Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1912-11-01
switch that turned the

I '~~D~--~-~
tide.
The Democratic convention nolni- |
mated General Winfield 8. Hancock.
There were contesting delegations from
New York, the regulars and the Tam
any forces. The Tammanyites wanted
to cast 20 OF the votes OF New York,
but the fact that John Kelly, the Tam
many chieftain, had declared he would
not support ,Tilden II he were renomi-
mated, gave them little standing In the
convention. and by vote Of more than
two to one the Tammany delegation was
denied seats In the convention. Tilden
wrote q letter saying he did not want
a denomination, but left the impress
sion that he might not refuse it II 1t
came. But Tammany said t would not
support him and the convention turned
away from him to Hancock. At the last
minute Tammany knitted Hancock and
lost New York to the Democrats and
thereby the presidency.
The campaign had four federal
generals running for president that
year. Garfield had been a general,
Hancock was one, and so was Weaver.
the Greenback candidate. The Prohi-
bitionists nominated General Neal Dow
as their standard bearer and the can
didacy of Weaver brought more votes
to third party movement" than any
other third party had polled since the
outbreak of the Civil war. The Green
hackers got over 100000 popular votes.
After that the third party movement
waned. until 1892, when, for the first
time since 1860, third party candi-
date received votes in the electoral re-
turns. Both Of the major parties had
wholesome respect for the paper
money sentiment in the country, and
both realized that while the Green
hackers could not muster any electoral
votes, they could. in close states, take
enough votes away from one party or
the other to throw the electoral votes
Of those states to the opposition. That
was why both parties, in their con-
ventions. were careful for years to
"straddle" on the money question.
Was Less Sectionalism.
Although in some sections the bloody
shirt was still waved, and although for
the first time in the history of the
country the south had become the
solid SOUTH" there was perhaps leo
scctionalism in this campaign than III
any that had preceded since the defeat
of Henry Clay in 1874 1t was the first
time that all Of the states participated
in a popular election and saw their
electoral votes counted. South Caro-
lima had never had a popular election
for president before the civil war, and
since that time in every election some
! thing had happened which prevented
some state from having its vote
counted or from having popular cleo
ton. When Colorado was admitted to
the union in 1876, the Republicans Of
the state, under the pretense that they
did not want to hold another election
so soon, but In reality because they
controlled the legislature and feared
the state would go Democratic on a
popular vote, chose its electors in the
legislature 1t is more than probable
that this maneuver, engineered by
Senator Teller who became a Democrat
20 years later, gave the presidency to
Hayes.
The fighting was neither fast nor
furious until after the Maine state
election was held. This ante election
barometer had regularly disclosed the
direction of the political wind since
the days of "Tippecanoe' Harrison,
and now it showed saually weather
ahead for the Republicans 1t gave
them a great scare and the Democrats
an over supply of confidence. The
Democrats rested on their oars, while
the Republicans awoke to their dan
ger Grant and Conkling had practi-
cally agreed to knife the ticket, but
now the Ratchet was buried and the
two transformed the middle west,
Conking doing the talking and Grant
grazing the platform. Although Gar
field was charged with hand in the
Credit Mobilier, and letters were
forged showing that he was in favor Of
Chinese immigration. he pulled through
with a popular majority of 1000. Han
cock had said that the tariff Is a local
issue" and by that the Republicans
proved he did not know enough about
fiscal matters to be elected president.
After Garfield won he made Blaine
his secretary Of state. Garfield was
staying at the old Riggs house prior
to his inauguration and Conllling and
two other leaders called to protest
against the appointment. One of them
afterward declared that he had never
heard any living mortal receive such
Guessing out as the president elect
received at ConklinE's hands. Garfield
sat on the side OF his bed and Conk-
ling paced the floor, and for the best
part of an hour poured forth his pow
erful invectives upon the head OF Gar
field But the appointment stood.