The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-08-01
By FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

Little things mean much in national po-
Itical conventions, and men have been
made Presidents, or have been designated
10 lead party hosts to defeat at the polls.
on the turn of things which seem smaller,
even. than applause from the galleries. In
1876 the Republican convention met in
Cincinnati. 1t was then that Col, Robert
c. Ingerson made his famous speech NOM
mating James G. Blaine for President. in
which he dubbed his favorite the 'Plumed
Knight" Blaine could not get the nomi-
nation. Finally il went 70 Rutherford b.
Hayes, whom nobody wanted nominated.
1t is said that Benjamin H. Bristow pre-
vented the nomination Of Blaine. There
had been GOODNESS between Mr.. Blaine and
AIr. BristOw, who was then in the Cab
met. but Il had not reached the point of
a personal quarrel On the Sunday be
fore the convention met, Mr.. Blaine fell
IN swoon on the steps Of a church in
Washington. A friend went 10 Mr.. Bris-
tow and told him OF IT, BristOw and his
informant walked TO the Blaine residence
10 make inquiries. Something occurred
there which infatuated Bristow, and he
went away an implacable enemy of
Blaine. If he had not made that Sunday
call he would not have known that Blaine
hated him, and AT one time in the con-
ventiOn would have thrown the vote of
Kentucky to the Maine leader, thus al
lowing the .'Plumed knight" to enter the
Presidential lists against Tilden, eight
years before his unfortunate joust with
Cleveland.
Coming closer to the present day, Sena-
tor Allison of Iowa. missed being Presi-
dent by q margin so narrow that in the
light of later events the story is hard
10 credit. 1t was at the convention Of
1855 On the first ballot John Sherman
led. followed by Walter Q. Gresham.
Chauncey NJ Depew. Russell a. Alger.
Benjamin Harrison and others. A con-
ference Of leaders was held after several
ballots had been taken. with no choice.
The New York delegation had agreed to
vote as the four delegates-at-large might
think best. Plat and Depew headed the
delegation Plat and two others OF the
big four were in the conference. and
It was agreed to vote for Allison. Plat
said he was sure Depew would agree.
With New Yorks vote. Allison would
have had the nomination. When Depew
was seen, however he wouldn't agree.
He declared that ne had been compelled
10 withdraw from the race himself be-
cause Of the agrarian sentiment Of the
socialistic Northwest and he would not
let his influence nominate Allison, an
Iowa man. That Allison should have
been punished for agrarianism by Depew
a. IN
The late Senator Hoar is responsible for
the authoritative account OF Depew's
blocking AllisOn's race although there are
men who viii declare that Platt nomi-
mated Harrison In the hope Of becoming
Secretary OF the Treasury, the ruling am
bition Of his life
The speech OF IngersoH nominating
Blaine mentioned above. is one of the
great speeches made in nominating con-
ventions which viii live. Another was
that in which Roscoe Conkling placed be-
fore the Republican convention of 1850 the
name Of Gen Grant
And when you ask what state he halls from.
Our sole reply shall he.
He comes from Appomattox
and It's famous apple tree.
So II began. according 10 the testimony
Of the chairman Of the convention and
The contemporary reports. although some
persons Of late have denied that C0nkling
would employ doggereI in a great speech.
However that may be. il was a great
speech. Grant had led the armies Of
the Union to victory In the West, and in
Virginia. He had received the surrender
OF Lee He had been twice President,
and had just returned from his triumphal
tour around the world II was a great
subject. and Conkling knew how TO handle
IT, When ne had done the crowd cheered
him for twenty-five minutes and it was
almost Impossible 20 restore order.
The opposition to the third term was
strong Grant had made many political
enemies while he was President. and he
had erred in replying too implicitly on
friends who did not deserve the conf
dence he placed In them. It was not on
the cards that Grant should be nominated
bat 306 delegates stayed with him until
the last ballot and went down with him
when the nomination had gone to an
other. Following Conkling, James A.
Garfield nominated John Sherman In
the fullness Of the time some votes were
cast for Garfield himself. He rose 10 n
point OF order and began 10 protest
against the delegates voting for him
when his name was not before the con-
vention. Chairman Hoar cut him of in
the middle of n sentence to prevent him
saying something that might prevent his
accepting the nomination HOar had seen
the drift toward Garfield and Hoar was
intensely opposed TO the nomination of
Grant, largely, it was said. because Grant
as President would listen to Ben Butler
about Massachusetts patronage distri-
button.
Two convention speeches, great enough
to outlive the issues of the moment. were
spoken in opposition, not IN eulogy, Of a
candidate Both of them were by Bourke
Cochran. and both voiced the opposition
Of the Democracy Of Tammany Hail to
Grover Cleveland The first was in 1884,
when the unknown Cleveland who had
never been TO Washington and who knew
nothing Of national affairs, was taken up
and nominated by the Democrats because
Of HIS remarkable successes in New York
State politics. Cochran and Grady made
fmpassloned speeches against the Cleve-
land idea, but TO no avail. IN replying to
Cochran. Gen. Bragg, Of Wisconsin, said:
I'VE love him for the enemies he has
made" A voice in the gallery responded:
Let EN- have little more grape, Capt.
Bragg" Again, IN 1892 Cochran delivered
a powerful speech against Cleveland II
was heard IN profound silence and was
greeted by no cheering. Cleveland was on
the highest crest of popularity then. and
oratory could not in1ure him.
Most famous Of convention speeches,
however. is that one delivered in Chicago
in 1898. which won for its maker the Dem