopted the chairman Of each state dele
CATION would have cast the entire vote OF
the delegation for one candidate. This IL
was instantly seen, would make the homi,
nation of Grant certainty. Garneid
fought It tooth and nall, defeating 1t by
GOOD majority. Then COnkling introduced
another resolution, binding every delegate
to stand by the nominee and expelling
those who would not acquieSce. This was
carried 1t was in the course of the fight
over the unit rule that Conkling sent Gar
field a penciled note: congratulate you
on being the dark HORSE And 1t was on
that day COnkling told, his. friends thae
Garfield was not lighting for Blaine out
for Garfield. -. H..
The nominations were, not. placed peiore
the Convention till Saturday, and there hao
to be a recess over Sunday. 1t was IN ms
speech naming Grant that Conkling uttered
the famous lines: . ~
When asked what state he halls from
He comes from Appomattox
And its famous apple tree
The balloting began on Monday. Grant
had 3O4 votes on the first ballot, and they
stuck to him to the last. gaining two more
before the end. thus making up the IA,
NOUS "3O6" The other candidates stood
as follows: Blaine. 2s4: Sherman, 93; Ed
munds, "a; Elihu Washburne. 30; Window
10; Garfield. /. But one OF these famous
republican war horses ex-senator Edmunos
of Vermont) is now living.
There was practically no change ior
twenty-seven ballots, when 1t was fntimated
to Conkling that if he would wlthdra"
Grants name compromise might De ar
ranged by which acknowledgement De
nominated. This proposition made Conk-
ling furious, and the voting continued mo-
notonously enough till the thrty-fourth
ballot. Then Conklings note TO Garneld
accusing him of being the dark horse.
was justified. Garfield had received one
vote. that of Galusha A. Grow of Pennsyi-
vania, on every ballot. but on the thirty
fourth Wisconsin cast Its sixteen votes LOT
him. The end was plainly visible now, ana
on the next ballot Indiana. followed by
other states. fell into the Garfield line.
All this time Garfield was himself the
most Interesting study in the hall. HIS
face was pale he sat perfectly mottonlesS,
and his eyes were downcast. Outwardly he
was entirely unmoved. Even when dele
gates seized banners and waved them over
his head, cheering unanimously, he neither
moved nor spoke, and as soon as possible
after the announcement Of the final ballot
Garfield 399 Grant, BOG; Blaine, ~; Sher-
man. She quietly got out Of the hail
Conkling maintained as superb self-mastery
as William NJ. Evarts had sixteen years
before and moved to make Garhelds nomi-
nation unanimous.
The convention at which Blaine was
finally nominated in 1884 presented no
crisis, the program. as planned, being put
through without a hitch.
The Third and Last.
The third convention crisis In which
Blaine Inquired came in 1888. when Benja-
min Harrison was nominated for the first
time This convention was held in Chicago
and there were many candidates. but the
name of Blaine. casting a peculiar spell
over the gathering. was In the way Of them
all. despite the fact that he had written a
letter from Florence. Italy, where he had
been ILL., declining to be a candidate.
Those who proposed making him the
standard bearer went about their work with
care. They planned to give all the other