Evening star., 1932-01-03
Capital Sidelights
BIZ WILL p. KENNEDY.

Review Of some of the national politi-
| cal conventions in Chicago, where the
Republicans, and probably the Demo-
! Gratis also, are going again this year,
made in this column several weeks ago
seem TO have caught the popular fancy,
since many requests have been made for
! thumb-nail sketches of other national
conventions.
The national Democratic convention
In Chicago, starting August 80, 1854,
was largely attended. Political excite
ment was more intense than at any
previous period of the war, for there
were two factions in the Democratic
party-a peace faction and war fac
ton. The contest, therefore, was over
the declaration of principle rather than
on candidates, for it was very generally
conceded long in advance that Gen. NC
Clellan would be the nominee of the
convention. In fact, there was no other
| candidate named in the convention,
though former Gov. Powell of Kentucky
sought to name one, but withdrew.
Pendleton of Ohio was nominated for
Vice President on the first ballot. When
/ Mcclellan had been put in nomination
| the more extreme, or peace men, de-
nounced him very bitterly B. G. Harris
OF Maryland, then member of Con-
| greSs, took the floor and assailed Me-
Clellan as a tyrant and deSpot and
charged him with being no better than
the Republican candidate from this
standpoint. His grievance was Nc
CleIlanS conduct early in the war in
| arreStlng the members Of the Maryland
Legislature who had assembled at Fred
erlck to pass an ordinance of secession.
During the excitement Harris was
knocked down by Editor Storey of the
chicago Times and for while 1t looked
| as II the convention would break up in
a free-for-all fight. Mr.. Harris and his
supporters soon became reconciled to the
| ticket, as the platform declared the war
failure and pronounced for national
convention to take steps to bring it to
an end.
Mr.. Vallandigham, who had just re-
turned from running the blockade from
the Southern lines whittier he had been
sent by Gen. Burnside's orders, was one
of the heroes of the hour and the
| peace platform was due largely to his
efforts. The inconsistency shown In
placing a soldier candidate on peace
platform In about the darkest days of
the war proved to be q blunder that
drove thousands of Democrats into the
republican party and swelled the food
| tide of its victories for years to come
The day the convention met the
gold premium touched the highest
| point and the fact was placarded along
the principal streets. This convention
was also held in the old "Wigwam."
u n 4 "
In this holiday season 1t is inter-
esting to note that a native resident
Of Bethlehem Is serving in the National
Congress ess-Representative and Maj. Will
liam r. Coyle of Bethlehem, Pa
Coyle not only had distinguished
World War record, but his family have
distinguished record in the U. s.
governmental affairs, and he himself
Is very sincere friend of the National
Capital. One of his ancestors moved
with the Government from Philadelphia
to Washington His grandfather, RAN
dolph Coyle, was city engineer for the
District of Columbia and laid out many
OF the important thoroughfares of to-
day and established the grade of prac-
tically all the streets most in use to-
day. His father-also a Randolph
Coyle-was senior assistant United
States attorney and had charge of the
preparation and prosecution of Guiteau,
tf.e assassin of President Garfield.
Representative Coyle served in the
U. S. Marines from 1900 to 1905. He
was captain of the 4th Regiment, Ma
tional Guard of Pennsylvania, in 1918,
and again served in the U. S. Marines
in 1918.
He is ready to put on his fighting
togs again any time to help the olsen
franchised people of the National
Capital, who he feels are being treated
like Stepchildren, but with all the
possibilities of Cinderella future.