RECORD OF BALLOTS IN REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTIONS. T can National Gathering. HE first Republican National Convention held to nominate First Republi- There was a gathering of Republicans, which is sometimes called a National Convention, but which ought to be called a National Conference, in Pittsburg on February 22, 1856. This met in obedience to a call issued by the Chairman of the Republican State Committees of Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and Wisconsin, "for the purpose of perfecting the national organization and providing for a National Delegate Convention of the Republican party at some subsequent day, to nominate candidates for the Presidency and Vice-Presidency, to be supported at the election in November, 1856." Conference of 1856. At the Pittsburg gathering, in which there were representatives of The Pittsburg the Republican party from almost all the free States and from some of the slave States, a National Committee was appointed, which body called a National Delegate Convention to meet in Philadelphia on June 17, to nominate a Presidential ticket. Republican organizations had been formed in some of the Northern States in 1854, and in nearly all the rest of them in 1855. But from the Pittsburg Conference of February 22, 1856, the existence of the party as a national organization dates. At the Philadelphia Convention which was held June 17-19, 1856, all the free States, as well as Delaware, Maryland and Kentucky of the border slave region, were represented. Hon. Robert Emmet, of New York, was made Temporary President of the Convention, and Henry S. Lane, of Indiana, Permanent President. On an informal ballot this was the vote for candidate for President: 359 196 2 1 A National Organization Established. Convention of 1856. Fremont and Fremont was then unanimously nominated. An informal ballot was also had for Vice-President, with this result: Convention of 1860. Dayton then was unanimously nominated. The second Republican National Convention was held at Chicago May 16-18, 1860. It had representatives of the party from all the free States, and from Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri and Texas of the slave section, as well as from the Territories of Kansas and Nebraska, and from the District of Columbia. David Wilmot, of Pennsylvania, whose historic slavery restriction proviso of 1846 became the basis of the creed of the Free Soil and Republican parties, was made Temporary Chairman, and George Ashmun, of Massachusetts, Permanent President. Here are the votes for candidates for President and VicePresident on the different ballots: Lincoln and As Lincoln came within one and-a-half votes of the nomination on the third ballot, four votes were immediately transferred to him from Ohio, and then a stampede toward him took place, which gave him 354 votes, or 111 less than the whole convention. The nomination was then made unanimous. Two ballots were had for Vice-President, with this result, Hamlin getting the candidacy on the second ballot: Convention of 1864. Nathaniel P. Banks, of Massachusetts The third National Convention was held in Baltimore June 7-8, 1864. It was called a Union National Convention, and war Democrats as well as Republicans were represented in it. A large majority of the delegates, however, as well as of those for whom they spoke, were Repub licans. The call under which the convention met was addressed to all those who "desire the unconditional maintenance of the Union, the supremacy of the Constitution, and the complete suppression of the existing rebellion, with the cause thereof, by vigorous war and all apt and efficient means. As Temporary President, the Convention had Rev. Dr. Robert J. Breckinridge, uncle of John C. Breckinridge, Vice-President of the United States from 1857 to 1861, and then an officer in the Confederate army, and father of William C. P. Breckinridge, also a Confederate officer and recently (1885-1895) a Representative in Congress from Kentucky. The Permanent President was ex-Governor William Dennison, of Ohio. This was the vote on the only ballot had: Abraham Lincoln, of Illinois 494 The votes for Grant were those from Missouri, which were cast according to that State's instructions. Immediately after the ballot, however, they were transferred to Lincoln, whose nomination was made unanimous. This was the vote for candidate for Vice-President: Andrew Johnson, of Tennessee Hannibal Hamlin, of Maine. Daniel S. Dickinson, of New York 200 150 108 61 Johnson's lead being apparent before the result of the vote was declared, changes of votes immediately began, and Johnson received 494, Dickinson 17, and Hamlin 9. Thus Johnson was put on the Lincoln ticket. The fourth Republican National Convention assembled at Chicago. May 20-21, 1868. Carl Schurz, of Missouri, was the Temporary Chairman, and Joseph R. Hawley, of Connecticut, Permanent President. There was no contest for the Presidential candidacy. Ulysses S. Grant was nominated by a unanimous vote. For candidate for Vice-President this was the vote on the five ballots which were had, Schuyler Colfax, of Indiana, then Speaker of the House, being nominated: Lincoln and Convention of 1868. Grant and Convention of 1872. Grant and Convention of 1876. Philadelphia was the meeting place of the fifth Republican National Convention, and June 5-6, 1872, was the date at which it was held, Morton McMichael, of Pennsylvania, was the Temporary Chairman, and Thomas Settle, of North Carolina, was Permanent President. President Grant was renominated by a unanimous vote. The vote for candidate for the Vice-Presidency resulted thus, Wilson being chosen : The sixth Republican National Convention was held in Cincinnati on June 14-16, 1876. Theodore M. Pomeroy, of New York, was made Temporary Chairman, and Edward McPherson, of Pennsylvania, Permanent President. This was the vote for candidate for President, Rutherford B. Hayes being nominated on the seventh ballot: First Second Third Fourth Fifth Sixth Seventh Hayes and Convention of 1880. William A. Wheeler, of New York, Marshall Jewell, of Connecticut, Stewart L. Woodford, of New York, Joseph R. Hawley, of Connecticut, and Frederick T. Frelinghuysen, of New Jersey, were proposed as the candidates for Vice-President. As the voting proceeded a Connecticut delegate made a motion that Wheeler's nomination be declared unanimous, which was carried. At Chicago on June 2-8, 1880, the seventh National Republican Convention assembled. Senator George F. Hoar, of Massachusetts, was the Temporary Chairman and Permanent President. More ballots were cast in that Convention than in any other national gathering of the Republican party ever thus far held, or thirty-six in all. Here is the vote on the first, thirtieth, thirty-fourth, thirty-fifth and thirty-sixth ballots. The changes on the others were on the whole comparatively slight. Grant's highest vote, 313, is given in the table, and so is Sherman's, which was 120. Blaine's highest, 285, was on one of the omitted ballots. Garfield, who was nominated on the thirty-sixth ballot, received one vote on the second ballot, and received one or two votes on most of the ballots afterward until the thirty-fourth, when his votes jumped to seventeen. This was the vote for candidate for Vice-President on the only ballot Garfield and had, Arthur's nomination then being made unanimous : The eighth Republican National Convention was held at Chicago on June 3-6, 1884. John R. Lynch, of Mississippi, was made Temporary Chairman, beating Powell Clayton, of Arkansas, in a contest for that post. Lynch's vote being 431 and Clayton's 387. John B. Henderson, of Missouri, became Permanent President. This was the vote for presidential candidate, on the four ballots which were taken, Blaine's nomination being made unanimous after receiving his majority on the fourth ballot : Arthur. Convention of 1884 The ninth Republican National Convention was held in Chicago June 19-25, 1888, and had for Temporary Chairman John M. Thurston, of Nebraska, and for Permanent President M. M. Estee, of California. Here was the vote for candidate for President, Harrison getting the nomination on the eighth ballot: Convention of 1888. |