Alaska sentinel., 1908-10-15
SOMEDEMOCRXTICa CONyENTIONfiSTORYSt
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Westward the course of empire takes its way. The twentieth Democratic na- tional convention went farther west to held its momentous deliberations of 1908 than has any preceding convention of either sf the dominant parties. The Mis- souri river has heretofore limited the western movement of the great political organizations, St. Louis and Kansas O:y having each been honored in the past. But a westward strike of 500 miles brings the Democratic delegates of this year to the Rocky Mountains. to a city which does not even call itself of the Middle West, but is distinctly and wholly West >rn.
 Ii Is seventy-six years since the first national Democratic convention was called at the behest of Andrew Jackson. then President, to nominate the man whom he wished to serve with him as Vice Presi- dent during his second term. Jackson's popularity with his own party was so unquestioned that he was nominated al this first Democratic national convention by exclamation. So far as he was con cerned, no convention WAS needed to set ann AAC R'aAAs FA1AAAF oA offA And the convention wisely enough decided that with so perfect an embodiment et Democracy at its head as "0ld Hickory" no formal declaration of party principles was necessary. The committee appointed by the convention of 1882 10 prepare an address to the people reported that they considered an address unnecessary and recommended the several delegations to make such explanation by address, report or otherwise to their respective constitu- ents of the objects, proceedings and result of the meeting as they might deem expe- Nent.
 It was not until 1s+0, the year In which the party failed to agree upon vice pres idential candidate, that a Democratic convention made a formal declaration of the issues upon which they appealed to the people for support. Since 1S40 every Democratic convention has issued such a declaration and gradually the platforms have come to be regarded as having the binding force of party law. Within their limitations they are accepted as unQues- tionably as the Thirty-nine Articles of the Westminster catechism.
 The first Democratic national conven- tion of 1892 was held March 22 In Bal timore. city which has been honored by the gathering of the pary's great quad rennial meeting eight times since national conventions were evolved as nominating bodies.
 The conventions of 1882, 1S38 1S40, is44, 1s4S, 1852, 1872 and the adjourned convention of 1860, which first met in Charleston, have been held in Baltimore Chicago furnished the theater of action for the meetings of 1884, 1884 and 1892. But before the convention selected city 30 far to the West as that of the Illinois metropolis h 1864, it had met in Gin cinnati in 1S5S and In Charleston, s. C., in 1S60, al which city the longest ballot Ing on record proved futile. and an ad journment without nominating followed Tammany Hall held the delegates of 1888, when the New York statesman, Horato Sey mour, presided as permanent chair man. developed suddenly into dark horse candidate, the third the party had brought forth up to that time, Polk and Franklin Pierce having preceded him as such. Hay ing reached Chicago, the step to St Louis was not hard to take, and the conven- ticns of 1876. 1888 and 1904 were held In the Missouri town which still regards itself as the rival of Chicago, as 1t really was back In the '7os. Cincinnati in 1880 and Kansas City in 1900 complete the tale of the cities which now include the town lying near the peak which in the days of the prairie schooler was the des- tination of many hardy pioneer.
 At the first Democratic convention & committee appointed to prepare the rules recommended that two-thirds of the whole number of votes of the convention should be necessary to constitute a choice. in making nominations. At every national convention since that time this has been reatirmed as the law of the Democratic party. In 1S36 an attempt was made to repeal the rule. In fact the effort was successful by a small margin of votes, 231 to 21O, but upon reconsideration the rule was put in force. In 1894 the two-thirds rule was bitterly. even savagely. opposed by the friends of Van Buren, who had a majority of the votes on the first ballot but at no time could muster two-thirls.
 The Democratic convention of 1S4S which nominated Lewis Cass of Michigan for President and William o. Butler O. Kentucky for Vice President, directed the appointment of the first national commit tee ever organized. Its candidate, like the Democratic candidate of 1S4O, was defeated by Whig soldier candidate Gen. Taylor. who, like Gen. Harrison had no preparation for the executive of flee and was nominated by the Whigs in obedience 10 the doctrine of availability
 In the convention of 1852, held in Bal timore, there occurred another of those strange and sudden movements by which the contest between prominent and fav- ored candidates causes them all to be dis carded and the position to be given to some heretofore unknown quantity. To use an old and much used if not abused figure, when the tournament opened four renowned knights entered the lists. They were Lewis Cass of Michigan, the de feated candidate of 1S+S; James Buchan- an of Pennsylvania, Stephen A. Douglas
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