Omaha daily bee., 1908-07-17
NEBRASKA At CONVENTIONS
Party Sentiment and Leadership
From 1850 to Present Time.
REVIEW OF POLITICAL HISTORY
Republican and Democratic DeleEa-
tiOns TO National Conventions
and Their Part in Presi-
dent Making,

AAAE 80
admitted delegates from territories TO their
national conventions. Nebraska was not
represented in the first convention-that
Of 1856. Local democratic newspapers
charged that Hiram p. Bennett went over
TO Philadelphia from Washington, where
he was attending upon a contest with bird
b. Chapman for a seat in the house OF
representatives and participated in the
convention; but the records do not show
that he was admitted as a delegate.
Bleeding Kansas then quite filled the
public eye as the center and example Of
Missouri a~nti-slaveryism, and her
de 'esates quite adequately represented the
Nebraska country in spirit and prestige.
BY 1860 the party had been formally or
ganized in Nebraska, and its central com
mittee appointed delegates 20 the Chicago
convent on as follows: Edward D.. Webster,
Phinoas W. Hitchcock. John r, Meredith,
william II. Taylor, Orsamus II. Irish, @.
Z. Carter, Algernon S. Paddock, Elmer s.
Dundy, Jesse +. Warner. The six names
that appear on the conventions roll of
delegates are Irish, Webster, Meredith,
Paddock, Hitchcock and Samuel w. Ebert.
The fact that four of the delegates lived
in Omaha and that Irish, who was editor
Of the Peoples Press, lived at Nebraska
City, and Ebert at P~lattsmouth, shows
that at that time Nebraska co SISTED n ainly
of a few towns situated along the Mis-
souri, river.
Playing All FnvOrites.
On the first ballot the Nebraska dele
CATION gave William II. Seward two votes.
Salmon p. Chase two, Simon Cameron one,
Abraham Lincoln one. on the second bal
lot Seward received three votes. Chase two,
T I-zN IT.. - - A. a. Nz.fIza
which nominated Lincoln, was the same
as the second. Webster was a clever poll.
tician, was in close relations with Seward
and Weed, and editor of the Omaha Re
publican. These advantages enabled him
to keep half of the Nebraska delegation
away from the western man of destiny
Paddock was a vice president of the con.
vention and member of the committee or
resolutions; Hitchcock was one Of the sec.
retaries; Irish was a member OF the com.
miS,ee on permanent organization; Mere.
dith, of the committee on credentials, and
Ebert Of the committee on the order Of
business.
The delegates to the republican conven
ton of 1864 were: John l. Redick, Benjamin
F. Lushbaugh and A S. Paddock, Omaha
Daniel II. Wheeler of P~lattsmouth, w. II
H. Waters OF Nebraska City and Samue
G.. Daily of Brownville. All the states buI
Missouri voted for Lincoln on the frs
ballot, and a delegate from the dissenting
state explained that II was bound by in.
structtons for General Grant. Mr.. Redicl
announced that the Nebraska delegation
was solid for Lincoln, the second savior
of the weld" included one war unior
democrat" This superior virtue was per
sonified in the modest Mr.. Redick himself
who with nice impartiality swung periodi
cally back and forth between the parties
The republican state convention of 1877
requested the national convention to de
clare Itself in favor OF the adoption OF
sixteenth amendment to the constitution
providing for the election OF United States
senators and all other appointive fedora
officers, except clerks and heads of de
partments, by popular vote.
Liberal Republican Sentiment.
The conventions Of 1868 and 1872 wer
both unanimous for General Grant 70
president. II the convention Of 1876 tn
Nebraska delegates were under instruc
tons for James G.. Blaine, and they sus
tanned him throughout the seven ballot
until Rutherford B. Hayes was nominated
In 1880, the state convention, which wa
held at Columbus, felt the impulse of tn
liberal republican movement OF 1872, 4
which many of the ablest republicans O
the state, including Senator Thomas W
Upton, Oliver P. Mason, NJ. L. Haywar
and Experience Estabrook deserted tn
regular republicans and supported Horac
Greeley for president. The progressive elC
ment was for Blaine and it controlled tn
convention by about 200 to 1b5 for Gran
While the convention stopped short of II
structure for Blaine, 1t formally eulogize
him and the delegation supported hir
through ~thirty-five ballots, going over
, Garfield only In the roundup OF the thirty
sixth ballot. Omaha was turned down
the state convention, and John NJ. Thurs
ton and Datus I. Brooks, editor Of II
Omaha republican, ATTENDED the c%onventio
Z as unofficial supporter OF Grant.
, In 1853 Nebraska delegates gave two
j Arthur end eight - Blaine on the first tw
u ballots and their solid support to Blair
e or the third and on the fourth, whic
nominated the long time Nebraska idol. ]
e 1883 the Nebraska delegation was free Il
all. on the fourth. fifth and sixth ballo
5 Russell A. Alger received two votes: WI
liam B. Allison, five; John Sherman. thre
e On the seventh. Benjamin Harrison, twt
Alger, two; Allison. five; Sherman. on
On the eighth and last, Alger, one; Ha
rison, nine. John NJ. Thurston vas temp
rary chairman Of this convention. In Is
n Nebraska gave Harrison fifteen and WI
liam Mckinley one on the first and on
ballot. The total vote was: HArriso
635 1-6; Blaine, 1872 l-6; Mckinley, IS
Thomas b. Reed. four; Robert T. Lincol
one. Mr.. Mckinley was permanent chat
man of the convention. In 1896 Nebrasl
was unanimous for Mckinley, who WI
easily nominated on the first ballot. Jot
> NJ. Thurston was permanent chairman
the convention. In 1900, Mckinley was T
" nominated and Theodore Roosevelt W
nominated for vice president-both una
imously on the first ballot. In 1904 Roos
welt, for president and Fairbanks for vi
president, were both nominated ina
mously on the first ballot. though the n
braska delegation went to the conventi
pledged 10 John l.. Webster for vice pre-
/. ident. In 1903, Nebraska was instructed {
william H.. Taft, who was nominated
- the first ballot.
m Democratic Leaders.
Nebraska was represented in a nation
as democratic convention for the first time
1864, and the delegates were ]. sterll
Morton. Andrew J. Poppleton, Joseph
er Early. Erastus B. Chandler and 10
or Rickley-all "unadulterated Vallandighal
mers." according TO the Omaha Repub
=, cap-apd lass evil renoFt. In lS6S MOrtr