| Show I Picking the Presidents President Presidents No 1 When l-When When Honest Hone onest t Abe Was Nominated Nominated This Is the first of four articles articles articles arti arti- cles that will show you the color rivalries and strategies of national national national na na- political conventions that picked American presidents inthe Inthe in inthe the good old days dars By ALEXANDER R. R GEORGE WASHINGTON Whatever fireworks the Republicans and Democrats may touch off at Philadelphia and Chicago this years year's conventions will be as as Victorian mid-Victorian croquet contests compared with the gun- gun toting wows pow-wows of the past Go back to June 1856 when the newly organized Republican party held its first nominating convention I The controversy over extension n of slavery is at civil war stage in bloody Kansas Towns have been captured and ho houses ses burned Moderate leaders on both sides fearing the union will be smashed urge conciliation but most campaigners battle fierce fierce- ly An abolitionist senator from Massachusetts says President Pierce goes to the Democratic convention with the light of the burning dwellings of Kansas flashing upon his brazen brow Fremont Grappled Grizzlies Republicans meeting at Philadelphia Philadelphia Philadelphia Phila Phila- delphia choose as their standard standard standard stand stand- ard bearer General John C. C Fremont Fremont Fremont Fre Fre- mont of California Mexican war veteran and frontiersman as delegates shout Well go for Fremont he grappled with the grizzly bear and he beat the Indians He can lick the slave drivers Convention delegates from the far tar west carry long rifles come east by stage-coach stage running a gantlet of Indians The Democratic convention as assembles assembles assembles as- as in Cincinnati to the roar of the Empire clubs's artillery artillery ar ar tillery The Benton delegates from Missouri excluded from the convention hall knock down the doorkeepers to gain entrance Bowie knives and revolvers are aIe are flourished but no great h hat is done a repots newspaper Buchanan is tr nominated nominate o on lh seventeenth ballot and De n. n Delli cratic journals assert the cal black lack rad dI Republicans ns v are on oa thi run Buchanan wins i tha the dency but the RepUblicans ci pres S car and every sectional run northern strongly state In ln except tho those ft- ft Th f l W alignment is to iv sharply drawn for many Ya YearS Civil War in Air Comes 1860 and the nation IS 9 ff the brink of civil war Ch Chicago on oa young Babylon of the 3 westI jammed with Vi visitors to th the R Rr p publican bearded convention convention bear bearmen men in tall hats long coats coat iff and a d black boots Women in poke b biro nets shawls and hoop skirts skins N New Yorks York's William H H. Seward Is th the party's Pity's Horace leading presidential pos possibility P pS s Greeley and so soothers i others fear however that Sew Seward rd cannot carry Pennsylvania g a d Indiana essential states This paves the way for if a aL L n col coils colp boom The Seward ers stage a spectacular parade Lincoln managers pack th the w Vii warn huge JV convention hall hap with wll rooters for the Rail Splitter When marchers arrive at the Wigwam only the a accredited c C red It e dl Seward delegates can get in Ev Every Every ery vote for Lincoln brings brings' t tre tremendous cheering On the fi firs t ballot Seward has Lincoln ln On the second Seward 10 Lincoln picks up 15 75 The third ballot shows fj for Lincoln only 2 short of a 1 ma i Carter of Ohio stands oa or n his chair and says I I rise to ah an announce the change of four Ohio votes from Mr Chase to Abra ham Lincoln m mA A noise like the rush of ot a greS great wind fills the hall A large char chit charcoal coal picture of Abe is display d in the gallery One hundred guru guns are fired from the roof of ot the thi Fremont house J A Richmond Va newspaper says The union is sundered Next War service and whir whis- kers I 1 |
