Bisbee daily review., 1908-07-03
DEMOCRATIC CONVENTIONS |
 FAMOUS IN PARTY HISTORY.
Especial to the Review )

WASHINGTON, ID. C., July 2.-At this time, on the eve of the democrat jc national convention, it is interest ing to recall tke great conventions that have been held by that party in the past. The convention which opens at Denver next Tuesday vii be the twentieth national asemblage of the democratic party, while the one re- gently held in Cchicago was only the fourteenth republican national gath ering. But the democratic party sur passes the republican in age much more than this difference would indi- cate. Born in 1791, and christened by Jefferson a year or so later, the dem ocratic party has long since passed the century mark in its life.
 The convention system of choosing candidates for president and Yice-pres- ident superseded the congressional caucus method in 1881. In December of that year the whigs met in Balti, more and nominated Henry Clay for president, and John Sergeant for vice president. In the following May the democrats met in the same city, os- tensibly for the purpose of selecting candidate for vice-presldent, but 1t assumed the responsibility of nominat- ing a candidate for president Andrew Jackson, and Martin Van Buren for vice-president.
 No platform was framed by the democratic convention of 1882, but it adopted a resolution which provided for the perpetuation of the delegate convention system of selecting the party candidates for president and vice-president. The two-thirds ruleI was then adopted
 In 1885 the democrats met again in Baltimore and nominated Martin Van Buren for president and Richard NJ. Johnson of Kentucky for vice-presi- dent. The opposition declined to make a nomination in convention, hoping toI throw the election into the house of representatives. Van Buren was sue cessful in this election, the opposition voting generally for General Harrison instead of Henry Clay, who was the idol of the whig party. In 1884 the two-thirds rule was used for Van Blu ren's overthrow Though he had been defeated in the election four years previously by General Harrison, the nomination of Van Buren was conced- ed by most of his enemies. But the ex-president on the eve of his nomi- nation wrote letter on the subject of Texas annexation, which offended a large portion Of his southern admir- CTS and resulted in his defeat in the convention. On the frs ballot Van Buren had a majority of the conven- ton, but less than two-thirds. On the eighth ballot James K. Polk of Tenn essee received the nomination. and in the following November he was elect. ed.
 In 1S4S the democratic convention at Baltimore nominated Lewis Cass, who was defeated in the election by General Taylor, the whig candidate. In 1852 the democratic convention again assembled in Baltimore, this time on the first day of June. General Cass led at the beginning of the bal loting, but on the forty-ninth ballot the nomination went to Franklin Pierce, a dark horse. In 1856 the dem Ocratic convention went west for the first time, meeting in Cincinnati, Jas. Buchanan was named for president and John c. Breckenridge for vice president.
 The most fateful convention in the history of the democratic party was that held at Charleston in 1860, which split the party into a northern and a southern section, each of which held a convention at another place, put up a ticket of it's own, and made a sep arate canvass. Stephen A. Douglas was the candidate of the regular convention, which met at Baltimore, and at Richmond the seceders from the Douglas convention nominated Breckenridge. Abraham Lincoln was the successful nominee of the repub- licans. Tn 1864 the Democrats met at Chicago and nominated General Mo Clellan for president and George H. Pendleton for vice-pTesdent. In the convention of 1868, the only one ever held in New York, Seymour was nom mated, but was easily beaten by Grant in the election. The 1872 convention accepted Horace Greeley and Grant repeated his victory of 1868. In their convention of 1876 the democrats meeting at St Louis nominated their strongest and ablest man, TiIden, and came within one vote in the electoral college of electing him, and in 1880, with General Hancock as their stand ard-bearer, they made an active can vass, which was decided against them by the vote of New York. Cleveland and Hendricks were nominated in 1884. Cleveland was nominated the second time at St. Louis and the third time at Chicago. William J. Bryan was nominated the first time in Chi cago and the second time at Kansas City. At St Louis, in 1904, the Park CT and Davis ticket was named.