The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1916-06-03
THE REPUBLICANS
IN PARTY'S HISTORY
History of Some Other Nota-
BILE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Nomination In 1860
Came as a Surprise.

OF fact, he did receive the votes of a
majority of the delegates, but not on
any one ballot. Many delegates were
held by instructions or other compiled
lions from registering their real wishes.
and there was probably not a mo-
ment when, had they all been free to
act as they chose, he could not have
received a large majority.
The speech of Robert G.. Ingersoll
placing Blaine in nomination will go
down In history as a most eloquent ex-
ample of convention oratory. When
the speaker finished the stirring tribute
to the "plumed knight" even the oppo-
nents of the Maine statesman We're
stirred to enthusiasm in spite of them
selves. The audience and delegates
rose as one man, those who bore in
structions for other candidates yieing
with Blaine's most steadfast support
ers In paying him the compliment of
u~nrestrained applause. If A>ballot had
been reached that day 1t is doubtful If
any power could have prevented
Blaine's nomination. 1t was at this
NL1JiNo1 Jul1Ntult Ildl SOllc VI TIE COOl-
er headed of the anti-Blaine leaders re-
sorted to extreme tactics to save the
day. They had the gas clandestinely
cut off from the convention hall, SO
that when night came on adjournment
vas forced by the darkness.
Overnight the opposing forces re-
gained their equilibrium and struggled
desperately for delay. The key to the
situation was held by the Pennsylva-
mia delegation, which, under the head
of Simon Cameron, one of Blaine's bit
terest opponents, was instructed to
vote for Governor Hartranft. At the
end of the second day of balloting
Cameron realized that be could not
hold the delegates in line much longer.
He therefore proposed that the delega-
ton should continue to support Hart
ranft only so long as his vote increased.
When it fell off they were to be free to
vote IS they chose. The Blaine men,
bers of the delegation eagerly accepted
this apparently favorable proposal.
Cameron, however, who knew argu-
ments that would go with the southern
carpet bag and negro politicians, ar
ranged to have Hartranft's vote in
crease slightly on each ballot. By this
method Hartranft's vote was main
tanned until the break to Hayes as a
compromise candidate came on the
seventh ballot.
Grant and Third Term.
When the Republican national con
vention met at Chicago on June 2,
1880, more than three-quarters of the
delegates were found to be almost
equally divided into two political
camps. The two leaders whom they
supported were General Grant, who
was a candidate for a third term, and
James G.. Blaine, who had been a lead
ing candidate in 1876. The two forces
were completely organized and ably
led, Roscoe Conkling being in charge
of the Grant forces, while Senator
Hale marshaled the Blaine cohorts.
Grants opponents were fully realiz-
ing that In view of the remarkable
manifestation of popularity which had
been accorded him since his return in
the previous fall from a tour of the
world, their best ground of attack was
the opposition to a third term. All at
tempts to get him to commit himself
early in 1880 had been answered by
the terse declaration, 81 will neither
accept nor decline an imaginary thing
His supporters took heart, however,
and when the convention met it was
evident that his followers were conf
dent of winning.
Conkling adopted a truculent and ar
rogant attitude in the convention pro-
ceedings from the very start that stung
the Blaine leaders to anger and de-
stroyed all possibility of compromise.
His first act in the convention was a
play to the galleries and at the same
time a studied insult of the Blaine fac
ton. He moved a resolution binding
the delegates to support h nominee of
the convention, whoever he might be.
thus showing n pretended distrust of
the Blaine following. The resolution
was adopted, but the debate upon it
made him so unpopular with the sup
porters of all the other candidates that
it really made the hope of obtaining re-
cruits for Grant in other directions i'm
possible.