The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-06-18
Some Republican History.


Some Republican History.
B. F. Tillinghast in Davenport Dem
ocrat: Conventions of the political
order have not always been as they
now are And 1t is perfectly safe
prediction that future Presidents will
not be selected as they have been
during the past generation. Changes
have been going on from the first,
and no year has witnessed SO many
radical departures as this one of
1912.
Four years ago not q presidential
preference was officially expressed
by the people; not primary was held
to elect delegates to either the DEM
ocratic or Republican national con-
vention. To Chicago and Baltimore
many delegates go direct from the
people and they make reports to no
machine or boss. IN 1916 the old
methods will be rejected altogether
and the political boss will have IL
most lost his occupation The politi-
cal power that has been centered in
the few will be scattered among the
many; it will go back to the people.
To select and elect a President it
is not necessary to hold a convention;
to have platform; or to make a
nomination Presidents of the United
States have been chosen without any
of these steps that during the past
few years have caused SO much dis
cussion and agitation. This is all his
toric fact unknown to many politi-
clans of this day, who are concerned
with the present rather than with the
past or future. Another fact worth
recalling is that our presidential cleo
tions have not always been held in
years of even number, like 1912; nor
have they always taken place in No
yember. In different and numerous
ways the machinery called into play
at Chicago and Baltimore is new,
cumbersome, and not designed to for
mulate the popular will of the party.
Another apparent contradiction
may be expressed in this way: the
Republican party is one of the oldest
of political organizations; and at the
same time it is one of the youngest.
1t looks like doing violence to COM
monty accepted understanding to say
that Thomas Jefferson was the can
didate of the Republicans more than
100 years ago. The meaning of some
of our political terms has been re-
versed, turned completely around, for
Thomas Jefferson is the accepted
father of the Democratic party. AS
parties assert themselves Andrew
Jackson was, in name at least, the
first Democratic candidate for presi-
dent; and John Quincy Adams was
the first Republican candidate as the
word was then used.
AS the parties are now aligned the
first Republican convention was held
in Philadelphia fifty-six years ago the
18th of this month, the nominee being
! John C. Fremont. The present dis
! tracted party has been divided before.
/ The regulars met at Baltimore in 1854
( when Lincoln was nominated the sec
i ond time; but the. Radical Republi-
cans went to Cleveland and named
| Fremont again. The Liberal Republi-
cans filed their protest against the
Regulars at Cincinnati in 1872 in the
+ form OF national mass meeting over
which Carl Schurz presided. So there
I is precedent for bolt this year by
Mr.. Roosevelt Mr.. Taft, Mr.. La Fol
lette, Mr.. Cummins. or anybody who
is determined enough to walk out of
I Chicago and take following with
him.
From almost the first, strictly
speaking the second convention, Chi
cago has been the favorite meeting
place of the Republicans. That city
has been chosen eight times-in 1850
1868, 1884. 1858, 1904. 1908 and 1912.
/ Three times in succession at two diff
ferent periods. The Republicans have
met in Philadelphia three times; in
Baltimore, Cincinnati, Minneapolis
and ST Louis. once each. Chicago
has been the scene of nominating as
many Republican candidates for Pres
s'det as all the other convention cities
combined