Evening star., 1939-10-05

Says Misfortune Attends
Presidential Nominees
From the Eust
To the Editor Of The Star:
1t is interesting to note that. since the
first election Of Abraham Lincoln in
1850, the Republican party, in 20 presi-
Dental elections, has on II occasions
selected its presidential candidates from
the so-called Mid or Central West.
The two times it nominated former
President Herbert Hoover it went to the
far Western State of California. Strictly
speaking, however, Mr.. Hoover could be
claimed by the Central West, as he was
born and spent his early boyhood in the
State OF Iowa.
In 1884, the party nominated James
G. Blaine Of Maine as its standard
bearer. In 1904, 1t nominated Theodore
Roosevelt of New York State, he having
succeeded President Mckinley, after Mr..
McKinley's assassination by an anarch-
list. In 1915. Justice Charles E. Hughes
Of New York City was made the stand
ard bearer Of the party. Lastly, Calvin
Coolidge of Massachusetts,, who, as Vice
President, was elevated to the presidency
after the death Of President Warren G.
Harding, was nominated and reelected
in 1924.
In every instance where the candidate
has come from the Mid or Central West,
he has been successful at the polls un-
less there has been an open split in the
party, such as occurred in 1892 when
Cleveland defeated Benjamin Harrison,
due to the fact that large portion of
the Western farmers, temporarily got
out of line and followed Weaver, the
Populist candidate. This detection was
enough to insure Cleveland's election.
Again, in 1912. Theodore Roosevelt
ran independently on the Bull Moose
ticket, known as the Progressive party,
after he had been severely beaten in the
regular Republican convention. Iron
ically, the very capable steam roller
machine Mr. Roosevelt had built up him.
self, kicked back on him and caused his
defeat. This caused such split in the
party that Gov. Woodrow Wilson OF New
Jersey, running on the Democratic
ticket, was easily the victor.
In 1882 came the last real split, differ
ing from the others in that the dis
gruntled and dissatisfied Republicans,
instead Of placing another candidate in
the field to face Franklin D. Roosevelt,
went all the way and supported the
Democratic ticket. In 1896, most of
these same Republicans again supported
Mr.. Roosevelt, apparently desiring to give
him more time to bring the country back
to normal economic conditions, or else
being still carried away with Mr..
Roosevelt's claim that he was endeavor-
ing to better the living status of the So
called. underprivileged classes.
Republican Presidents, Lincoln, Grant,
Hayes, Garfield, Harrison, Mckinley,
Taft and Harding. all came from the Mid
or Central West.
Only twice during all of these years
have the Republican candidates been
defeated aside from the times above
mentioned. In 1884, James G. Blaine
Of the Pine Tree State of Maine, was
nosed out by Grover Cleveland, New
York State, which decided the election,
going against Blaine by less than
1900 votes out Of total of more than
100000 votes cast This was brought
about by the lukewarm support given
Mr.. Blaine by Senator Roscoe Conkling,
the Republican leader of the Empire
State. (Mr. Conkling never forgave
Blaine for causing the defeat of Gen.
Grant in the 1880 convention.) Chief
Justice Hughes of New York City, in
1916, was defeated by Woodrow Wilson.
Mr.. Wilson was seeking his second term
and his election was greatly influenced,
because, up to that time, he had been
successful in keeping us out of the
World War. However, students of poll
tics know that the rift caused by friends
OF Senator Hiram johnson of California,
due to some fancied slight, also had its
weight in settling that close election.
The Democrats, on the other hand.
have seldom gone into the Mid and
Central West for their candidates. In
1850, Stephen A. Douglass of Illinois was
one of the Democratic candidates, he
representing the Northern wing of his
party, while Breckenridge represented
the Southern side of the Negro question.
Not again until the silver -tongued orator
Of Nebraska, William Jennings BRYAN.
hypnotized the Democrats with his mem
orable. Gross of Gold and Crown of
Ihorns" speech, did the Democrats look
to the West of the Ohio River for their
standard bearer. And. not satisfied with
Mr.. Bryan's crushing defeat at the hands
OF William Mckinley on the 16-to-1 sill
yer issue, again, in 1900, the Democrats
put up Mr.. Bryan as their nominee, this
time emphasizing the so-called imperial
istlc tendencies of the Republican party.
The Spanish-American War had been
fought and protectorates over the Philip
pines, Cuba. Puerto Rico, etc, had been
necessarily established. Again, Mr.. Bryan
was defeated.
In 1904, the Democrats tried another
candidate, Judge Alton Parker from New
York, but failed again, so in 1908, they
tried Mr.. Bryan again against William
Howard Taft. This was unsuccessful.
In 1920, thev once more triad tn. MID