The Colorado statesman., 1924-06-07

| ~N ventions 1t is dollars to doughnuts that
these interesting facts were never men
TONED: The Constitution has nothing to say about
presidential nominations. 1t makes no provision
for nominating conventions. 1t is silent on the
subject Of party platforms In fact the Constl-
tuition ignores all three completely as 1t does
woman suffrage national committees, keynoters'
and broadcusting of proceedings.
1t is interesting to how George Washington,
the first president, elected There were no
conventions, no platforms, no nominations. Ihere
probably need of nominations There were
two parties-Federalsts and Anti-t ederallsts-
they were divided the subject of the Constitu-
tion rather than the choice for president Pres
identlal electors chosen January l. lIS9. Ihls
done by the legislatures in Connecticut, Dela-
ware, New Jersey, South Carolina and Georgia; by
popular vote in Massachusetts, New Hampshire
PENNSYLVANIA, Maryland and Virginia. In New
York quarrel between the senate and house pre-
vented action by the legislature North Carolina
and Rhode Island had not yet adopted the Consti-
tuition.
In the electoral college each eector voted for
two candidates for president, the one receiving the
majority of the votes to be declared president and
the receiving the next largest number of votes
10 be declared vice president. SlXtynine of seven
ty-three electors were present. Washington
ceived 60 votes and John Adams "a. Washington
md Adams were declared president and vice pres
ideut. 1t evident that by this method of
voting the vice president elected the leading
opponent of the president Under the Twelfth
Amendment the Constitution, which went into
effect September %, 1904, the electors vote for
president and vice president separately and both
must be of the same party. Washington was In
augurated April 30, 1889, in Federal Hall, Wall
Street, New York. December G, 1880 the seat OF
government moved to Philadelphia
The campaign of 1900 the first nominations.
They made in congressional caucuses-Adams
and Pinckney by the Federalists, Jefferson and
Burr by the Republicans. a tie vote between JEFF
ferson and Burr in the electoral college threw the
election into the house which chose the former
president and the latter vice president
The first convention marked the campaign of
1872 The Federalists nominated Clinton, first by
caucus of New York state Legislators at Albany
and then formally by convention in New York.
Madison the winning candidate, was nominated by
congressional caucus of the Republicans
II was not until 1882 that the nominating con-
ventlon again appeared and then for the first time
all the candidates were nominated by conventions
held In Raltmore-the Anti-Masonic (Wirt) Ma
tional Republican Whig (Clay) and National
Democratic Jackson, renominated) The Repub-
jicnn Convention put forth ten resolutions
stiuting the first convention platform ever issued.
The Autl-NIasonic Convention issued an address
10 the public. but adopted platform.
The National Republican Convention of 1856
the first convention of the presentda Republican
party. 1t a great year for conventions, no
less than five being held. They interesting
and important, preliminary to the election of
Lincoln in 1860.
The American QKnow-Nothlng) Convention with
n platform of America for Americans" met in
February in Philadelphia. There were DOT dele
gntes from 81 states. They nominated former
President Fillmore QS40-53). rump Know
Nothing Convention nominated Fremont.
The Democratic Convention met June 90 in
Cincinnati and nominated Buchanan. The plat
form denounced Know Nothingism, warned the
country that continued interference by congress
with slavery and armed resistance to law as to
fugitive slaves would end in civil end dis
union and upheld the right of every state seeking
admission to the Union to bar permit slavery.
The Whlg Convention met in September in Balti-
more and ratified the Know-Nothing nomination of
Fillmore.
This first Republican Convention met June II In
Philadelphia under the Craftsmanship of former
Congressman Henry S. Lane Ond). By formal
ballot II unanimously nominated Fremont and Day
ron ON the informal ballot for vice president
Abraham Lincoln received 40 votes as against 259
for Dayton The Republican platform opposed the
repeal OF the Missouri Compromise of 1920 In re-