Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-06-21
PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATIONS.
By Frederic J. Haskin.

success was hardly questioned at any
| time before the convention.
But the wiseacres in 1857, had no no.
ton Of whom the republicans would NOM
| mate to oppose Cleve-
Dark Horses In land in 1888 There
,oo1 was small but loud
AeoA Aoo'' coterie who had the
slogan of Blaine or bust" notwith-
standing the fact that Blaine had four
years before suffered the first republican
defeat since the civil war. Allison of
Iowa, Depew of New York, Robert T.
Lincoln of Illinois. Alger OF Michigan.
ingalls, of Kansas-these and a dozen
others were much talked Of. But year
before the convention the most promi-
nent candidates were John Sherman of
! Ohio and Walter Q. Gresham of Indiana.
| Indeed, the Sherman men were most con-
fident that their hero this time could not
fail When the convention met Sherman
had more than twice as many votes as
Gresham, the next highest man, while
Depew and Alger also had more than
Benjamin Harrison. The nomination of
Harrison was made on the eighth ballot.
Gresham was unreconciled, he refused TO
support the nominee, and five years late,
became Secretary Of State in Cleveland s
cabinet when Cleveland had defeated
Harrison for the second term.
In 1888 the prophets of neither party
were certain as to what would happen
in the national conventions of 1884. The
republicans were torn by the extension
! of the fractional warfare of the stalwarts
and halfbreeds OF New York. One side
| said that President Arthur would be
given the nomination. the other that it
would go to the "plumed knight, James
| q. Blaine. The democratic situation was
even more uncertain, although Gov.
Cleveland was beginning to make rec
ord at Albany. The old-line democrats
talked much Of Allen G. Thurman. the
/ ..od Roman" of Ohio. and the ultra
conservatives declared that Samuel ].
Randall would be elected. Speaker John
G. Carlisle of Kentucky had a large fol-
| lowing among democrats OF the House,
although his southern home was recOg-
nized as probable bar to his success.
In 1870 the guesSerS were all wrong.
| The general belief. a belief that amounted
to faith. was that
Again the Guessers the democrats
| would renominate
We're All Wrong Samuel J. Tilden.
whom they declared had been lawfully
elected and fraudulently counted out In
1876. Nobody had any serious Idea that
Tilden would be turned down for Gen.
| Hancock, as he was, although he was
permitted the consolation OF appearing to
, decline the honor. Similarly. NOBODY mad
| the remotest idea that the republicans
would name James A. Garfield
| The republican contest appeared to be
| between Gen. Grant. who wished a third
term, and James G. Blaine. The office
| holders talked about renominating Hayes.
but their talk was not confident. Many
wise ones said that John Sherman would
come in between Grant and Blaine and
| take the prize That Garfield was nomi-
mated was the result Of his own shrewd
manipulation and the personal unpopular
| ity Of Sherman among the leading repub-
| licans Of his own state.
In 1875 the prophets were also wild. The
success Of Tilden In prosecuting the cor
rupt Tweed ring In New York made him
a favorite, but there were many who said
the democrats would choose Thomas A.
Hendricks of Indiana, William Allen Of
Ohio or ThoIaas F. Bayard Of Della