Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-14

roe were nominated by the scQueEebstvua.
caucus method. In 1924 though there was
only one party, there were six candidates
John Quincy Adams, Andrew jackson.
Henry Clay. William A. Crawford. John Y.
Calhoun and De Witt Clinton. All OF these
were nominated by their home legislatures,
and Crawford, whose very name has now
been almost forgotten. was Endorsed by
the congressional caucus but Jonn
Quincy Adams was the winner at the polls.
In 1923 Andrew Jackson was nominated.
first by the Tennessee legislature and later
by the legislature of Kentucky, while John
Quincy Adams was made the opposing can
didate by common consent and the In
dorsement of various bodies, none OF which
were national in character.
Strictly speaking the first national poiitt-
cal convention was held in 1880 by the
anti-Masonic party; DELEGATES from only ,aay
the party held second convention and
nominated William Writ. In the same year
the national republicans, afterward known
as wings. held national convention and
named Henry Clay. The first really eff
Gent and well-organized national nominate
ing convention was held by the democrats
in 1882, and 1t nominated Andrew Jackson
for his second term.
It adopted the two-thirds rule. which has
been followed by the. democratic party In
its conventions ever since.
Though this rule has never been adopted
by the republicans. the essential plan OF
the democratic national convention of 1882
worked SO well that 1t has been followed
by all the national conventions held since
then.
Frempnt's Nomination.
The first national convention of the re-
publican party, as we know 1t today, was
held in 1856, two years less than half a
century ago. There was no great contest
over the nominee, John c. Fremont being
named on the first ballot and receiving 359
votes to 1856 for his chief and now forgot
ten contestant Justice Mclean. 1t was In
that convention that the name of Lincoln
was first heard In the east; it was mem
toned when nominations for the vice presi-
dency were In order, and 1t ELECTED the IA
nous inquiry, Lincoln? Lincoln? Who
is he?"
1t is believed by many readers, no doubt
that the national republican convention
this year will be unlike most of its pre-
decessors, because its work may be pre-
dicted with something approaching GER
ta1nty but this is not the case. There was
a spirited contest in 1890 though Lincoln
won on the third ballot; but there was no
real contest in 1885, In 1864 the name of
Lincoln was the only one thought of seri-
Dusty Tor moment by the republicans,
and in 1868 Grants nomination was so
much of foregone conclusion as Roose-
velts can possibly be now In 1872 the
convention was merely a formality-a sort
OF rati1cation meeting, for Grant was
again the unquestioned choice of his party,
In 1875 and 1880, however, the republi-
can national conventions were scenes of
real struggle. Blaine was the leading
candidate in 1876, and Robert G. Ingersoll,
I'LL then unknown, named him in the
"Plumed knight" speech which made the
orator famous in a day, but failed of max
ing Blaine the nominee, because 1t being
late IN the afternoon and the lighting ap-
paratus OF the hall out of order, the con-
vention had to adjourn till the next day
Then, on the seventh ballot, Hayes was
nominated and Blaine suffered his first
great defeat.
The Most Exciting.
The convention of 1880 was undoubtedly
the most exciting and the most bitterly
contested in the history Of the republican
party. 1t was in that convention that the
famous 3O6, voted solidly and steadily for
Grant through thirty-six ballots. Garfield
winning on the thirty-seventh.
In 1884, Swhen Blaine was finally nomi-
mated, and when Theodore Roosevelt made
MS nrst appearance at national conyen-
ton, the work of the convention was far
from being cut and dried Blaine Arthur.
Edmunds, Logan and Sherman all being
candidates, but only four ballots were
needed and there was only one really ex-
citing day. There were stiff contests too
In the conventions Of 1888 and 1892 both Of
which bodies named Benjamin Harrison,
but no one doubted who would be the can
didate either in 1896 or 1900
The first long and bitter contest in ma
tional convention came in the nominating
gathering of the democrats in 1852, when il
took forty-nine ballots to place Franklin
Pierce in nomination. That same year the
wings had a dreadful time in their conver-
ton, fifty-thrce ballots and five days being
consumed in putting General Winfield
Scott's name on the presidential ticket In
1886, when the newly born republican party
held its first national convention most
peaceably, the democrats had another red
hot gathering, requiring fifteen ballots for
the nomination of Buchanan.
But the banner year for turbulent national
nominating conventions was 1860. The re-
publicans held their convention at Chicago
and got along with only three ballots
Lincoln's opponents, however, held five
separate conventions-one in Charleston
one In Richmond and three in Baltimore
Fifty-seven ballots were taken at Charles
ton without result, and on the tenth day
the gathering adjourned to meet later at
Richmond. and still later at Baltimore.
Since 1860 the bitterest democratic con-
vention was the one that nominated Bryan
in 1896, but of that convention. like the one
four years later, when Bryan was again the
candidate. 1t is too late to write news and
too early to write history"