Show HASKIN'S HASKINS STORIES OF NATIONAL CONVENTIONS POLK fiRST 1ST t DARK ORSE S Sk t k NOMINATED Van Buren Was Defeated I rby by th th Two thirds tw Ji ds Rule I He Had Originated DEl DEMOCRATIC f CONVENTION I I f OF OF 1844 W WAS s HISTORIC r telegraph le Was Fi First st Us Used d then and People Doubted Its Messages t i BY FREDERIC 3 J. J HASKIN The rt d dark Tl bo horse horo o oer o'er ever er nominated or or president nt of the United Stat States s was product l r of the national Democratic of ot 1844 This convention n-as n notable 1 le not only because of this act pact but because it was was one in an the traditional two thirds rule las oper operated ted to defeat a R candidate to hay have haveD D ng a D majority of the tho votes in the tho co con con- It rt is 15 also aiso notable because of oft f ft t tj connection with the first use of h ba telegraph f General Harrison had bad died after only I month in the tile white house and bal bado had bad l icon o succeeded fl by John Tyler a nomi- nomi nomi- nomi aI Whir Whig but in fact a Calhoun Demo Demo- ar His quarrel narrel with tho the Whig lead- lead re ri had gone ono to the the- extent that he be had bad organized his Ilis cabinet on a Democratic rand John C C. Calhoun was his of state The Fhe slavery cry flues flues- s becoming miu moro more and more mOle acute fid pi practically nd-practically ev everybody in the south well as a great man many people in iu Ut the th h dc desired ired the annexation of Texas Me he Texans lad had secured d their inde inde- dence from irona Me Mexico ico and were era knock knock- cK- cK at it the d door or of t the union n foi ol admission as is a state Tyler U lly in tn favor of annexation Democrats I had t been boen pr practically b siri in th the belief belie U a Mr fr Van Vana Vann a n a hould be tJ victory of ot 1 could n not t repeated d since inee the administration li 9 i x n. n EUc such a complete S 1 Wan Wn d f ye I i e e Whigs on the ot r hand were that this this- time n no consider in n not n of ot practical politics should t tb nomination of their popular r rI tJ I Henry Clay The abolitionist sen eDt in t the p D north rt h was ws as g and nl Democratic tc leaders were be bega beginning ning fear i fear division on the slavery ques iOn on The Whigs bv the very ver on of their party had always ys to con eon confer l fer Jer this difficulty Although bitter political enemies IIi lay and Van Buren were warm per per- wal l friends Mr Van an Duren Buren visited ft r. r Clay Ia at it his liis home honie at Ashland Ken KeD icky t 5 and an the discussed the he Texas They a agreed that it Jt was was' too o ot otto tto t to handle and md the they decided to it as an issue in the comin coming i n bJ a comm common n a agreement The convention was to be held hold in altimore May Mar 1 and the Democratic invention n r was to meet in the same saine city eity ray lay 27 In In those da s each of of the political es maintained official newspaper an ans as at Washington Pes P he e National represent- represent he le W Whigs ip's and tho Washington Globe Democrats On Oi April Arrit 27 21 there appeared in the lati rational na an open letter lettero rom o Mr fr CI Clay sayin saying that he wa was as 0 op op- to the annexation of Texas with with- at ut the consent of Mexico as 38 it would lean war tI nIthe the G Globe Globo obo on the thc very erv same eam day here was as an n open letter fr from m Mr Jrr Van I ren saying that ho he was opposed to toe tie e annexation of T Texas without the tho nt of Mexico as it would mean rii This remarkable coincidence of the publication of the il C Continued on p page e 2 l- l POLK FIRST DARK HORSE HORS NOMINATED Continued from 1 page pago a o 1 1 li cal views of f the two loading l a Hn candidates s for president caused a a. tremendous sen een sensation en S 4 Jackson D Deserts erts Van Van an Bure Buren I In the tho thoe tho e south th the Democrats wore practically unanimous in in demanding the annexation of 01 Texas not only because of the slavery question but also bo boi ea cause se th the Texas Tea pioneers and nd fi fighter who had won their then independence from Mexico were mostly southern men and tho the south could not but out have a strong etron sentimental regard d for the memory nemory o 0 ot Crockett eo could not but sympathize with the aspirations of Houston A A Ama majority majority ma I of the dele delegates ates to the Demo i cratto convention already had been in instructed in- in for Van Buren But in tho the south couth an an Van anti anti Buren movement gained rapid headway Andrew Jackson in retirement at the Hermitage was was- old but he had bad not lost his bis cunnin cunning Ho He had mado made Van Vau Buren president 01 the United States but VanBuren's Van VanBuren's Burens Buren's collusion with Clay on tho the Texas question absolved u Old bId Hickory Hick HickS Or or ory from further support of hia his N New NewYork York ork lieutenant A A. A Aletter letter published in tho thi Nashville Nash Union May 13 13 and si signed A Jackson Jack son when read in lathe the li light ht of at after events shows that tho the old general had already definitely decided to defeat Van Buren Duren and to nominate a dark hOr boree boro of ot his own choosing It is it probable that not even even Polk himself knew that early that he bad had been selected Religious Excitement Too The Democratic convention met May 27 Tho The first telegraph h line from Wash Wash- ington to Baltimore had been finished the ho day before but only a few experimental i i. i mental messages had been sent over It At the samo same time there was wae in in session in n Baltimore the general conference of the ho Methodist Episcopal church and the debates on the thc celebrated case of Bishop Andrew which were to result in the separation of the northern and southern sections of the church were in in progress Tho The know nothing 0 or native American American Ameri Amen can movement was under day dRY in Pennsylvania Penn Penn-I Penn sylvania and Baltimore was s then faring fear far in lug ing a repetition of the riots riot that had taken place in Philadelphia only a few lays days before when in a ri riotous tous battle between Know w 1 and Irish Catholics some eighty odd persons were slain The whole atmosphere was surcharged sun sur ur charged ed with excitement and the J peo people eo eo- plo pie were wore prepared for anything On the same samo day a a. convention of officeholders of styling itself the national Democratic TYler convention was meeting in Baltimore altimore nominating President Tyler as the Democratic can candidate candidate can can- n. n for president This movement soon perished mi miserably Used Two thirds Rule Sule Tho Democratic tlc convention m met t and nd Romulus M. M Saunders who had bad championed cham chain the two thirds rule in a a. a previous ous oui convention nominated dominated B. B Wright of Pennsylvania for temporary tempo tempo- r rry ry chairman Mr Wright having taken the chair Mr Saunders immedi immediately edi moved the adoption of ot the rules of the national conventions of 1832 and 1835 This This' meant ment nothing more nor less ess than thau tho the of the tho two thirds rule The opposition to Van Buren included ed many ed many of ot the southern louthern delegates who had been instructed to for tor hi him him- He would the on the first ballot banot for forthe these d delegates delegate mutt must follow their instructions But if tho two two- thirds rule c c. could nl b be hl enforced these same dele delegates could f few ballots bal lots with good race grace desert desort Van Buren Buren Bu Bu- ren Ten and so IlO o to some seine other matL man That this was tho whole purpose of the Saunders ders motion to readopt the rules of 1832 and 1835 was manifest to every everyone everyone one of at tho delegates present The Saunders motion was set aside at the time tim because of a parliamentary p objection tion but the North Carolina Carolin congressman con conS gressman renewed it at every evory opportunity and after a day and a a. half of earnest and bitter contention in which th the two thirds rule Jule found its chief champion in Robert Bobert J. J Walker of Mississippi Mis Mis- and its chief opponent in Beniamin Ben Ben- F. F Butler of New New- NewYork York the Saunders rs motion prevailed and the tho two thirds rule was adopted His Own Rule Boat Him The Jackson influence that had mado Van B Buren Thiren re had bad destroyed destroy d horn him and in destroying him it it had haded used ed tb the ie v very ry engine enne inv invented ed by Van VanS Baron Buran in Buzan-in in iii 1832 1632 to insure Van Buren Burens nomi nomination nomina a. a tion for the vice presidency ncy The Theto to two thirds two thirds rule which still prevails in Democratic conventions has bas nav nover r defeated do de but one ma man for or the tho h nomina nomination tion tien who had a majority of tho o o d delegates dele lt gates crates at any tune time during daring the balloting g and that Cue i man was the author 01 or orthe the rule rul Martin ruie Martin a Van va urn Ju n of N tw w York On the fi first t ballot V Van Buren uren f fOn h d 6 14 of ot the votes The Tho next net high hight est man was Lewis Cass of Michigan with 83 then camo Bichard I Johnon John John- Lou con of Kentucky Kentucky with wit 24 The others had only two or three votes each eal Seven ballots were taken that hat day Van au Buren had lost ground on eV oVery y ballot until on thIS the z seventh he be bad had only 99 votes as against for Cass Case 21 for Johnson and ancL 22 for James Buchan n an After the seventh th ballot the fight on tho the two thirds rule was WU rene when a delegate from froni Ohio offered a resolution stating that tbt Mr Van Bae Bu Ba- ren feu e having received a vote of the tha m majority ma ma- of the dele delegates tes in inthIs this convention conven tion tiou on tho the first ballot is is elected as the nominee nominea for or the office of pre president ident of at f the United States State Delegates Up Tip in the tIte Air This resolution threw th the tho conven- conven into bito treat great confusion On in which a a. delegate dele dole gate traIn from Pennsylvania on sylvani attempted to stampede the tho convention into nominating nominate in ing General Jackson The Tha confusion became greater eater and greater greiter epter and tho the thoc c chairman finally saved the day ay by are an ar arbitrarily adjourning the meeting That some soo ot of tho the Tennessee delegates close clOie to Ito General Jackson suggested n the name of Polk Folk Polk had served as u speaker of tho the h house oUla of representatives and was was if fairly i lY wen well known to the leadin leading politicians pol pot although ho had had been prominent en enough to sei seize e hold bold upon t the e l imagination of the people O On Ol- the first t b ballot the next day Polk received 44 4 votes vatu Van Buren lOt and Cats Cu On tho next and ninth bal lot every even vote vot was cast for lor Polk olk Gen General eral Butler of tho New York dele dele- cation gation arising and reading a a. letter o j withdrawal al from his chief Van Buren At tite r Polk was 8 n n nominated d the convention convention con can nominated Bil Wright of Nr New w York ork for vice president principally pari pally Yd ecat Vu be he e evaa wa vaa a an intimate friend en of 0 Van an Buren Bar urn n. n W Wouldn't Believe Telegraph Senator Wright ht was wa in the capitol at Washington Washinton hero a 1 large O crowd bad had gathered to heir hear the bulletins sent Bent b by t the tue e newly invented d' d te h graph from Bal Ba I to Washington when WIleD the news I e came 1 that Polk a a d da dark k b horse bOris was WU nominated ted many nany in the tha crowd refused i to believe it st on tho ground that the telegraph was wae a fake anyhow But But- Senator But Senator Wright ht did believe it and l he be also bel believed the now news of ot his own nomination it came He JIe was so indignant because became of the he treatment tnt th that t had hod been meted out to d Yan ui that he a telegram le ram d declining the the nomination n nand and ani sent cent it the it the first private telegram ever sent Tho The convention refused to believe that hat the tole telegraph ah was a agency ageny y for or communication and aw awaited ted th the confirmation by letter When it came caine M. M the he delegates nominated George Dallas allas to take tako his plate The Whig convention which had met mot May 1 had bad nominated Clay by acclamation acclamation acela- acela mation and had placed Theodore Fro Pro of New Jersey on the ticket The tho convention convention convention con con- as his running mate Whig was was' notable OI only y beca because so of its harmonious agreement Thus was joined the issue between Clay and end Polk in one of the most hotl hotly contested presidential campaigns s in our history history-a a. a campaign cam which resulted inthe inthe in m the he election of the dark Polk over OTer the theL popular hero heTo Clay that resulted re reo suited in the annexation of Texas and the he war with Mexico and that made mado the approaching conflict of the sixties e To Tomorrow NATIONAL CONVENTIONS four Sixty four Y Years WB Ago |