Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-18
Stories Of Stampedes at Ma
tional Conventions.
ALL WE'LL PLANNED
HOW LINCOLN BEAT SEWARD BY
A NARROW MARGIN.
Three Times James G. Blaine Was
the Bone of Conten-
ton.
Copyright. 1904. by T. c. McClure.)

presidency IN lSGD was made unanimous on
the motion of William NJ. Evarts. who had
led the opposition on behalf of New York )
candidate. William H. Seward, the rail
splitter had majority oil only two and a
half votes on the third ballot. which de-
termined the choice of the convention.
There was no lack of candidates. Seward
led every one a long way on the first ballot.
as the favorite of the advanced anti-slavery
element of the party. Vermont had a can
d:date named Collamer: New Jersey had
one named Dayton: Missouri one named
Rates. All of these men have long been
forgotten by everybody save close students
of political history, and 50 has Mclean.
who divided the votes of Ohio with Salmon
Z. Chase Simon Cameron. Pennsylvania s
favorite son at that convention. Is better
remembered. yet many readers of today
will have to think bit before they can
place him.
In spite OF Stewards long lead however
he had 1917 notes.-the 1O2 votes cast COR
Lincoln on the first ballot presaged his uiti-
mate victory to many. The result was an
nounced in that moment OF dead silence
which always follows an important conven-
ton vote. but Immediately after the an
nouncement the walls OF the frail wooden
"wigwam'' in which the gathering was held
were filled with a deep-toned hum that
swarm of bees
It was hardly possible to analyze the vote
upon the instant, but Stewards friends be-
gan at once to realize that their favortte
might be defeated by the tall. ungainly
candidate from the sucker state. Down to
the announcement the Seward men had had
but the slightest doubt of the result On
the morning of the third day. when the bal
lOting was DONE they had spent so much
time parading the streets behind brass
band that when they arrived at the wig
wan every seat was occupied. and there
was some trouble in finding PSSces for
them
There was some little delay before the
calling of the roll for the second ballot was
begun, due to wrangllng over technical
matters, to which the excited delegates lis
tened with the utmost impotence, finally
cutting 1t short with peremptOry. almost
furious, cries of Call the roll! Call the
roll!' AS the second ballot progressed even
the most devoted Seward men began to per-
ceive dimly the handwriting on the wall.
for the delegates who had cast compli-
mentary votes for Collamer and Mclean
and Cameron and Bates began to gravttate
into the Lincoln column.
Soon the handwriting became palmer. At
least half of those In the wigwam were
keeping tally for themselves, and as group
after group swung into line the Lincoln
contingent welcomed them with resounding
cheers. Just after the last name was called
there was comparative quiet which became
dead silence when the secretary prepared to
announce the result.
The giving out of the figures. Seward.
1872; Lincoln. 1871; scattering. 991a. was
followed by a tremendous burst of Lincoln
enthusiasm, while the Seward men looked
silently. many of them with faces
blanched to the lips. By that time the
handwriting on the wall was clear to all
save those who would not see.
The third ballot was begun amid breath
less suspense. All over the wigwam dele
gates and spectators alike were keeping
their own tally sheets. Again votes gravi-
tated to Lincoln from all the other candi-
dates-412 from Seward. from Cameron. Is
from Chase, and so on. Throughout the
whole of that ballot the vast crowd was
strangely quiet, excepting when there were
changes to Lincoln. These changes were
followed by outbursts of applause staccato,
almost hysterical. in quality. Long before
the official tellers had footed their sheets
the audience knew that Lincoln was in the
lead; -i65 votes had been cast. of which Lin
coin had 231h. and Seward 1871: 233 were
necessary to a choice, and Lincoln lacked
only a vote and half.
Then came the crucial moment. No an
nouncements had been made by the chair
changes were in order and it was only a
question of seconds who should speak first
The silence was painful. The telegraph's
click and the pencils scratch were plainly
audible. Cartier Of Ohio sprang upon a
chair, and announced change of four
Chase votes from the Ohio delegation to the
Lincoln column.
Lincoln!" shouted a teller waving his
tally sheet. and at that signal cannon on
the roof doomed the news to the waiting
throng outside. Wild enthusiasm and blank
disappointment commingled In the indescri-
bable scene which followed. while delega-
ton after delegation swung into line. The
Lincoln vote was finally announced as be-
ing 364. and then EvartS. the Seward cham
pion, though almost overcome with emo
ton. moved that the nomination be made
unanimous.
James G. Blaine.
Three times there have been convention
crises when the late James G. Blaine was
the bone of contention. In two of these in
stances 1t may be said that the crises was
wrought out and the die cast when the
convention was not in session.
The first of the Blaine crises came in 1876
at the Cincinnati convention. Blaine was
a young man for Presidential honors, be-
ing only forty-six. He was an avoWed cam
didate, and he had conducted the prelimi-
rary campaign with vigOr and skill. Though
undoubtedly the idol of the majority of his
party, he had many bitter enemies within
its lines. but his followers were fairly in
toxicated with enthusiasm for him, and
his lieutenants included many of the abIest
republicans then alive.
There was no lack Of other strong and
noteworthy candidates. There was Oliver
p. Morton. then United States Senator
lToH VINO ndU Deen governor of
that state. Morton was possessed of great
native power mentally though not a man
of great culture. Roscoe Conkling then
perhaps at the climax of his career bril-
liant. tempestuous and anxious was a cam
didate. representing what was often termed
the Grant wing of the party. Benjamin H.
BriStow. who had been Secretary of the
Treasury under Grant, and ex-Gov Hart
ranft of Pennsylvania, head of the re
form element in the republican party of
that state, were candidates. There was
also a candidate named Rutherford b.
Hayes, from Ohio, who, like Hartranft,
had been governor of his state.
Such was the situation when the con-
vention was called to order on June IA.
The delegates included many able and bril-
liant men. James Russell Lowell and
George William Curtis. real literary fell
lers,' were among them. Henry NJ Teller
years after to be a champion of free silver;
Thomas c. Platt, whose political fame since
then has been unique; Senator John p
Jones, who, like Teller was later to be q
free silver man; George F. Hoar still active
today In his green old age, and many others
who have either passed off the political
stage forever or soon must do so. were
also members Of that body Another who
was to make an almost worldwide repu-
tation before the gathering adjourned, was
a big. handsome, jolly-faced young lawyer
from Illinois. He was Robert G. Ingersoll
After the preliminaries of organization
and the adoption of the platform had been
gone through with. nominations were in