Great Falls daily tribune., 1920-10-14
THE HASKIN LETTER By fTzaEs1s z2eaS
PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS.
XV-The Garfield Hancock Race of 1880.
BIZ FREDERICK!
HASkIN

of the stand they made. 1t was the first
effort to obtain third term ever made
by any man who had been president.
Conkling was furious over the nomin-
alton of Garfield, whom he did not trust.
He refused to select the vice-presiden-
tial candidate. but the convention named
Chester A. Arthur just because he was
a friend Of Conkling. We sometimes
make presidents so. General Grant was
also chagrined, and for a time he and
Conkling were agreed to knife the tic
ket and defeat 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
But later in the campaign, after the
news from Maine came in, peace was re-
stored. The prospect of complete
overthrow of Republican power caused
the party leaders to bury their factional
differences, Conkling at last consented
to call on Garfield. And, as a supreme
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 ire
trievable disaster to the party.
| The Democratic convention met In
June and in spite of the sentiment Of
nine of the Democrats of the
country, and in spite of the protests Of
| it's wisest leaders. it nominated General
Winfield Scott Hancock for president.
| 1t was not that the Democrats did not
like Hancock, for he was very popular
and had been mentioned as a candidate
for president in every convention since
the war.
RlIf Ahn fc nd nf a
Independents, too, wanted Samuel j.
Tilden renominated. Give us the old
ticket" they cried. "Let us fight it
out Yithsshe Fraud of II for our
issue!' Although Hayes had made a
good president, although his administra-
| ton had restored peace in the country
and although specie payments had been
| resumed and a dollar was once more a
| dollar, there were none so poor as to do
Hayes honor. He had not pleased his
own party politicians, and the Demo
| Gratis hated him because they believed
| he was president by grace of fraud.
Tammany Beat TiIden
Tammany Hall hated Tilden. and
| Tammany Hall told the Democrats at
| Cincinnati that they would knife him.
! 1t was a convention of politicians and
| they listened to Tammany. But they
neglected to extract promise from
Tammany that any other candidate
would not be knitted. So Tilden was
turned down, the Democrats forfeited
| their right to raise the issue of the
"Fraud of IT" and Hancock was named
with William Fl. English of Indiana as
running mate.
The campaign was fiercely contested
| one, and the Democrats were almost
| certain of victory until the very last.
The Republicans were fearful, but Gar
| field was a very ambitious man and
| he did not intend to be defeated if
| human agencies could prevent it. Gar
| field was a skilled politician with long
service in the House of Representatives
| behind him. He avoided every pitfall
and conducted a mastery campaign.
| bringing to his support men who hated
| him.
| General Hancock's famous statement
'eThe tariff as a local ISSUE" had much
to do with his defeat. The tariff issue
| was very vital one then, and Hancock 8
contention lost him many votes among
that element which later came to be
known as "mugwump."
Notwithstanding direct attacks upon
Garfield's integrity and insinuations
against Hancock, the campaign exhibited