El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-06-14

IN retirement during the al
ministration Of president Hayes. as
pired to be elected 20 a third term as
president, and the story Of how that
ambition was defeated by the nOmina-
ton Of James A. Garfield at the Re
publican national convention meeting
in Chicago. in June, 1880, is the pre-
mier classic among all the tales Of
great convention fights.
Hayes, following the example Of
Polk, had pledged himself not to seek
reelection, and even had he done so ne
could not have been renOmlnaUed- Inc
cloud on his title to the presidency had
made him unavailable and his admin
istratiOn had been too impartial to
please the placehunting politicians
Blaine, therefore, was the chief can
didate. He had lost the first battle
four years before, but he was again
eager for his chance at the presidency.
confident he would win. Most Republic
can leaders shared his confidence
COnkIing's Hatred For Blaine.
Roscoe Conklina had come to know
that no man Of his imperious mein
might win the presidency, but his ha-
tired of Blaine burned as furiOusly as
ever He could not win the prize;
Blaine, he was resolved, should not
Gen. Grant came back home from his
triumphal tour around the world Lhe
scandals Of his administration, Wnicn
never were charged personally to him,
were forgot. The giorfes of DOnelsOn
and AppOmaJtOX were remembered
Grant was the darling of the nation,
the idol of the north and the west. He
had left the white house reluctantly.
He had even written a letter confesslng
third term ambitions before he left the
presidencq. He was the man for COnk-
ling. With Grant as his candidate
Blaine could not win, and the New
Yorker knew it. The general was not
difficult to persuade. COnkling cap
tanned the third term boom, Logan was
his lieutenant and the boys in blue
fell in line.
But the organization of the Repub-
lican party stiffened itself against sen
timent and against the popular tide. II
feared four years more Of Grant, but
even more did the leaders fear four
years Of Conkling a presidents CHIEF
adviser.
Don Cameron. the leader OF the party
in Pennsylvania, was still COnkl1nSS
dependable friend and still Blaine's foe
He was chairman of the Republican
national committee He had, four
years before resisted AIcPherson's rul-
publican conventions The fight was
to center on him and on this rule
Fight starts in Committee.
The convention met on June ,, but
the national committee was in session
several days earlier, to hear contests,
make UP the temporary roll, and TO
select a temporary chairman Of the
convention. The anti-Grant leaders
knew that they must act together, and
the leaders resolved TO try their
William L. Chandler, OF New Hamp-
shire. and o. c. Chaffee, Of Colorado,
offered resolutions that bound the
committee to accept the McPnerSOn
ruling that each delegate might vote
as he pleased, despite the attempt Of /
state convention or state delegation
to impose the unit rule These resOlu-
ton chairman Cameron announced he
would not entertain
The anti-Grant men held numerous
caucuses- Hale and FRYE were there
at the head of the Blaine forces Char
ley" Foster and James A Garfield were
leading for John Sherman, who also had
the quiet support Of the administration
George r EdmundS. T. B. WaShburne
and William Window were "favOrite
sons" William F. Frye, Eugene Hale, /
William T. Chandler and Stephen B.
Elkins conferred as to the best means
to stop the third term boom before
there was an opportunity for a~stam-
pede- Careful calculations showed that /
without the unit rule Grant could
unit rule Grant might have a majority !
Of two votes
Committee Was Anti-Grant.
The national committee was anti /
Grant Its members agreed with the
anti-Grant leaders to select George F. |
HOar, Of Massachusetts, for temporary |
chairman-and HOar it was known /
would rule against any attempt to |
DAAlQ a Qt4E6dLE DE the unit Lu4E NeAAAA- ]
erOn saw that he was in the minority /
and surrendered, barely saving for
himself the poor privilege of calling the ]
convention to order and presenting the I
chairman-Mr. HOar.
Ninety-siX anti-Grant delegates |
might have been tied by the unit rule /
They were now released to vote on /
every question. The first test IN the !
convention came on a contest from /
Alabama The anti-Grant delegation /
was seated by a vote OF sos to 449- That /
Grant received on the last ballot when /
Garfield WOn-the Immortal SOS" who I
were rewarded for their cOnstancy by /
gold medals especially struck
Garfield a Dark Horse.
At the first Garfield was not men |
toned except as the darkest of dark i
horses. Benjamin Harrison, who was 1
to have his chance eight years later, |
was most often spoken Of as the dark I
horse favOrite, and WINDOW was talked /
about great deal On the flrst day /
Of the convention a New YORK cores |
pendent said. when the name OF Car
field was mentioned this afternoon il I
was taken Up with great cheering or |
course that was not an accident 1t /
was putup job, and an effective one, |
too. Keep your eye on garfield
Garfield had two chances He re
ported the resolutions from the rules /
committee that abrogated Tor good ]
and all the unit rule so far as Repub- |
lican conventions are concerned The !
Garfield report was adopted oy 4ty 10 |
276, the Grant men not standlng solid 1
" by COnkling this time. But the bet /
ter chance came later
It was Saturday when the nominal /
ing speeches were made -Four years /
before IngersoI had done his best for /
Blaine This time Blaine was first to /
be ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS in a speech /
made by James i. JOY, Of Michigan, !
who was a better railroad man Jhan an 4
orator He called his faVorlte some 4
times John G. Blaine and sometimes i
James H Blaine" but never James G. |
Blaine Frye attempted to recOup IN /
his secOnding speech, but II was not
successful. The oratOrical hOnOrs were
to go to another
When the name of New York was
called. the handsome COnkling leaped |
To the top Of a reporters table. He
smiled at the convention while the !
welcoming cheers lasted and then:
when asked what state he halls from. /
Our sole reply viii be,
He comes from AppOmattoX
And its famous apple tree
The Grant men went wild. COnkIing
kent his thumbs in his pockets and ]
smiled until an eXpectant gasp brought |
II, mt I