The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-10-12
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERzo J. HAsKM. Director.
washington, D. C. \
PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS.
The Garneid.Hancock Race Of 1880

tletL from the OLD days. TWICE IN the
history of the country the news from
Maine in September was portentous.
In 1910 1t accurately indicated that
Harrison would sweep the country. In
1880, forty years later, it showed that
| the Republicans were in terrible
condition and in danger of being wiped
off the earth. The democrats became
too confident, the Republicans put al
/ most superhuman energy into the
fight, and Garfield won by a very
small majority. Even then if it had
not been for the treachePy of Tam
many Hall, the Republican fight would
have been lost.
| The campaign of 1880 stands out as
| the one presidential contest in which
political manipulation and ch1canery
overshadowed everything else. Botn
Garfield and Hancock were nominated
| by shrewd manipulation in the race
of the fact that the majority IN eacn
party preferred another man. Gar
| field faced what seemed certain de-
feat from knitting by great leaders IN
his own party. The Republican
| breach was closed by the making OIL
many promises, most of which eouio
not be fulfilled In the Democratic
party the leaders who were battling
| for reform were outwitted by the
practical politicians. and the very same
| practical politicians committed party
suicide in the closing days OF the cam
paign.
| The Republican national convention
at Chicago in 1880 was the scene OF
| the greatest battle ever fought TOT
political nomination. General Grant,
| having returned from triumphant
tour around the world, was an active
candidate for a third term. He had
the support of hosts of the Repuoh-
| can voters and of the shouting masses:
James G. Blaine was the favorlte o.
the politicians and of majority OF
the Republicans, who were not car
ried away by the glamor OF Grant
| military fame. Blaine was the most
magnetic leader his party has had,-ano
his following was a personal one.
A Poetic Politician.
Opposed to Blaine was the able Ros-
coe Conkiing, senator from New York
Because he hated Blaine. rather tnan
| because he loved Grant, Conkhng leo
the Grant forces in the convention. He
placed Grant in nomination In the
| famous speech beginning:
'lf you ask what state he halls from,
| Our sole reply shall be,
He comes from Appomattox,
| And its famous apple tree
But in the closing sentences of his
speech he mortally offended Blaine
supporters and they swore that Grant
should be defeated, even If Blaine
could not win. For days and days
the battle waged, the Grant and
( Blaine forces holding firm, and each
of a dozen other candidates hoping
! to be the lucky dark horse.
! John Sherman of Ohio was serious
candidate, he thought, ana his name
! had been placed In nomination. by
/ James A. Garfield. GarfiefRs speech
4 was adroit and conciliatory and while
Ishe. was speaking for Sherman there
were responsive cries from the house
n Of O
second week, on the thirty-sixth ball
lot, the Blaine column marched solidfy
to Garfield the break having been led
by Wisconsin. The Wisconsin delega-
ton decided upon Garfield over Will
| liam Window by a margin of but one
vote. When Garfield WIS nominated
there were still 300 delegates voting
| for Grant. The Immortal $685." they
were called, and gold medals were
struck for them in comgemoration of
the stand they made. 1t was the first
effort to obtain a third term ever made
by any man who had been president.
| Conxling was furious over the nomi-
nation of Garfield, whom he did not
trust. He refused to select the vice
| presidential candidate, but the conVen-
ton named Chester A. Arthur. just
because he was a friend of Conkling.
| We sometimes make presidents 80.
General Grant, was also chagrined,
and for time he and Conkling were
feat Garfield. The balance between
the two parties was then SO even that
any great leader sulking in the tent,
on either side, meant defeat.
Republicans Got Together.
4 But later in the campaign, after the
news from Maine came in, peace was
restored. The prospect of complete
overthrow of Republican power caused
the party leaders to bury their fac
tional differences. Conkling at last
consented to call on Garfield. And. as
a supreme sacrifice of personal feel
ings, Conkling persuaded General
Grant to take the stump for the first
time in his life to speak for Garfield.
That stopped the incipient revolt
which threatened irretrievable disaster
to the party.
The Democratic convention met in
June and in spite of the sentiment of
; nine-tenths of the Democrats of the
country, and in spite of the protests
of its wisest leaders, it nominated
Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock for
: president. It was not that the Demo
! Gratis did not like Hancock, for he was
, very popular and had been mentioned
. as a candidate for president in every
convention. since the war.
But the Democrats and many Of
} the Independents, too. wanted Samuel
]. Tilden renominated. give us the
old ticketi" they cried. Let us fight
E ! it out with the Fraud of 1T for our
: issue!" Altho Hayes had made a good
president, altho his administration had
restored peace IN the country and al
tho specie payments had been resum-
ed and a dollar was once more dol
lar. there were none so poor as to do
Hayes honor. He had>~not pleased
his own politicians, and the Demo-
l Gratis hated him because they believed
! he was president by grace Of, fraud.
Tammany Beat Tilden.
5 Tammany hall hated Tilden, and
I Tammany hall told the Democrats at
Cincinnati that they would knife him.
1t was a convention of politicians and
ithey listened to Tammany. But they
D neglected to extract promise from
t Tammany that any>other candidate
e would not be knitted. So Tilden was
$ turned down. the Democrats forfeited