Evening star., 1932-01-10
Capital Sideligghts
BY WILL. p. KENNEDY.

BY WILL r. KENNEDY.
In reply to q number of letters asking
for summary OF some Of the national
political conventions held in Chicago
where the Republicans are going again
this year to nominate their standard
bearers, the following has been CLEANED
from old records regarding two Of the
most historic party gatherings In that
Convention City:
The second National Republican Con-
vention to meet in Chicago assembled
May 20, 1868. 1t was not Of very great
interest as far as candidates were con-
cerned, for the nomination OF Gen.
Grant was foregone conclusion. There
was a vigorous contest among the dele
gates for the honor of being the first to
make the nomination speech.
Gen. John A. Logan was recognized,
and on the official record appears to
have the credit of nominating Grant,
though half hundred delegates bawled
themselves hoarse in the attempt. Carl
Schurz, strange as 1t subsequently
seemed, was temporary chairman OF the
convention, and was as jealous for the
nomination OF Gen. Grant then as he
was earnestly against 1t four years
later.
The real contest in that memorable
convention was over the vice presi-
oency.. The New York delegation went
10 chicago determined to secure the
nomination of Gov. Fenton, and q more
spirited canvass has never been made.
There were upward of 500 Of the most
active Republicans from New York on
the ground, working day and night, but
the friends OF Schuyler Colfax, under
the marshalship Of Defrees. supported
py nearly the entire Republican press
ana powerful church influence, Sc
cured the nomination, but he failed to
noio 1t for the second term Of Grant,
Iour years later, when nearly all the
same influences opposed him.
Il X \
Bitter contest over the candidates,
introduction of the third term issue,
the new scheme Of unit rule (by which
an entire State delegation would be
required to vote as q unit for a candi-
oate) and the probable closeness of
the vote at the election in November,
all contributed to make the Republi-
can convention Of 1880 most memorable
In the political history of this country
For days the contest between Grant
ana Blaine was waged with unrelenting
warfare, backed by thousands Of their
supporters actively on the ground. AT
one stage OF the proceedings the vast
audience, estimated at nearly 40, O0O
persons, took possession of the con-
Vention and for nearly two hours 1t
was wild scene Of demonstration by
the respective friends of these two
candidates. The news dispatches of
those days described 1t as "the reign
OF pandemonlum." 1t was followed BY
the calm that succeeds exhaustion,
The convention went steadily to work,
and up to the thirty-third ballot stood
stolidly by the leading candidates
Grant led for six ballots with 305 votes,
followed by Blaine with 284. On the
sixth and seventh ballots Grant in
creased by one vote on each and kept
about even until the fifteenth, when
ne climbed to 300, amid the prolonged
cheers of the delegates who voted for
MIN and the large crowd of his friends
In the galleries. It was not until the
thirty-fourth ballot began that an in
dication OF a break in the Blaine
column was apparent Gen. Garfield
had received one vote as early as the
second ballot, with considerable ap-
plause, which was repeated on the
third, but on the thirty-fourth when
Grant began to creep up the Wis
consin delegation led off with a trans
fer Of 16 votes to Garfield. Indiana
changed its vote of 27 to Garfield, but
Grant stood at his highest point of
3l2. Before the result was announced
Garf1eld arose to say that he was not
candidate and to withdraw his name,
but he was ruled out of order.
The thirty-fifth ballot followed at
once and indicated but little change,
but presented the adherents of Grant
still in a solid column. There were
fears by the Blaine leaders that there
would be change in Grants favor
and so the thirty-sixth ballot opened
with feeling of tense excitement
which indicated the coming of the
storm, when the third State on the roll
call, Connecticut, changed II votes to
Garfield and Illinois soon followed with
7. From that moment the changes were
so rapid from the Blaine column and
Sherman's' vote, the excitement and
confusion so great that it was almost
impossible to keep the tally to the end
of the roll-call. State tumbled over
State in its haste to be in on the win
ming candidate, but finally the result
added up: Garfield 399 Grant 3O6,
THE old guard dies but never sur
renders" was the last rallying cry of
the Grant men.
1t being evident that Garfield had
received more than a majority of the
votes cast, Senator George F. Hoar of
Massachusetts, the chairman asked the
convention 'if the result should be
made unanimous" Whereupon, Mr..
Conkling arose and said the chair had
merely anticipated him, as he now
would make the motion to make the
nomination of Gen. Garfield unanimous,
and to appeal for the same unanimity
in the campaign that had at last been
manifested in the convention. At the
evening session of the same day Gen.
Arthur was nominated after one roll
call, by acclamation, for Vice Presi-
dent, and this closed after six days
work what has been considered the
greatest of all the Chicago conventions.