The Washington herald., 1907-08-11
The Year Before the Convention an Important Fac
tor in Every Presidential Campaign
teen Years of Political Evolution

the same time Mckinley made II
clear that he didn't wish TO run that
year Then began the concentration of
the forces upon Harrison, John c. New,
of indianapolis being the leader New
was United States consul general at Lon
don. Under his guidance the oflce-hold-
ers came out strong for Harrison as a
matter Of course. and they raised and
contributed most of the money needed in
the ante-convention campaign.
Despite McKinley's announcement that
he wished 70 serve out his term as gov
ernor. there was well-defined Mckinley
following Some Republican veterans feel
sure TO this day that he intended to be
candidate, although others say that he
had no notion Of running. At all events
the New group determined to make Ii
practically impossible for him to do so,
and soon after his arrival at Minneapolis
10 attend the convention asked him 70
serve as permanent chairman Mckinley
accepted the post, although against tho
wishes Of some of his friends who de-
clared he was being put in a hole"
anyway. the Harrison movement won.
Harrison supporters had several good
sized scares on account Of both Blaine and
Mckinley however The most important
came on June 1, just before the cOnven-
| ton. when Blaine resigned as Secretary OF
State This was understood generally to-
mean that Blaine and his friends intended
70 wage an active convention campaign
/ for him. That was not true however
Blaine had written letter 10 J. 5. Clark
son some time before, saying he would
not be a candidate, and he meant what
| he said. Blaine was willing % DO what
he could TO prevent Harrison s nomination
hn4 nj Il.
seasoned correspondent of that day. was
/ a political tornado which. for a time
swept the Harrison men OF their feet. q"
/ The mention of Blaine's name In the con-
vention aroused immense enthusiasm.
| The Mckinley fright was caused by
| Wilbur F. Wakeman and Homer Lough-
/ lin, both strong high tariff men, who
/ Jointly provided $1,000 little documents
/ urging McKinley's claims and sent them
/ by one mail on the day before the con-
ventiOn 70 everybody OF political repute
/ in Minneapolis. where the convention was
! held. There really was nothing behind
these little flyers. but the Harrison men
were scared into a hurried caucus for the
purpose Of getting up an answer to the
question Is there concerted movement
/ to nominate Mckinley" which the news
papers were asking in big black type.
9
the 5000 little pleas for him until the
/ newspapers took them up
New hands were at the helm In the con
duct Of both the national campaign com
mittees in 1892. Thomas II. Carter. OF
/ Montana, succeeded Matt Quay for the
/ Republicans and w. r. Harrity. of Penn
/ sylVania. succeeded Calvin S Brice for
| the Democrats. The year was marked bv
the worst strike of steel and iron workers
] Gin Carnegie's Homestead works. In the
country's industrial history and naturally
this strike is supposed 10 have helped Dust
the party In power. The point al issue
in the campaign however. was the tariff.
the fight was made on tariff lines strictly.
and Cleveland was elected as a low tar
if President
Enter the Silver Question.
BY August. 1895. eleven months before
the conventions Of 1895. the situation had
undergone a remarkable change. A vast
/ political overturn had taken place. The
/ popularity Of Cleveland, which. while not
/ equaling that Of Roosevelt at the present
! time, perhaps, was simply overwhelming
in 1S92, had been la&ely dissipated In
the three years Of his second term that
had then elapsed There was little talk
Of naming him again. and no probability
that he would have taken a denomination
even had IL been offered to him. But no
new name of commanding popularity
among the voters Of his party had pre-
sented itself as yet, and the Democratic
leaders were all more or less at sea in
August. 1895.
". J. Bryan had not been thought OF
seriously at all as a candidate by any save
the Populists. who. since 1872. had in
creased from comparatively a handful OF
radical farmers and workingmen 10 q
really disturbing power
Bryan had made some mark in public
life, however. He had delivered two OF
} three addresses to the House Of Repre-
sentatives which had put his name on tn,
roll Of the countTys good takers: but
his topic had been the tariff, not free sill
Yer. He had also been nominated (aL
though not elected) 10 the Senate by the
Democrats in the Nebraska legislature
and had made himself very popular witt
his constituents by the clese attention n,
had paid 10 their individu and collective
wants at Washington. Men who We're
IN the government departments from 1Sg
20 1885 remember well that Bryan neglect
ed 20 turn over no departmental stone
that could benefit his constituents.
He was working hard in the cause OF
free silver. however. by the middle Of 1895
when il had become apparent that II
might become an issue in 1896. to the con.
sternation of the old-time leaders Of botl