The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1912-03-22
wisconsin State Journal J

In defining both his policy and de,
termination to fight for the principles
for which he has fought so long and 50
gallantly, Senator La Toilette places
himself before his party as its need
not its alternative. The democrats of
congress are in the hands of Wall street
of special privilege, and of the corrupt
ing influences of this country. Taft is
in the same hands with all his use and
abuse of federal power. And Roosevelt,
standing upon a declaration that was
written for him rather than by him, is
trying to reach the thing which Wash
ington made impossible, and which
Grant found impossible.
He who reads Senator La Follette's
firm declaration of purpose in the face
of the statistical history of republican
conventions can only see the ''possibil-
ity" focusing itself into the 'probabil-
ity"
In 1860 the democrats met in Charles
ton, South Carolina in national cOnven-
tion. On the face of things it looked
as if Douglas, the little giant from Hi
nois, had a cinch. The gamblers who
are usually accepted as the barometers
of political events Though by no
means safe barometers), were laying
their money upon Douglas and they
could get no takers. Yet the democrats
balloted until they We're blue in the
face, and adjourned without a choice to
reconvene at Baltimore, where Douglas
was nominated on the second ballot bua
not without a split in the party that
sent the anti-Douglas democrats into a
factional convention which nominated
Breckenridge
In the same year the best bet in the
republican field was Seward of New
York. We of today look upon Lincoln's
nomination at that time as a mere mat
ter of party formality We soon for
get these struggles of history and re-
member only the accomplishments of
conflicts. The state of Wisconsin car
ried its solid delegation to Chicago, and
voted as a unit against Lincoln, and
| for the nomination of the genteel and
able Seward of the Empire state. And
! it was not until the third ballot that
Lincoln rose above Seward in this CON
test.
In 1864 the mind of the party had
been clarified and with the exception of
Missouri, which voted to the last for
Grant, Lincoln was renominated with
out opposition.
In 1868 the heroes of the war We're in
the ascendency, and Grant was unani-
mously nominated, as was the case four
years later in 1872.
In 1876, however, Blaine seemed to
have a better chance for the nomination
than even Taft has today. The federal
patronage under the Grant administra-
tion was thrown to his favor, and he
/
more than twice as many votes as either
Morton of Indiana or Bristow of Ken
tueky, and more than three times the
votes of Conklin of New York. On the
second ballot Blaine advanced still
further, and on the sixth ballot he was
found still advancing. At the bottom OF
the list from the very start were the
two favorite sons of Ohio and Pennsyl
vania-Hayes and Hartranft, respect
lively, who held their places in the dark
horse column until the fifth ballot, wher
unexpectedly and suddenly Hayes de
veloped strength of one hundred and
two votes which on the sixth ballot went
to one hundred and thirteen, and on
the seventh ballot went to 3s4, winning
the nomination and defeating Blaine.
There is no reason to suppose that tn,
Chicago convention this year may moi
parallel this history, the names o
Blaine and Hayes being substituted b,
the names of Taft and La Toilette.
In 1880 Grant returned from his tri
umphal trip around the world, as ''Theo
dore the Great" returned from his pleas
ure trip of slaughter, and his fetes witt
kings. Ambition over reached prudence
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