The Irish standard., 1908-02-15

have declared for Blaine. By keeping
the convention tied up for many bal
lots in a. contest in which many aspir-
ants figured, an opportunity was given
to them to make combinations by which
Blaine was beaten. Personal assaults
OF Blaine through the Mullisan letters
and in other ways aided his opponents
in defeating him. In the end Il conccn-
tration was made upon ohio's local IA
vorite, Governor Hayes, and he carried
of the candidacy OH tic seventh bal
lot. Conl1ling, Morton of Indiana, Bris-
tow of Kentucky and Hartranft Of
Pennsylvania, were the local favorites
who held the convention from going to
Blaine on the first and second ballots.
and led to the union upon Hayes after
long struggle.
A still more exciting contest, in
which the local favorites bore a largo
part, was that Of 1880, when the lead
ing aspirants were Grant, who was put
forward by ConlSling, Cameron and Lo-
gan for a third term. and Blaine. who
sought the candidacy as q reward for
long and distinguished service. The
local Notwithstanding. Edmunds,
Washburne of Illinois and others-held
the convention away from Grant and
Blaine. and at last one Of Sherman's
supporters among the delegates, Car
field, was put up. In 1884 Blaine sue.
ceeded in his third attempt to get the
candidacy, though after IL hard fight.
in which local favorites-- Edmunds. Lo-
gan and others--held enough delegates
to the support of impossible candidates
, to prevent the choice OF either Blaine
or his leading opponent, President Ar
, ticular exigency, however, one of the
party wrangles in whcl, Blaine had
participated, that against Conkling and
Arthur in New York, turned UP to de-
feat him at the polls and to elect Clevc-
land.
But the largest field Of favoritc sons
which any party ever saw was that
which projected itself into the fight for
the Republican candidacy in 1888. 1t
was generally assumed, near the end
Of cleveland's first .ssessaa that the Re-
publicans. would be able to make a
winning fight in preventing him from
getting reelected and the strongest
man who presented himself for the
work of carrying the Republicans to
victory seemed to be Blaine. This was
the situation at the beginning Of 1888.
II was felt that The convention would
declare for Blaine on the first ballot.
But in the latter part of'January Blaine
sent a letter to Chairman Jones of the
Republican National Committee, say
ing that his name would not be pre-
sented to the convention. This dslo-
Gated the plans If his friends, who
constituted large majority Of the par
ty, and put many local aspirants in the
field. States which, If Blaine had kept
silent. would have chosen delegates for
him, put up somc Of their own sons. or
left their delegates without instruc-
tions. Thus when the convention met.
there were over a. dozen names before
it, Sherman led the list. but he was
far short of a majority. New York
presented Chaunrcy NJ. Depew, Iowa
put forward the veteran Allison, Penn
sylvania urged al impossibility named
Fitler, the mayor of Philadelphia; In
diana had Harrison, Michigan present
ed Alger and other states assisted in
dividing up the vote by putting for
ward local pcrsonases. After the long
est contest in number of days, in any
Republican National Convention. Har-
rison carried off the prize, though he
was fifth on the roll at the beginning
of the balloting. It is altogether possi-
bic that the convention Of 1908 may sec
almost as wide a dispersion among the
delegates as that Of 1888 saw.