| Show I Just History I 1 By Albert F P. P Philio There is one law unwritten in the United States which has stood as the tho written law or of the nation since the he days of ot Washington That is Is that no man can mi rm the presidential chair for a longer period than did the father of ot his country Grant was was tho one who tried to set aside this law but hut he failed It has never been tried since It was in 1880 General Grant who during the tho ad administration administration administration ad- ad ministration of President Rutherford Rutherford Ruther Ruther- ford E Ii D. Hayes had made a tour or orthe orthe ortho the tho world had returned home His Ills tour had been in the nature of a triumphal triumphal tri tri- one He lie was paid homage that could not have been greater had he been president Courts cabInets cabinets cab cab- mets and high society of ot the world accorded him rank precedence and ceremony the same as if he had been I the chief magistrate of the country I His return to the United States States' and his trip across the continent was one continuous ovation It was honor showered I u uon upon jon the man whose crowning event in a military career was the surrender of Lee to I him at Appomattox It was a tribute trib trib- ute to the man who had served his country as president for two terms His tour of the world broadened his views and again placed him in the limelight of the world He believed d that ho he could place this newly acquired knowledge obtained ob ob- ob- ob tamed from a close Intercourse with leaders in the old world to greater use if he ho could succeed Hayes Inthe in inthe inthe the office of president Ho lie was urged by his friends frienda to enter the therace therace therace race and ho did While e a 4 4 year ear term as president had intervened since he lIe wt w was president It was be believed believed believed be- be that a a. third term could be had and Grant became a candidate before the tho Republican national convention con- con v His advent into the presidential contest started a political war and when on June 2 1880 the Republican can national convention convened in Chicago the greatest political battle in the history of the country was fought to a finish with the re result result re- re sult suit that a compromise candidate was named and Grant and his followers followers followers fol fol- fol- fol lowers went down do to defeat The deflection from the ranks of Grant amounted to nothing He lie start started d don on the first ballot with v votes otes to TO on th tho twenty-fifth twenty and held to given him on the eighth and which number stood b by him to the end The unwritten law proved again that it was law Jaw aw and could not be broken The battle continued for tor more than a week In fact no ballot was reached until the tle Monday of ot the second week of the convention Blame was again the idol of ot the convention His Ills friends had perfected perfected perfected per per- an organization that appeared ap nfl- invincible while the friends of ot Grant had done likewise with the result that it was impossible to bre break through Senator John Sherman Sherman Sherman Sher Sher- man had also a strong following and they like the tho two principal combatants combatants combatants comba comba- tants stood their chief Tho The commanders held their lines It was a to hand contest And there were others there thero that were wele political giants There Thero was Conkling Conkling Conkling Conk- Conk ling of New York proud and Im- Im p p rious and who handled the forces of of Grant It was the Now New York senator that thit when presenting the tho name namo of Grant to the convention was asked who his man was re replied replied re- re plied You ask me what his name namo IsMy IsMy Is la laMy My sole reply shall be beHe He lIe comes from Appomattox and The Sour Soar Apple tree There was Garfield and Harriso Blaine Blame and Logan n whO four tour years jears later were tho the nominees of the party party party par par- ty for president and vice president but who were defeated The unit rule was atte to be enforced but the force ot Blame Blaine prevented The battle was was' fought in the great auditorium and when the time camo came for the presentation of the names of candidates there thero were twelve thousand thousand thousand thou thou- sand persons in the big building Grants Grant's name was first presented Senator Conkling presented it While eloquent it was the tho kind of an address that not only did not win anyone from the opposition but it solidified the opposition At the Cincinnati convention I heard the eloquent address of Robert G G. Ingersoll Ingersoll Ingersoll In- In in presenting the name of Blaine Blame when he gave him the title of The Plumed Knight I listened to the address of Conkling in the Chicago convention Jt t was a magnificent magnificent magnificent mag mag- flight light of oratory but as assaid assaid assaid said it repelled Ins instead ld of attracted and it antagonized every follower of ot The Plumed Knight in the convention convention con con- for tor in eUlo eulogizing zing hi candidate candidate candi candi- date dato he attempted to te tear r down Blaine Blame and in so doing he he- declared that Grant was without patronage without committees without bureaus bureaus bureaus bu bu- bu- bu without emissaries without telegraph lines running Irom his house to the convention han hall or running running run ning from hi his house m Blaine Elaine's s name was pr prest f Mr Joy and I it t was a ITS ment for it was and not the kind that would a abig big gathering like lIe W pr tho the convention P The name of Senator Senator-Jo man of Ohio w was s pr pre S r rJames James JamesA A Garfield which n nature ture of a plea pla lot fot pea pea but was like t a not calculated to start s a stoward toward his candid candidate te names were presented et I B. B B 13 Washburne of Maine i been minister to Frances oran George I P. Edmunds f I Senator William Windo of I I ota sola This was i- i ithe the close of the first week o at lion ion |
