Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-01
u. S. PARTY CONVENTION
SYSTEM BEGAN in 1880
Dissatisfaction With Early Methods OF
Choosing Candidates Preceded Origin
OF Present Arrangement.


made III Washington in this manner.
When the first party contest came in
this country over the selection of a
President and Vice President in 1900
the party members of Congress, who
had previously conferred or caucused
on policies. next undertook to control
presidential nominations, and thus to
control in a measure the choice OF the
| voters AS matter Of course, the
old Republican caucus accepted Jeffer-
son. but before it was held the Federal
list members had met in secret caucus
and rallied behind Adams. The Jeffer-
/ sonian Republicans denounced this
secret meeting as a "Jacobinical con-
clave," although their caucus was also
secret. When caucus was held by
the Republicans in 1904 it was no
longer in secret.
! Almost annihilated by the Jefferso-
man Republican victory of 1900, the
! Federalist party gave up the holding OF
/ caucuses altogether. Thereafter only
/ Republican congressional caucuseS met,
reappearing every four years at the
approach Of each presidential election.
/ But gradually the caucus grew into
/ disfavor. The dictum of the party
members of Congress was not always
| accepted by everybody. In 1908 two
/ powerful competitors for the succession
| 70 jefferson appeared, Madison and
/ Monroe. and both were put forward by
| State legislative caucuses in Virginia.
! The congressional caucus decided IN
| favor of Madison. Several members of
| Congress who did not favor Madison
/ appealed TO the country not only
against the regularity of the procedure
] but against the caucus system itself.
| But the caucus won out in that in
stance, and Madison was elected Presi-
dent.
/ Though the congressional caucus con-
/ tinued to make presidential nominations
until 1924 it continued to be regarded
! with more and more disfavor In 1924
William II. Crawford of Georgia was
! the caucus nominee. but the rank and
/ file of the party refused to accept him.
and he came out third in the list Of
| candidates in the election. But early as
/ 1912 the revolt against the caucus had
/ become quite positive. for in that year
| the New York Legislature nominated
! De Witt Clinton. Jeffersonian Re-
| publican. against Madison, the regular
! candidate, and at the same time issued
/ a sharp protest against the caucus.
| "King Caucus" Dethroned.
Against the caucus it was argued that
| the trainers of the Constitution were
very careful to provide that Congress
/ should not elect the President but now
party majority of Congressman was
| doing so. and had gone SO far as to do
/ it in secret caucus. It was pointed out
| that the Constitution intended that the
people should elect the President, not
as they elect their Representatives, nor
through their representatives, but by
the States in their separate sovereign
capacity. 1t was charged that coterie
Of Congressman had usurped function
which Of right belonged to the people.
King caucus was dethroned with
the defeat of Crawford In 1924 and
from that time until 1882 there was a
period Of transition from the congress
sionai caucus TO the national nominat-
ing convention. It should be said in
| passing however, that in the days of
| the legislative caucus it was sometimes
| customary for districts not represented
| by a party member in the Legislature
to send delegates to the caucus These
were known as mixed caucuses. 81
They were in measure forerunnerS of
national conventions In that they con-
tanned something of the popular ele-
ment. These mixed caucuseS had been
held as early as 1907 in some States.
! They were destined to give way to the
convention made up entirely of dele
| gates.
During the transition period nominal
| tons were made in various ways. Some
/ lines they were made by mass meetings,
/ by State Legislatures, by newspaper an
nouncements and by general concur
renee of party agencies Sometimes a
nnf1lnQTfnF9 In IN n
/ be seconded by another, and If the
/ nominee obtained Endorsements from a
/ sufflcient number Of States he would be
| regarded as leading candidate.
/ The first delegate national conven-
/ ton was the nti-Masonic convention
/ Of 1880, It also was the first body to
| arrange for holding a convention in
/ which representation should be based
| on the representation of the respective
/ States in the National Congress. While
| the national convention has since been
/ changed IN many ways, nevertheless
from that day to this the fundamental
/ principle upon which II was based has
| remained unchanged-the democratic
j representation Of the party constituency.
The people demanded organization in
which each voter should have IAN equal
share in determining his party candi-
AoSC aAa0 AALS party pldtloIul. by LIlB
! Democratic party this sort of an Or
| ganization was completed about 1885.
and the Wings perfected a similar
plan few years later. This was one
OF the results Of the characterization
Of the country under Andrew Jackson.
Anti Masonic Party.
The anti-Masonic party which origi-
mated the modern national convention
was before the country from 1928 %
/ 1882 The party grew out of oppogikAO1
10 the Masonic fraternity which was
accused Of responsibility for the MUIR
der Of william Morgan In 1926 1t
seems that Morgan had prepared a
book revealing secrets Of Free Masonry
/ and that he was kidnapped He was
supposed TO have been drowned in the
Niagara River.
The Mas0ns were charged with trying
to prevent proper investigation of the
case and there was much excitement
for short time in western New York
The opposition 10 the Masons spread ia
other States and d national party was
organized as one wing Of the opposition
to President Jackson.
The first anti~MasOnic national con-
Vention, which was the first national
convention Of any party was held at
/ Philadelphia In September, 1890 1t
was attended by SO delegates, repre-
ssnting 10 States. II decided to hold
another convention in Baltimore in
September Of the next year To be COM
posed Of as many delegates from each
State az there were representatives In
both houses Of Congress These dele
gates were TO meet for the purpose OF
nominating President and Vice Presi-
dent
This convention Of 1891 was held and
nominated William Writ Of Maryland
for President snd Amos Eilmaker of
New York for Vice President In the
election OF 1882 these candidates won
only the electoral vote Of Vermont.
The anti~MsBonic party was later