El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-06-22
DEMOCRATS IN
UNCERTAIN
MOOD
Tuesdays Convention Much
Like Those Nominating
Polk and Bryan.
NO CANDIDATE HAS
A MAJORITY PLEDGED
Bars Are Down For a Siam
pede to Some Eleventh
Hour Idol.

hOuI 1uO1.
Baltimore, Mr., June Famous old
Democratic presidential nomination
battles are recalled by the lineup OF
candidates whose supporters VIII AlSel
in Baltimore on Tuesday to nSnJ IOr
their nomination to the presidency on
the Democratic ticket Notable among
these past battles of the Democracy
are the Democratic conventions OF 1888
and 1886. Each of these was held IN
der conditions similar IN many respects
10 those which will enshroud the com
ing convention and in each OF them
dark horse" carried off the prize
The national convention Of 1S44, per-
haps most resembles the coming Demo
cratic meeting. Then, as now, the can
timore without sufficient delegates IT
revOcably pledged to them to make
their nomination certain; yet then as
now, one candidate was the taForlIe IN
the REORGANIZATION forecasts. The
strong Democratic candidate Tor the
nomination, at that time, was Martin
Van Buren,. Up for the nomination 10
the presidency for a second term van
Buren, was defeated by James X FOLK,
the first dark horse" to carry off ma
tional honOrs in either party
Van Buren, and Clark Compared
Van Buren's name came before the
national Democratic convention at Bal
timore in much the same plane in point
of strength, as will the name Of Champ
Clark in the coming tight he was
REGARDED as the strong man" Of the
party. and ever since his defeat for re-
election to the presidency IN 1S4O ms
friends had been quietly working 1or
his nomination through party neWspa-
per and mass meetings consequently
when the convention met many OF the
delegates had either been instructed Tor
him or were elected as his IrlenuS.
Van Buren's most dangerous r1yaI va, vas
Gen. CasS of Michigan, who held about
the same relative position with REGARD
to pledged delegates, as does governor
Woodrow Wilson, Of New Jersey tOody-
The other possible Democratic nom
fnees were John c. Calhoun and eXVlce
president johnson. Each Of these, how
ever. had only a small following.
When the convention convened the
Democrats faced much the same prob
lem as they VIII on Tuesday rms
problem was the selection OF a man 70
wage a successful fight against tnf
nominee of the opposing party VINO, az
that time, was Henry Clay, leader OF
the Wings. There were many, how
ever, who believed Van Buren, would
be unable to win against Clay
Texas Question an Issue.
This sentiment grew and was fos-
tered by the cohorts Of Andrew JACK
son, who had become estranged from
Van Buren, on account Of his agree
Tnent with Clay TO eliminate the Texas
annexation question from the cam
paign. These men set about securing
Van Buren's defeat by forcing a mo-
fion through the convention to observe
The two-thirds rule which had been
adopted by the Democratic national
body in 1882 and 1852 Inc moIlon was
carried and the balloting began
There were 267 delegates to the con-
vention and in order to secure the
nomination, Van Buren, needed Il
votes. On the first ballot he secured
Jas votes to 40 for all the others
On the second ballot Van Buren, secured
l27 votes, Cass IS, Johnson q, Buchan-
an 4 Woodbury. ?, Stewart l, Cal
non on the third ballot Van Buren's
votes slumped to III, on the fourth he
registered III, on the fifth 103 and on
on the seventh ballot Gen. Cass. of
Michigan took the lead with 123 votes,
with Van Buren, next with SO and Bu-
chauan and Johnson bringing up the
rear with % and q votes respectively
At this time Van Burens waning
power before the national body and
Cyass's corresponding gains seemed to
indicate that the latter would be the
Democratic presidential nominee. On
the eighth vote, however, James X
Polk OF Tennessee, the dark horse, |
made his entry in the race by receiving
A votes. The score now stood: Van |
Buren, 1O4, Cass ia, Buchanan ?, Cal /
hOun >, and Polk A.
Dark Horse Appears.
Polk had mt been even talked for 4
the presidencN until after the open |
ing OF the convention, but a few |
of his friends had previously /
didate for the vice presidency. The |
appearance of his name on the right /
ballot was therefore a considerable sur /
Drise. both to the delegates and to the l
PARTY leaders. It seemed, however, as !
though he was almost universally rec /
ogniZed as the only man to pacify the i
wa ring factions and lead the Demo- ]
Gratis to success, for on the ninth bal- /
LOT there was a stampede in his favor. |
The vote on this ballot stood; Polk 233, |
Cass %, and Van Buren, ?.
So sudden was the change that the /
Democratic leaders in Washington, who /
received the news by telegraph over the /
first commercial wire between Wash
ington and Baltimore, refused to be- /
lieve he had been nominated The I
wires between Baltimore and Wash 1
ington had only been completed day
before the convention opened, and the /
Democratic leaders took the ground |
The news. however, was later con-
firmed by mail, and in the election fol
lowing, Polk swept his party to VIC
E1otber historic case of a dark
horse" winning the Democratic nOmina-
Jennings Bryan, the boy orator Of the
Platte" made his famous crown Of
thorns and cross OF gold speech,
sweeping the convention OFF its feet
ov MS eloquence and winning the nom
nation hands down on the fifth ballot /
This was probably the most dramatic
example of convention stampeding in
he history of either party.
Another Case Of Dark Horse.
When the Democratic national con-
-entiOn met in Chicago on July Z, 1896,
or the purpose Of nominating a can
iidate for president Of the United
states, the delegates were Overwhelm-
ngly pledged to the cause of free sill
-er It seemed inevitable, therefore,
hat Richard p. Bland, Of Missouri. !
iamiliarly known as Silver Dick"
Bland because OF his advocacy of the
rec silver doctrine, would be the Dem |
Dcratic nominee. For 20 years Bland
had worked for the cause of free silver