The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1912-03-22
VERY INTERESTING
POLITICAL HISTORY
Deductions Drawn From Former Political
Campaigns


termination to fight for the principles
for which he has fought for SO long and
so CALAMITY, Senator La Follettes places
himself before his party as its need, not
its alternative. The democrats Of con-
gress 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 Roose-
welt standing upon declaration that
was written for him rather than by him,
is trying to reach the thing which
Washington made impossible, and
which Grant found impossible.
He who reads Senator LaFollette's
firm declaration Of purpose in the face
of the statistical history Of republican
conventions can only see the posi-
bility" focusing itself into the proba-
bility."
In 1859 the democrats met in
Charleston, South Carolina, in national
convention. On the face of things it
looked as if Douglas, the little giant
from Illinois, had a cinch. The gam
blers 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 were blue
in the face, and adjourned without a
choice to reconvene at Baltimore where
Douglas was nominated on the second
ballot, but not without a split in the
party that sent the anti-Douglas demo
Gratis 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
nomination at that time as mere mat
ter of party formality. We soon forget
these struggles of history and remem-
Der only the accomplishments OF con-
ficts. The state Of Wisconsin carried
its solid delegation to Chicago, and
voted as unit against Lincoln, and
ior the nomination Of the genteel and
able Seward Of the Empire state. And
it was hot until the third ballot that
Lincoln rose above Seward in this
contest.
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
without opposition.
In 1868 the heroes Of the war were
in the ascyndency, and Grant was I'M
animously nominated, as was the case
four years later in 1872.
In 1876, however, Blaine seemed to
have a better chance for the nomina-
ton than even Taft has today. The
federal patronage under the Grant adj
ministration was thrown to his favor,
and he started out on the first ballot
with more than twice as many votes as
either Morton of Indiana or Bristow OF
Kentucky, 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 Penn
sylvania, Hayes and Hartramft, respec-
lively, who held their places in the
dark horse column until the fifth ballot
when unexpedly and suddenly Hayes
developed a strength of 102 votes,
which on the sixth ballot went to 113,
and on the seventh ballot went to 384,
winning the nomination and defeating
Blaine.
There is not reason to suppose that
the Chicago convention this year may
not parallel this history, the names Of
Blain and Hays being substituted by
the names Of Taft and LaFollette.
In 1880 Grant returned from his
triumphal trip around the world, as
Theodore, the Great" returned from
his pleasure trip of slaughser, and his
fetes with kings. Ambition overeached
prudence, and Grant undertook to
break the precedent Of nearly cen
tury and seize upon the third term.