Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1915-08-05
THURSDAY, AUGUST 5, 1915.
AN INCIO ENT OF HISTORl c
INTEREST

The Democrat has received the fol-
lowing interesting letter from Judge
lanes 6. Jenkins, who is now dean
of the law department of Marquette
Milwaukee, July Is, 1915.
NV DEAR SIR: have received a copy OF the
issue of your journal of the 22nd instant, wnlcn
Won were good enough to send me- containing d
kind and hattering mention OF me, TOT WHICH
thank vou In the decline OF life, 1t Is agreeapIe
70 ha ra,oernbered as of time thirty years ago.
Although il is in the end inevitable, human
nature does not like to be altogether forgotten'
vo,,r reference to the Chicago National Dem
ocra+ic convention Of 1884 recalls an incloenI Oh
+bo+ convention which I think has never oeen
,,,b1ished and may be of some historic interest.
c. Renianin F. Butler of Massachusetts was
delegate to that convention, opposed the noin-
nation of President Cleveland and, WIN otherS
couoht TO stampede the convention ln0o 1he
domination of Gov. Hendricks OF INDIANA. You
MI, ,onoarnber that subsequently Gov Butter
refused to support the nomination Oh orovei
Cleveland and for the purpose or oeIeaClns LIS
e1aa4;o, ,yae himself an independent candidate
For the Presidency. 1t was charged tnat Che
exnenses of his campaign were borne ny One
Da,,,,h1;con National committee. If this charge
he true the fact lends color to his conduct in the
incident which follows:
At the convention Gov. Butler and l were
members of the committee On platform. he
sought to have incorporated into that PLATFORM
a plank pledgipg the party to devote any sur
plus in the United States treasury TO tne pay
ment of pensions to CONFEDERATE soldiers.
Some thought his purpose was to gain the sup
mort of the Southern vote for some cand1date
other than Grover Cleveland. Others thought
his design was to disrupt the Democratic party.
To the credit of the Southern delegates am
with pleasure enabled to state that upon put
ting the question to the committee there was
but one vote in favor of the resolution, and that
vote was cast by Gen. Benjamin F. Butler.
Very truly yours,
JAMES G.. JENKINS.
To Mr. Robert M. Crawford.
The important incident related above
shows that the men who have carried
the banner of constitutional democracy
and established representative govern
ment in the nation have had rough
and rugged road to travel. They have
all along been opposed by wiley foes,
ever ready to dig pitfalls by the way
However, the communication from
Judge Jenkins calls up to The Demo
crat this pleasant thought: No matter
how party majorities have gone in state
and nation, Wisconsin Democrats have
always had one source of satisfaction,
and of strength in the fact that large
majority of the ablest lawyers in the state
have been Democrats. 1t has ever been
an inspiration to Democratic laymen to
know that these men, we'll versed in
law, history and government, and of
strong mentality, stood for the funda-
mental principles of Democracy 1t
was good to know that they had faith,
not in so called business administration,
but in the common man, and in his
capacity for self government through
responsible leadership.