Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-05-28

,-.,..,--a--rNHE presidential conven-
flInl1llnn lions are near at hand,
Y" M and the voice of the
~ III platform maker, both
professional and ANA
" m teur, is again heard In
,..,rrSrrrrn the land. At such
S,ss.-as'-''II time il may be inter-
,,,c IN recall briefly some OF the plat
Inns adopted by the two great polit-
''aI norties in the past, together with
1.y NJ the less important ones belong
~. 70 the other political divisions.
,rbe wear 1860 was a great year for
,.,tIes and platforms In view Of the
'.otlonal aspect OF the political situa-
Ian It is not likely that the northern
Lament OF the Democratic party would
..ye chosen Charleston as Its conyen-
"or city. but the location had been
o,.d four years before. The conven-
,,on assembled April 2S and at once
onnofnted a platform committee one
,nsn,ber from each state. 1t was agreed
,hat no ballot for candidates should be
,otsn until the platform had been fixed.
IN AprU q three platforms were re-
,crted-the southern, the Douglas and
,hs Butler The southern platform
contained seven resolutions and the
nouelas six. Four OF both were alike
and advocated protection OF citizens at
home and abroad; approved Pacific
,o,lroad, favored the acquisition OF
ruba and condemned any attempt to
dpteat the executioni Of the fugitive
saye law. The distinctive southern
resolutions were 10 the effect that con-
ress could not prohibit slavery In a
territory and that the question of slav-
cry could only be settled by a state The
other Douglas resolutions declared that
the Democratic doctrines Of the past
were Interchangeable" but that the par
~ would abide by the decisions Of the
United states supreme court. The
northern delegates were willing TO ac-
cent the bred Scott decision tempo
rarily, but the southern element wanted
the party 10 accept II for all time to
come. The Butler platform was the
same as that OF 1850. 1t was ignored.
The Douglas document was adopted by
A free state majority, The minority
was the slave state vote, with oregon,
California and part Of Pennsylvania
and New Jersey. on the following day
the southern delegates withdrew, to re-
assemble at Richmond on June II. The
original convention adopted the two
thirds rule and began to ballot. But
the convention, though It had accepted
the platform, could not then make UP
It's mind to indorse its chief exponent
II adjourned, to meet again at Balti-
more on June IS, There II nominated
stephen A, Douglas of Illinois to lead
the ticket Some time afterward the
national committee chose Herschel V.
johnson OF Georgia for his running
mate. on June 20 the separatlsts at
Richmond adopted the southern plat
form and nominated John C. Breckln-
ridge Of Kentucky and Joseph Lane OF
oregon,
May OF that same year the Constl-
tutional Union party, the northern rem.
nant Of the Wings, met at Baltimore
and nominated John Bell of Tennessee
and Edward Everett Of Massachusetts
The platform denounced platforms IN
general and asserted that patriotism
should recognize only the constitution,
union OF states and the enforcement OF
law 1t carried Kentucky, Tennessee
and Virginia.
The Republican platform for that
year. adopted at Chicago May 10, was
much like the document OF the previous
campaign, though II dropped the con-
junction Of polygamy and slavery, de-
manded homestead law and protec-
lion for domestic manufactures and de-
nounced threats Of secession. Il also
reaSserted It's opposition 10 slavery, to
the repeal Of the Missouri compromise
and the refusal 10 admit Kansas as
free state. It declared for a Pacific
railroad. It's candidates - Abraham
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