Evening journal., 1912-02-15
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
Two Men Who Refused
Presidential Nominations
By Holland.

There was moment in the national
Republican convention of 1883 when
William Mckinley could have been
nominated for President, and would
have been but for his own action. The
convention had been deadlocked be-
cause neither Senator William B. Al
lison of Iowa, who was very prom
inent candidate for The nomination,
nor Senator John Sherman of Ohio,
who was also a leading candidate, nor
Chauncey M. Depew of New York, who
was supported by about a hundred
delegates. was able to obtain ma
jority Mckinley was a member of the
convention and the chairman Of the
committee on resolutions. AS the issue
in that campaign was to be the tariff.
on account of the strong revenue re-
form message which Cleveland had
sent to Congress, Mckinley was one
of the most influential of the delegates
to the convention. and several Of the
delegates undertook to swing the con-
vention from the other candidates to-
Mckinley when deadlock seemed in
surmountable.
Had Mckinley remained quiet the
chances are that he would have been
accepted as a compromise candidate
He took the platform, however, and in
a most earnest speech pleaded with
the delegates that they refrain from
any disposition to name him, and
clearly intimated that he could not
accept the nomination il it were
made He stated that he had been
chosen to represent Ohio in that con-
Yention and had been instructed to
use every means possible to secure
the nomination of John Sherman. He
was in honor bound. therefore, to
stand by those instructions and he
would remain faithful to that trust,
whatever the result of the baloting
might be. 1t was so clear that McKin-
ley was absolutely sincere in his
statement that his honor as dele
gate and as a man would make it inn
possible for him to accept the nomi-
nation for President that the move
ment TO make him the standard bearer
was dropped, and a few hours later
the combinations were made which re-
suited in the nomination of General
Benjamin Harrison.
Several years later, when William
Mckinley was governor of Ohio, a
friend recalled his action at the con-
ventlon OF 1888, saying that it was a
temptation and an opportunity which
very few men in active political life
would turn their backs upon. !
Il disagree with you there" was Nc
| Kinley's response. Our political hi
tory furnishes abundant examples &
men who have declined the offer Of
J important office because they felt in
honor bound TO do SO. For instance,
there was Silas Wright, Who when
Senator from New York state de-
/ clined the nomination of Vice Presi-
dent in 1874 on the ticket with James
X. Polk on the ground that he had
been pledged TO support the Presi-
Dental nomination of Martin Van
Buren, and that if he became the
party's candidate for Vice President
it would be felt that he had been dis
loyal to his friend Van Buren,.
-Four years later, a still more
? striking Illustration Of my point was
given by a citizen of my own State
William Allen. He was United States
Senator from Ohio when he was thir-
ty-one. He Was the man who coined
the famous campaign slogan OF lS44
'Fifty-four forty or fight, and in 1871
he was elected governor of Ohio
b well, in 1S4S, the Democratic. party
when It gathered to nominate its can
didate for President, found itself spit
: into two factions. One favored Mar
tin Van Buren for the honor, the other
stood by Lewis Cass. II seemed al
most impossible that either man could
obtain the two-thirds vote necessary
J. to secure the nomination AS a result
there was a conference OF the party
leaders. and il was decided that thf
nomination should be offered TO VII
liam Allen, then in the Senate an1
nationally famous because OF the $40
gan he had coined in the previous
/ Presidential campaign
THE leaders were confident tha
! Allen would accept the nomination
1 and that with him as the party
standard bearer the factional troupr
would disappear and his chances o
election would be excellent But Whei
they went TO him and offered him th'
nomination. William Allen became
very indignant. He said that he ha'
OetldloQ nlnlrtll III AdNRA Va NAD ANNA'
nation of Lewis Cass; that he wa
committed by every obligation-mor
. al, personal and political-to Cass
nomination; that by Cass he woul
stand to the bitter end and the part
/, leaders should know better than I
q try to wean him away from Cass b
offering him the nomination Allen
: auditors saw that he meant what h
said and they went away and left hi
" in reace.
'When | heard that an effort woul
. be made 10 nominate me in the cor
J. vention of 1885," continued Mckinle.
! there instantly came TO my mind th
i story of William Aliens refusal Of
Presidential nomination, and
i strengthened me in my determinatio
u not to let the convention nominate n
under any circumstances
oI ! Copyright, 1912. by Associated Lite
oi airy Press.)