The Wilmington morning star., 1940-06-23
War Beclouds COP Contention
Dark Horse May Win Nomination

/ stale oratory while the committee
wound up its work. Then, tired
and sleepy, the members would
emerge from their closely-guarded
quarters and turn the document
over to the convention.
Other stream-lining had been
done at the 1910 convention, too.
Speeches will be shorter and less
numerous, in accord with the mood
of delegates more anxious for deed
than word. Contests had been dis
posed Of before the convention met,
leaving the road open for action
when they arrived.
Nevertheless, more uncertainty
filled the air of the Bellevue STRAIT
ford and stretched out into the ia.
verns and taprooms of Broad and
Chestnut streets than has been
seen around a republican conven-
ton since 1920.
A dark horse captured the nomi-
nation then. But there was little
doubt about the fact that it would
60 to Calvin Coolidge in 1924. to
Herbert Hoover in 1928 and 1882,
and to ALI M. Landon in 1895. They
were all first ballot nominations.
When the World War was going
full blast in 1916, it took three bal
lots for Charles Evans Hughes to
win the nomination. He had to
wrest it away from the old guard.
Old line politicians, recalling how
chary he had been toward grant.
ing political favors as governor OF
New York, did not care for him.
The fact that they might gain
the support of Theodore Roosevelt
and thus win back much of the
progressive vote that had scam
pered away in 1912 bore heavily
upon them in shaping the decision
for Hughes.
But those who fought Hughes on
the convention floor taunted his
supporters afterward with stories
on how he had refused to give
patronage to men who worked for
his election as governor.
You'll have to come to see us
if you want any jobs" they told
his supporters.
The country was at peace then,
but the great drive for prepared
ness was on. Hughes, in an I'M
precedented acceptance by tele-
graph, said the country's curse
in foreign affairs had been weak,
vacillating and inept.
II stand for the firm and I'M
finching maintenance of all t h e
rights of American citizens on land
and sea-" he wired the convention.
Il believe in making prompt
provision to assure absolutely our
national security. I believe in pre-
paredness, not only entirely ade-
quate for our defense with respect
to numbrs and equipment in both
army and navy, but with all thor
oughness to the end that in each
branch of the service there may
be the upmost efficiency under the
most competent administrative
heads"
Thereupon he resigned from the
supreme court and went campaign
ing. Theodore Roosevelt support
ed him. But Woodrow Wilson was
reelected.
In 1854, when the nation was
torn apart by civil strife, the pres
idential election went through all
of the usual processes. The demo-
Gratis damned into an amphithea-
tire on the lake shore in Chicago
and nominated Gen. George B. Nc
Lellan on the first ballot.
The democratic platform called
the a a failure, urged its i'm
mediate end and restoration of the
union by peaceable means. McLel-
Ian accepted the nomination b u t
repudiated the platform.
That made the campaign nc less
bitter. Something Of its flavor seep-
ed into the story that a cores
pondent of the New York Times
then a republican papers e n t
had been received in Washington
from Washington. He said the news
without enthusiasm, ever by
democrats.
THE selection. and adopt
ion of such a platform at a time
when the rebellion is upon it's
last legs. is regarded as moth
ing more nor less than an offer
to subject our army, navy and
government to the dictation of Jeff
Davis" He wrote.
On two other occasions, a S,
either prospective or in the process
of being fought, have collided with
presidential elections.
Henry Clay and Martin Van Bur-
en- appear to have reached an
agreement to keep the Texas ques-
ton out of the campaign of 1874.
They were the prospective oppos-
ing candidates of the Wing and
Democratic parties. They had a
chat together. Later, letters W e r e
published from both of them on
the same day saying they were
opposed to taking over Texas.
But the nation did not agree with
him. The letters cost Van Buren,
the democratic nomination. It went
to James X. Polk who wanted Tex
as. Clay, faced by a candidate
who disagreed with him over the
vital issue, found that the nation
agreed with Polk, even to the ex-
tent of a war with Mexico,