El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-06-16
Democratic Convention
History
n a. q. vANDENBEkG.

party Chronology kL46 VI ms Se-SH--
I sons convention Of 1882 as the first)
Yet. so far as the modern era" is
concerned. this review may begin
with 1855, because It was that year
when the alignment between modern
.Republicanism" and modern Demo
me convention OF 1856 assembled
I in Cincinnati on June . with John T.
] Ward Of Georgia in the chair Gen
e-al Franklin Pierce Of New aamp-
shire-who had been chosen four
{ years previously on the 49th ballot as
a dark horse"-was seeking renomi-
I nation. He was particularly favored
I by the southern wing OF the party
Although there were three candidates
I AGAINST him-James Buchanan OF
/ Pennsvlvania. Stephen A. Douglas OF
/ Illinois. and Lewis Cass Of Michigan
the real opposition focused in Buch-
anan, who was largely favored BY the
northern wing Of the party
/ This sectional division was empha-
sized on the first ballot when the
| delegates from the southern states
divided as follows: Pierce p, Buch-
/ anan %, Douglas IL while delegates
| from the northern states divided as
: follows; Buchanan LOG, pierce %,
I Douglas 19. Cass 8 Buchanan led
. every ballot from the first to the
18th. On the 18th ballot, Pierce fen
out and the convention divided as fol-
lows: Buchanan 16S, Douglas III.
This gave Buchanan a majority,
I but failed to give him the two-thirds
vote which was, and is, an historic
Democratic convention requirement
: Douglas could have used the two
/ thirds rule TO veto Buchanan because
I he had sufficiently steadfast control
/ Of more than oue-third OF the conven-
ton But Douglas had always been
a persistent opponent Of the two
thirds rule, and. therefore. when
Buchanan passed the majority line.
Douglas withdrew and Buchanan was
unanimously nominated on the 18th
ballot
There were 10 candidates for vice
president on the first roll call. with
general J. A Quitman, MISSISSIPPI,
leading and John c. Breckenridge.
Kentucky. the close runner up Quit
man quit on the second ballot and his
example was quickly followed by 9TH
ers. with the result that Brekenridge
tiater 70 be presidential nominee)
was unanimously chosen
The convention in its resolutions
praised Pierce-though denying him
rcnominaIion-and strongly declared
a1ainst any federal Interference with
the Institution OF slavery. II also re-
solved against the right OF the feder-
al government to engage in "a gen
eral system OF internal improve
ments." to protect Industry by tariff.
or 70 charter national bank
The Con gentiOn OF 1880
When the Democratic national con-
vention assembled on April %, 1850,
ia Charleston, South Carolina-meet-
ing for the first time in the south.
the party had already fallen prey to
that Irresistible conflict" that was
leading the country into civil war II
was frreconcilably divided on the
question Of slavery and the terri
tories Meanwhile stephen A Doug
las OF Illinois, whose memorable de-
bates with Lincoln had given him a
fame commensurate with that OF Lin
coin. reached the climax OF his poll
teal career az the moment when his
party had entered upon the throes OF
temporary dissolution
The Charleston convention was IN
session 10 days. with Francis B.
Flournoy, Arkansas. as temporary
chairman and Caleb Cushman, Mas
sachusetts. permanent chairman.
From first 20 last IL was involved IN
a bitter wrangle- Threats OF bolt
inE began 10 appear on the third day
and after long fight over rssolu-
tons was ended by q close vote, and
before the bslloting for nominees
began, a large portion OF the south
ern delegates had Withdrawn The
delegates who remained. adopted the
traditional tWo-thirds rule by q vote
Of al 70 H. As a consequences,
Douglas-leading all the way-could
not be nominated After s. futile
ballots, the convention adjourned to
meet at Baltimore on June IS.
At Baltimore, when Il became ap-
parent that Douglas would be nomi-
mated the feI iemaining southern
dele gates organized a second boilers
convention and nominated John c.
Breckenridge Of Kentucky, for presf-
- -
vice president The original boilers
from the Charleston convention meet
ing at Richmond. Virginia. made these
same nominations
Meanwhile. the Baltimore conven-
ton proceeded TO finish its dubious
toll. Douglas was nominated for
president on two ballots-making So
in all. Benjamin Fitzpatrick OF Ala
hama was nominated for vicepresi-
dent on a single ballot He declined
the nomination two days later, and
the national committee filled the va
oaney by naming Herschel Y. johnson
Of Georgia
During the Baltimore gathering. Il
Is an interesting sidelight-perhaps
prophetic-that the temporary floor
ing above the parquet OF the theater
gave way IN the center and the dele
gates found themselves precipitated
into a human maelstrom-
In the subsequent campaign Lin
coin was elected Douglas. with
1,375,157 popular votes. secured but
Il electoral votes while Brecken-
ridge, with but s45.763 popular votes.
received p electoral votes.
The Convention OF 1864.
The Democratic national conven-
ton OF 1864 assembled-in the midst
Of civil war-on August %, at Chi
cago, with ex-governor William Big
Ter OF Pennsylvania as temporary
chairman and governor HoratiO Sey-
mour Of New York as permanent
chairman.
The platform-adcpted before the
nominations were made. and largely
pTophesying what the ticket would be
declared that after four years Of
failure TO restore the union by the
experiment Of var" the vital essen
tlal was that immediate efforts seek
a cessation OF hostilities with a view
70 an ultimate convention OF the
states to the end that peace may be
restored on the basis Of the federal
union Of the states" The platform
declared the aim and object Of the
Democratic party is TO preserve the
federal union and the rights Of the
states unimpaired."
Party sentiment was concentrated
on Cen George B. Mcclellan for
president long before the convention
met; and one perfunctory rollcalI
gave him the designation. Before the
result was announced, changes were
made which gave Mcclellan 2O21k
votes to 28i5 votes for Thomas II.
Seymour. All the votes for Seymour