The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-06
CONVENTIONS OF OLD DAYSOFTEN ;
 GREAT :IENGTH
That Of Charleston In
 1920 Holds Record In x. Long List


 f BOSTON, Mass, July 5.-We may reckon 1882 as the beginning of the political convention and platform era; the first national nominating conven- E tion being held and the first platform adopted in that year by the national i republican party, with Henry Clay as ,f;;,its candidate, says the Boston Trans cript. B..
 S The democrats also held their first. national convention in 1882; and adopt : ed, for the sake of assuring the nomina- ton of Martin Van Buren for the vice presidency, their famous two-thirds i, rule, which has ever; since prevailed in their conventions, though several times attempts have been made to repeal it.
 In the early conventions of both par ties, down to the Civil war, each state sent as many delegates as it pleased, though the voting DO ti of each was { limited to the number of its representa- tion- in Congress. The platform was sometimes adopted before and some stimes after the nominations were made.
 First Long Convention
 z The first convention that was con sidered long was that..of the, whigs in | 1840, which lasted four days, and nomi- mated William Henry Harrison. Four years later the democrats had fight over the two-thirds rule, but readopted it, and on the ninth ballot stampeded the convention for Polk, the first "dark : horse' candidate. In 184S, the New 7 York contest between: tine s-1hunkers" and 'barnburners" protrarted the demo- cratic convention to five days, though only four ballots were needed.
 In 1852, the democrats had four com manding candidates: Cass, Douglas, Buchanan and Marcy. But they over whelmingly reaffirmed the twO-thirds :, rule, and in consequence none of these / eminent men could win; but on it's sixth day and the forty ninth ballot the con- svention was stampeded for a compara- five nonentity, Franklin Pierce. That same year the triangular contest among Webster, Scott and Fillmore compelled the whigs to cast 5 ballots before Scott Asecured a majority.
 5 The record convention for length, thanks to Ben Butler's marplotry, was 2 the democratic of 1860, which met in z Charleston for 10 days end 57 futile ballots, and then adjourned to reassem- ble in Baltimore. for four days more. :. In that memorable year, the republicans 7 met for only three days, and definitely rejected for all time a proposal for the two-thirds rule, nominating Lincoln on !. the third ballot. One ballot was enough for each of the conventions in 1864, but in 1868 the democrats in New York cast 9, in a long convention, before they nominated Seymour. The republic ans met for four days in 1876 and cast Seven ballots, and, best of all; did away with the 'unit rule." --..---.----
 A Seven-Day Session
 The republican convention of 1880 is historic for the efforts of the ''stalwart SO6" during six days and 36 ballots to renominate Grant for lnathird term.s Again in 1888 they were in session seven days, though only eight ballots were cast.
 Again in 1920 the republicans were in session for four days and cast 10 --ballets, -and -the--dsmacratS again had a nine-day convention, and not until the forty-fourth ballot selected Cox 'f,.0v,, oV,ro,, e a0 cS n f1ida feSef N