The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-06-12


which met at Chicago on May 20, 1858,
mere matter OF form. There was not d
dissenting voice to his selection IN the
entire convention. However, considerable
Interest and excitement attached 10 the
choice OF q candidate for Vice President.
The names OF Ben Wade, Beuben q.
Fenton. and Schuyler Colfax were pro-
scented, and each had strong and able
supporters, the friends OF Wade, who, as
presiding officer of tho Senate. would
have been President had johnson been
convicted on theHiimpeachn1ent CHARGES,
being especially earnest and active in his
behalf Their fight, though stubborn, was
IA hopeless one. on the fifth and final
ballot Wade had but 3s votes to BAL for
Colfax and 60 for Fenton.
A struggle over the nomination for
Vice President was also the principal
feature Of the Republican national con-
vention held In Philadelphia on June 8.
1872 Grants course as President had
arrayed against him many Of the ablcst
leaders of his party, but these. when the
philadelphia convention met, had alretdy
deserted the Republican standard to sup.
port the candidacy of Horace ,Greelc!t,
and the President was renomlnatcd Tltl +
out opposition on the first ballot. '&Sic',-S
Pres. dent Colfax was not sd fortunate.
He had suffered from il-healtf during
the preceding winter. and announced that
he would not be n candidate, but later
changed his mind and made desperate
battle to win what he had thrown away.
The tide was turned against him by the
washington correspondents who had
become ostranged from him. and on the
second ballot he was defeated by Henry
Wilson.
The First Defeat Of Blaine.
Tho Republican national convention
which assembled In Cincinnati on June il.
1876, marked the opening Of a new era in
the history of the party 1t met with an
open field, and with a stage filled by men
who had become prominent since tho
Civil War. The most conspicuous candi-,
date was James G. Blaine. who. though
still under fifty. had already gained Il
hold upon the masses equaling In warmth
and enthusiasm that enjoyed by Henry
Clay in earlier years. Other strong can
didates were Oliver r. Morton, Roscoe
Conkling and Benjamin II. Bristow. who
had been Secretary of the Treasury uii-
der Grant. Pennsylvania had a candi-
date in John II. Hartranft, and Ohio Of
fered one In Rutherford B. Hayes. All
OF the enthusiasm, however, was for
Blaine. whose plurality on the first ballot
was SO great that his friends believed
that the victory had been practically
won.
Perhaps II might have been had mot
Blaine been Ill In Washington and unable
to counsel with his friends, while shrewd
enemies were on the field, determined to
defeat him. Thus in the end combina-
ton was effected looking to the nominal
ton Of Hayes, who had the advantage
OF having entailed no personal enmities
and the prestige Of having lately defeat
ed Allen G. Thurman In desperate bait
tie for the Governorsh.p Of Ohio. Michi-
gan on the fifth ballot set the cue by
going over to Hayes. On the seventh
ballot the New York delegates agreed TO
support him. while Pennsylvania splitits
vote, giving part to Hayes and part 10
Blaine and when the result was announ-
ced Hayes had 1884 votes--fve more than.
was necessary to choice. The nomina-
ton for Vice President went almost by
default The New York delegates, who
we're in consultation for 1t, We're agreed
that the candidate should come from
that State, when some one rushed into
the room, saying: "They are going TO
nominate General Woodford." The New
York men fastened back to the hail. put
an end TO that, and named William a.
| Wheeler. who was nominated by accla-
nation.
In 1876 it was Blaine against the field,
| When the Republican national conven-
| ton met at Chicago on June 2, 1880. 1t
was Blaine against Grant. who had been
put forward for q third term. John Sher-
man was also In tho field as a possible
compromise candidate. The result was
| a battle royal In the months preceding
| the convention Blaine had taken personal
charge OF his canvass. and had organ
lied bureau that had Its ramitications
In every State and Territory. But com
plete as was Blaine's organization, that
| of Grant was more so. Tho latter had
| made his journey around the world and
returned to be greeted with an outburst
of popular enthusiasm that extended
from ocean to ocean. Conkllng, Cameron
| Carpenter and Logan had looked after
| his poltlcal interests during his absence.
| and so we'll had they done their work
! that no army corps he ever commanded
obeyed his orders more implicitly than
| did the 30S delegates pledged to his can
4, didacy. However, the Blaine forces
weakened Grants lines by preventing
the unit rule In any delegation, wherein
/ Grant lost considerable number OF
4 votes In New York. Pennsylvania, and
4 other States, Most of the abln men IN
the Republican party We're members of
4 the convention. hut It's most conspicuous
figures were Conkling and GARFIELD the
one the leader of the Grant phalanX ana
| the other the head of tho Ohio delegation
4 instructed for Sherman. Conkling pre-
| sented the name of his candidate with
\ a degree OF eloquence that was most m
| pressyes but the glbes with which his
i speech was prnctuated made an enemy
| of every friend of Blaine, and left Grant
weaker instead of stronger, eiarllela, on
the other hand, In his speech nom.nat-
4 ing Sherman, made a. moving plea for
] peace. which, with his splendid physical
I presence and extraordinary ability, PRO-
ffoundly affected the outcome of the con-
vention and his own personal fortunes.
I. The Nomination OF Garfield,
The nominating speeches We're made on
Saturday. There was a respite during
i sunday and Monday the balloting began,
4 II soon became evident that Blaine could
defeat Grant but could not nominate
himself, while Grant could defeat Blaine,
xo,, mon being the dark horse" was the
message Conkllng had sent to Garfield
at an earlier stage Of the convention, and