Ohio History Journal

OHIO

Archaeological and Historical

SOCIETY PUBLICATIONS

 

OHIO IN THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL

CONVENTIONS

 

BY CHARLES A. JONES

 

Since the organization of the Republican party in

1854, there have been nineteen national conventions of

the party. Only two of these have been held within the

borders of Ohio, but in their proceedings, taken as a

whole, no other state has even approximately played the

prominent part that has been given to sons of the Buck-

eye State. The nineteen volumes which officially record

the proceedings of these great conventions are full of

the sayings and doings of men from Ohio.

From eleven of the nineteen conventions, sons of

Ohio have emerged as nominees for President, and from

four others, as nominees for Vice-President. In only

five of the nineteen has no Ohio man been placed on

the ticket. Hayes, Garfield, McKinley (twice), Taft

(twice), and Harding were actual residents of Ohio

when nominated for President. Grant and Benjamin

Harrison, each nominated twice, were sons of the state

who resided elsewhere when nominated. Reid in 1892,

Fairbanks in 1904 and 1916 and Dawes in 1920 were

Ohio's Vice-Presidential sons. No actual resident of

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2        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

Ohio at the time of nomination has been named for

Vice-President. This is in striking contrast with the

neighboring state of Indiana, which has secured the

place of Vice-President often, but whose only nominee

for President was the second Harrison, a son of Ohio.

United States Senator C. C. Dill, of Washington

state--himself a son of Knox County, Ohio--empha-

sized this remarkable record at the memorial service in

the United States Senate for the late Senator Frank

B. Willis when he said: 'Every Republican President

who has entered the White House by the votes of the

people since the Civil War has come directly from Ohio

or been born in Ohio. The only other two Presidents

of the Republican Party who entered the White House

have entered by way of the Vice-Presidency." Herbert

Hoover, elected in November, 1928, is the first to break

the record in this respect.

Not only have Ohio men carried off more of the

prizes, but the state has to its credit, also, the two

speeches, which, of the many, contributed directly to

producing a nomination. Garfield's memorable speech

for John Sherman in 1880, especially great because of

its contrast in setting and in spirit with that of Roscoe

Conkling for Grant, might have helped Sherman had

the situation developed differently; as it was, the speech

helped to nominate the man who made it. The presen-

tation of the name of Warren G. Harding in 1920 by

his successor in the United States Senate, Frank B. Wil-

lis, is given credit as being the only nominating speech

that, to a substantial extent, actually helped the man for

whom it was intended.

The two presentations of the name of William Mc-

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4        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications Kinley by Joseph B. Foraker, in 1896 and in 1900, were examples of splendid eloquence. William H. West of Bellefontaine, "Blind man eloquent," presented the name of Blaine in 1884; Theodore E. Burton presented the

names of Taft in 1908 and of Warren G. Harding in 1912. But all of these merely contributed to the setting of a conclusion already almost predetermined. An Ohio man, Joshua R. Giddings, possibly with the co-operation of Salmon P. Chase, another distinguished

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Ohio in the Republican National Conventions  5

son of the state, wrote the first Republican national

platform in 1856. McKinley twice presented the plat-

form report, in 1884 and in 1888. Foraker presented

the platform in 1892 and 1896. Mark Hanna had much

to do with its writing in 1896 and in 1900. William

Dennison, Jr., was permanent chairman in 1864, Mc-

Kinley in 1892, and Harding in 1916. Theodore E.

Burton was temporary chairman in 1924 and Simeon

D. Fess in 1928.

Senators Foraker and Burton tie for participation in

more conventions than have been allotted to any other

sons of Ohio. Each officially participated in six, but

Senator Foraker's record was more notable than has

been that of Senator Burton, for in all six he was

accorded the high honor of being a delegate-at-large,

sitting as such successively from 1884 to 1904. But few

men of Ohio have been, even twice, delegates-at-large.

Once Senator Foraker placed Senator John Sherman in

nomination, once he seconded Sherman's nomination,

twice he presented the name of McKinley, twice he was

chairman of the Resolutions Committee. Then in 1908,

his name was formally presented for the Presidential

nomination, although his candidacy was largely over-

shadowed by that of his fellow townsman. William

Howard Taft.

Theodore E. Burton was a district delegate in 1904,

1908 and 1920. He was a delegate-at-large to the con-

ventions of 1912 and 1928. In 1908, he presented the

name of the nominee, Mr. Taft; in 1916 he was Ohio's

candidate for the Presidency. In 1920 he was tem-

porary chairman and "keynoter," receiving a substan-

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6        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

tial complimentary vote for Vice-President in the early

balloting for that office.

Former Governor Myron T. Herrick, later the dis-

tinguished ambassador of the United States to France,

sat on the Ohio delegation in five conventions, in 1888

and in 1896 as a district delegate, in 1904, 1908 and

1920 as a delegate-at-large. He seconded the nomina-

tion of former Senator Irvine L. Lenroot of Wisconsin,

for Vice-President in 1920.

There is an interesting story in the sequence of parts

coming to William McKinley and Warren G. Harding

in the record of the conventions. They grew from honor

to honor. Note this progress:

McKinley: 1884, Delegate-at-Large, Chairman Res-

olutions Committee; 1888, Delegate-at-Large, Chair-

man Resolutions Committee; 1892, Delegate-at-Large,

Chairman of the Convention, Recipient of many votes

for the Presidency; 1896 and 1900, Presidential nom-

inee.

Harding: 1904, Alternate-at-Large; 1912, Delegate-

at-Large; 1912, Delegate-at-Large, Presented Taft's

name; 1916, Delegate-at-Large, Chairman and keynote

speaker; 1920, Presidential nominee.

The story of Ohio in the conventions, however, has,

despite these splendid records, been somewhat like the

alleged course of true love. The delegates from the

Buckeye state have achieved some unenviable reputation

for their instability and lack of unity. "Ohio delegates

seldom  'stay put'--they were an unstable lot then

(1880)--as always," says Henry L. Stoddard in his

delightful book, As I Knew Them, recently issued. In

this he voices a feeling expressed over and over again

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Ohio in the Republican National Conventions  7

in writings relative to the various Republican National

Conventions. In 1920, even the Associated Press dis-

patches reporting a change of Cincinnati votes from

Harding to Wood stated that "the time had come for

Ohio to make its expected and usual breakup." The

feeling that Ohio delegations cannot be relied upon

creeps into the speeches of Ohio leaders from time to

time even in the official proceedings of the convention.

It is an interesting contrast to the fact that so many

nominations have come to Ohio.

The first, perhaps, to suffer materially from this lack

of unity, was Salmon P. Chase in 1860. Murat Hal-

stead, distinguished journalist of Cincinnati, wrote for

his paper at the time a vivid account of the discordant

elements present in the Ohio delegation from which

came the final votes needed to nominate Abraham Lin-

coln. In 1868, Senator Benjamin Wade was slaugh-

tered for the Vice-Presidential nomination by his own

delegation. Because the delegation would not stand by

instructions, Governor Dennison would not permit the

presentation of his name for Vice-President to the Con-

vention of 1872. Although Ohio men secured the nomi-

nation in 1880 and in 1888, John Sherman always felt

his own state more responsible than anything else for

the fact that he was not so honored--and his conclusions

in this regard are confirmed by the impressions of nu-

merous others prominent at the time.    Sherman's

tenacious hold on the delegation in 1888 was held by

Senator Foraker to have eliminated his only chance.

Although nominated, Taft had to contend with a divided

delegation in 1912 and Harding in 1920. Theodore E.

Burton suffered from rebellious elements, especially

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from Cincinnati, in 1916, and could not command any-

thing like united support, after the first ballot, when

spontaneously proposed as a candidate for Vice-Presi-

dent at Cleveland in 1924. A delegation that never

united, and part of which refused at the end to vote for

the nominee, was sent to Kansas City in 1928. There

are those, prominent in the nation, who do not hesitate

to say that the day for honors to sons of Ohio is over

unless the record of the future carries less of discord in

the Ohio delegations.

In the earlier days of the party, the National Com-

mittee did not receive the place of prominence that it

holds today. From the beginning until the adoption of

suffrage for women, each state had one member on that

committee. Since the adoption of the nineteenth amend-

ment, each state has had one man and one woman as a

member. The list from Ohio is as follows:

1856--Alfred P. Stone, Columbus. After his resig-

nation, Thomas Spooner, of Hamilton County.

1860--Thomas Spooner, Hamilton County.

1864--G. B. Senter, Cuyahoga County.

1868 and 1872--B. R. Cowen, Bellaire.

1876--A. T. Wikoff, Columbus, (Resigned); E. F.

Noyes, Columbus.

1880--W. C. Cooper, Knox County.

1884--A. L. Conger, Akron.

1888--Charles Foster, Fostoria.

1892--William M. Hahn, Mansfield.

1896--Charles L. Kurtz, Columbus.

1900--George B. Cox, Cincinnati.

1904--Myron T. Herrick, Cleveland.

1908--A. I. Vorys, Lancaster.

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Ohio in the Republican National Conventions  9

1912--Sherman Granger, Zanesville.

1916-1920--R. K. Hynicka, Cincinnati.

1924--Maurice Maschke, Cleveland, and Mrs. John

Gordon Battelle, Columbus.  (After Mrs. Battelle's

death, there was a vacancy for a time, and then, in 1927,

Mrs. Wilma Sinclair LeVan, Steubenville, was elected

as her successor.)

1928--Maurice Maschke, Cleveland; Mrs. Hugh

Clark, Steubenville.

The detailed story of Ohio's participation in Repub-

lican National Conventions follows:

Alfred P. Stone, Chairman of the Republican State

Committee and a little later State Treasurer, was one

of five signers calling the initial national gathering of

the party, which met at Pittsburgh on February 22,

1856, for the purpose of perfecting the National or-

ganization and providing for a national delegate con-

vention. To this Pittsburgh meeting, each state was

privileged to send as many persons as desired to attend,

and Ohio stood next to New York in point of numbers.

The most noted of these were Joshua R. Giddings,

in Congress and at the height of his fame; William Den-

nison, Jr., a future Governor; Joseph Medill, subse-

quently famous as editor of the Chicago Tribune; Su-

preme Judge Jacob Brinkerhoff, LaFayette G. Van

Slyke, John A. Foote, and Rufus Spalding, all of whom

took special part in the proceedings. Giddings spoke

twice, once challenging Greeley's plea for caution and

delay, and once prophesying that with the new party,

he could anticipate the end of the slavery question. His

speeches appear to have been electrical in their effect.

Stone was named as Ohio's first Republican National

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Committeeman. While Cincinnati and Cleveland were

both considered for the forthcoming National Conven-

tion, Philadelphia was chosen for strategic reasons.

In the first regular convention, assembled in the

Quaker City on "Bunker Hill" day, each state had six

delegates-at-large and three from each district. By the

time of the 1860 convention which was held in the city

of Chicago, this was reduced to four at large and two

for each district, which ratio remained, except in 1872

and 1912, until 1924, when a desire to give northern

states larger representation in proportion to the Repub-

lican vote, gave Ohio seven at large. Thomas Spooner

of Hamilton, Rufus P. Spalding of Cuyahoga, William

Dennison, Jr., and Alfred P. Stone of Franklin, John

Paul of Defiance, and Ephraim R. Eckley of Carroll,

were the first convention's delegates-at-large from Ohio.

Alphonso Taft, father of President Taft; George

Hoadly, afterwards Governor; James M. Ashley, who

later moved for the impeachment of President Andrew

Johnson; Joshua R. Giddings, Thomas Bolton; were

among the distinguished group representing the dis-

tricts.

Ohio men had prominent parts in all phases of the

convention. George Hoadly, with Moses E. Grinnell of

New York, escorted the temporary chairman to the plat-

form; Alfred P. Stone and Francis D. Kimball made the

motions from which the usual organization committees

resulted. Thomas Spooner became National Commit-

teeman; Noah H. Swayne, of Toledo, and Rufus P.

Spalding, of Cuyahoga, became Vice-Presidents, and

A. Sankey Latty, Secretary for Ohio. The platform is

said to have been largely written by Joshua R. Giddings.

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Ohio in the Republican National Conventions  11

The old-line Whigs had determined to nominate

George John McLean, of the United States Supreme

Court, and great confusion resulted when Judge

Spalding read a letter withdrawing McLean's name.

Another sensation was created when Thomas G. Mitch-

ell, of Hamilton, similarly withdrew the name of Gov-

ernor Salmon P. Chase. McLean's name was later re-

stored for consideration and he received numerous

votes. On the formal ballot, Ohio gave Fremont, the

nominee, 55 votes and McLean 14.

Prophetic of future days was Judge Spalding's

question, during consideration of the nominees for Vice-

President. The name of Abraham Lincoln had been

presented by Illinois, and Judge Spalding asked: "Can

Mr. Lincoln fight?"

Colonel Archer, of Illinois, is said to have jumped

at least eighteen inches from the floor, gesturing em-

phatically with both arms, as he answered emphatically,

"Yes. Have I not told you he was born in Kentucky?

He's strong mentally, he's strong physically, he's strong

every way."

The incident, however, probably hurt rather than

helped Lincoln's chances in this convention. Ohio voted

65 for William L. Dayton of New Jersey, the nominee,

2 for Lincoln, 1 for Wilmot and 1 for Clay.

In all the history of Republican National Conven-

tions, with many dramatic scenes centering around sons

of Ohio, there is no more dramatic story than that cen-

tering around the convention of 1860. To Ohio fell the

great privilege of casting the votes that finally made

Abraham Lincoln the nominee. It is, however, quite

within the range of possibility that, if the delegation

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12      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

had not begun, with this convention, the history of dis-

united delegations that has given the state's representa-

tion in Republican National Conventions no little dis-

favor, the nominee might have been Salmon P. Chase

of Ohio.

Chase had been endorsed, 383 to 69, by the State

Convention, but the delegation was by no means a unit

for him. There was a faction for "Old Ben" Wade, and

another for Judge McLean. Writing to the Cincinnati

Commercial, on the evening of the convention's first

day, Murat Halstead, who has left the most vivid ac-

count of the proceedings extant, said: "The Ohio dele-

gation continues so divided as to be without influence.

If united it would have a favorable influence, and might

throw the casting votes between candidates, holding

the balance of power between the East and the West."

Halstead and others discuss this division in Ohio as

having a most important bearing on the convention's

outcome. The Wade movement, born in Washington

and possibly tied up to some extent by senatorial aspira-

tions of some of its promoters, had little chance of itself,

but it, together with McLean's Whig remembrances of

Chase's alliance with Democrats twelve years before in

a Senatorial fight, were sufficient to eliminate Chase

"whose very greatness made him a weak candidate,"

in the words of Professor Albert Bushnell Hart.

D. K. Cartter, of Cleveland, afterwards Chief Jus-

tice of the District of Columbia; V. B. Horton, of Pom-

eroy; Thomas Spooner, of Reading; and Conrad Broad-

beck, of Dayton, were Ohio's delegates-at-large.

Former Senator Thomas Corwin, of Lebanon, one of

Ohio's greatest men; William H. West, "Blind man

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Ohio in the Republican National Conventions  13

eloquent" of Bellefontaine; Jonathan Renick, of Cir-

cleville, grandfather of the present Assistant Secretary

of Agriculture; Columbus Delano, of Mt. Vernon, fu-

ture Secretary of the Interior; and Joshua R. Giddings

were among distinguished names in the delegate list.

Samuel Stokely, of Steubenville, sat on the Committee

of Credentials, R. M. Corwine, of Cincinnati, on Busi-

ness, and Joseph H. Barrett, of Cincinnati, on Resolu-

tions. George D. Burgess, of Troy, was Ohio's Vice-

President, and H. Y. Beebe, of Ravenna, Secretary.

When the resolutions were presented, the venerable

Joshua R. Giddings offered an amendment which came

close to having a vital effect upon the future develop-

ments of the convention. The amendment provided that

"we solemnly reassert the self-evident truths that all

men are endowed by their creator with certain inalien-

able rights, among which are those of life, liberty and

the pursuit of happiness; that governments are insti-

tuted among men to secure the enjoyment of these

rights."

When this was defeated, Mr. Giddings arose and

made his way slowly towards the door; even the Decla-

ration of Independence, as he thought, had been voted

down. Delegates begged him to stay, and finally, when

he reached the New York delegation, he yielded. A

little later, George William Curtis secured substantially

the same provision in a different way, and so saved the

day.

Nominating speeches in those days were not the

long drawn-out affairs they have since become. Scarcely

ten minutes was required for presentation of all the

names. Thomas Corwin presented "at the request of

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14       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

many gentlemen," the name of John McLean. Colum-

bus Delano, "on behalf of a portion of the delegation

from Ohio" rose "to put in nomination the man who

can split rails and maul Democrats--Abraham Lincoln."

Mr. Cartter presented the name of Governor Chase.

Then the Convention voted. Ohio gave Lincoln 8 votes,

McLean 4 and Chase 34. Chase had a total of 49 votes

and McLean 12. Wade received 3. On the second bal-

lot, Lincoln received 14 from Ohio, McLean 5 and Chase

29. Chase's total went down to 42 1/2. The dramatic

moment was approaching.

In the third ballot, Ohio gave Chase 15, McLean 2,

and Lincoln 29 votes. As the roll was concluded, Lin-

coln had within 1 1/2 votes of enough. Halstead tells

the story best:

"The news went over the house wonderfully, and

there was a pause. There are always men anxious to

distinguish themselves on such occasions. I looked up

to see who would be the man to give the decisive vote.

In about ten ticks of a watch Cartter, of Ohio, was up.

I had imagined Ohio would be slippery enough for the

crisis; and sure enough; every eye was on Cartter, and

everybody who understood the matter at all knew what

he was about to do. ... He has an impediment in his

voice, which amounts to a stutter. He said: 'I rise (eh),

Mr. Chairman (eh) to announce the change of four

votes of Ohio from Mr. Chase to Mr. Lincoln.' The

deed was done. There was a moment's silence . . .

there was a noise in the Wigwam like the rush of a

great wind in the van of a storm; and in another breath

the storm was there." Beebe, Cartter, Hassaurek, of

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Ohio in the Republican National Conventions  15

Cincinnati, and Corwin were the four delegates whose

votes had been changed.

Ohio supported Hannibal Hamlin of Maine for

Vice-President with all 46 votes on both ballots.

The Convention of 1864, which met in Chicago, was

known as the "National Union Convention." Ohio's

delegates-at-large were William Dennison, David Tod,

governors; Columbus Delano of Mt. Vernon, and G.

Volney Dorsey of Columbus. New names made up the

district delegate list. Other than locally, there is not a

famous name in the list.

Governor Dennison became the permanent chair-

man, David Tod, Vice-President from Ohio; J. C.

Devin, of Mt. Vernon, secretary. Aaron F. Perry, of

Cincinnati, represented the state in the Committee on

Resolutions, Mr. Dorsey on Credentials. E. F. Drake,

of Xenia, was Chairman of the Committee reporting

Permanent Rules. Ohio took only a minor part in the

discussions. The state voted solidly for Andrew John-

son for Vice-President.

Ohio was strong for the program determined upon

in advance to nominate General Ulysses S. Grant for

President at what was this time "The National Union

Republican Convention," assembling in Chicago, May 20

and 21, 1868. The state convention endorsed Grant,

and with some less degree of unanimity, Benjamin F.

Wade, for Vice-President.                It strongly denounced

President Andrew  Johnson.             The delegates-at-large

were Frederick Hassaurek, talented German-American

orator and editor of Cincinnati; John C. Lee, of To-

ledo; John A. Bingham, of Harrison; and James Scott,

of Warren. Thomas C. Jones, of Delaware, was Chair-

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16       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

man of the delegation; Orville C. Maxwell, of Dayton,

Secretary; James Scott, Committeeman on Credentials;

John C. Lee, Committeeman on Resolutions. The dele-

gation at its meeting voted that from first to last the

vote of Ohio should be cast for Benjamin F. Wade as a

candidate for Vice-President. The failure to live up to

this resolution helped to defeat Wade and added to the

reputation Ohio's delegation had gained in 1860 for in-

consistency.

Mr. Hassaurek gave a very scholarly, although

somewhat lengthy address to the convention, and Ohio

took part in the general discussions. When the roll for

nomination of Grant was called, Chairman Jones re-

sponded: "Ohio has the honor of being the mother of

our great Captain. Ohio is in line, and on that line

Ohio proposes following this great Captain, who never

knew defeat; to fight it out through the summer, and

in the autumn, at the end of the great contest, and to

be first in storming the intrenchments, until victory shall

be secured, and all the stars that glitter in the firma-

ment of our glorious constellation shall again be re-

stored to their proper order, and all the sons of freedom

throughout the whole earth shall shout for joy." Grant

received all the state's 42 votes. Chaplain McCabe, of

Athens, was one of a trio that stirred the convention

with a song especially written by George F. Root, of

Erie County, on the theme, "We'll Fight it Out Here."

Mr. Hassaurek presented the name of Wade for

Vice-President, emphasizing his reputation as "Honest

Ben."  Carl Schurz, of Missouri, Rufus Spalding, of

Ohio, and Jones of North Carolina seconded it. But

he did not secure the nomination. On the first ballot,

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Ohio in the Republican National Conventions  17

the Ohio delegates followed their resolution and voted

solidly for Wade. On the second ballot, four swung to

Colfax of Indiana; on the third ballot, five; then six.

There was just enough desertion to break Wade's line.

At the end, in seconding General Sickles' motion that

the nomination of Colfax be made unanimous, Chair-

man Jones, of the Ohio delegation, said: "Was there

ever such a contest as this, in which Ohio had the lead-

ing nag in the race, and nearly had the leading nag on

the home stretch, and yet is denied the poor privilege of

first congratulating the winner?"  Three cheers for

Ohio and three cheers for Wade ended the incident.

B. R. Cowen, of Bellaire, became National Commit-

teeman.

Four years later, the "National Union Republican

Convention" again met at Philadelphia, June 5 and 6,

1872. Ohio Republicans stood for the renomination of

President Grant but desired former Governor William

Dennison for Vice-President. The delegates-at-large

were Jacob Mueller, Cleveland; Samuel Craighead,

Dayton; J. Madison Bell, Toledo; and Henry Kessler of

Hamilton. The alternates were Samuel M. Titus, of

Meigs; William A. Walden, of Jefferson; Joseph Bruff

of Mahoning and Sylvester Everett, of Cuyahoga.

Rutherford B. Hayes was Ohio's representative on the

Resolutions Committee. E. F. Noyes, of Columbus;

T. W. Saunders, of Youngstown; W. D. Bickham, of

Dayton; Aaron Pardee of Wadsworth were well-known

names on the delegation. H. S. Bundy, father-in-law

of J. B. Foraker, was an alternate-at-large. B. R.

Cowen was again elected a member of the National

Committee.

Vol. XXXVIII--2

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18      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

Seconding the nomination of Grant, Ohio pledged

him a fifty thousand majority. Once again, division

appeared in the delegation regarding support of an Ohio

candidate for Vice-President, and learning of the same,

Governor Dennison peremptorily withdrew his name.

It was not presented. Governor Noyes spoke for Henry

Wilson of Massachusetts and Mr. Bickham spoke for

Mr. Colfax of Indiana. Wilson received 30 of the Ohio

votes and Colfax 14.

The word "Union" was no longer a part of the

party name as reported for the Convention of 1876.

The gathering at Cincinnati, June 14, 15 and 16, was

simply a "Republican National Convention." Such

simple things as danger from lighting new gas fixtures

for an evening session, necessitating an over-night ad-

jolurnment; a slight sunstroke suffered by James G.

Blaine the Sunday preceding the Convention, and a re-

buffed call of sympathy, played, in this Convention,

master parts for destiny and helped to bring about the

nomination of Ohio's Governor, Rutherford B. Hayes,

for the Presidency. The Convention was also to put

into force the vital and far-reaching rule that delegates

could vote as individuals and not be bound by state unit

rules.

It is interesting to note that, upon this most impor-

tant decision, affecting every Convention thereafter,

Ohio voted 30 to 14 for the unit rule.

Ohio's delegates-at-large to this Convention were

Benjamin F. Wade, of Jefferson, appearing for the last

time; Governor Edward F. Noyes, of Cincinnati; J.

Warren Keifer, of Springfield, Speaker of the National

House of Representatives; and William H. Upson, of

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Ohio in the Republican National Conventions  19 Akron. Charles H. Grosvenor, of Athens, was an al- ternate-at-large as was Samuel Craighead, of Dayton, chairman of a former convention delegation. Wade was Ohio's Vice-President, and L. J. Critchfield, of Co-

lumbus, Secretary. Edwin C. Cowles, of Cleveland, was on the Resolutions Committee. Robert G. Ingersoll, in presenting the name of James G. Blaine, made his famous "Plumed Knight" speech, one of the most famous of the national convention ad- dresses. The name of Governor Hayes was presented

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20       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

by General Edward F. Noyes and seconded by Benja-

min F. Wade, Augustus St. Gem, of Missouri, and James

W. Davis, of West Virginia. On the first ballot Hayes

had but 61 votes, while Blaine had 285. After the sixth

ballot, in which Hayes climbed to 113 votes, the anti-

Blaine forces withdrew five candidates, with the result

that the seventh ballot stood: Hayes 384, Blaine 351,

Bristow, of Kentucky, 21. Hayes was nominated. Ohio

voted for him solidly on every ballot. William A.

Wheeler received the Ohio votes for Vice-President

and was the nominee. A. T. Wikoff, of Columbus, be-

came Ohio's member of the Republican National Com-

mittee, but resigned and Edward F. Noyes succeeded

him.

James A. Garfield, whom Joseph G. Cannon, of Il-

linois (afterwards the famous "Uncle Joe"), classed in

a conversation with the late Senator Willis as "beyond

all question the most brilliant statesman of all that I

have known", was the outstanding figure of the turbu-

lent Seventh Republican National Convention, held in

Chicago, June 2 to 8, 1880. Garfield, as the newly

elected Senator from Ohio, went to the Convention as

leader of the forces favoring the nomination of John

Sherman for President. Destiny was to make him a

leader in much more than that. He was the outstanding

contender against the third-term proposal for General

Grant, and as such was dramatically before the Con-

vention, first in opposition to the motion of the pompous

Roscoe Conkling by which all delegates would be bound

to support the nominee; and soon after, as Chairman

of the Committee on Rules, presenting a resolution af-

firming the 1876 Convention's action and eliminating

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Ohio in the Republican National Conventions   21 the unit rule. Garfield's courteous conduct, in striking contrast to the sneering, overbearing attitude of Conk- ling, won for him an affection in the Convention seldom given any man.

The scene connected with the nominating speeches at this Convention has been often described; in no other convention of any party, save perhaps at the Demo- cratic Convention of 1896, has there been anything even approaching it in dramatic intensity. Roscoe Conkling presented the name of General Grant, but before he

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22        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

could begin his speech, there was a demonstration last-

ing almost fifteen minutes.    As Mr. Stoddard says:

"Then, in a deep tone that sounded through that meet-

ing hall like a great cathedral organ, he began the

memorable speech for Grant--

"'And when asked what State he hails from

Our sole reply shall be,

He hails from Appomattox

And its famous apple tree.'"

A full half-hour of tumult followed the conclusion of

the speech; a tumult that was not planned deliberately

as have been most of the demonstrations in the later

conventions.

Into this tumult came Garfield, waiting until it sub-

sided before beginning his speech in behalf of Sherman.

Few knew better than he that if he were to win, it must

be by the element of contrast, for his powers were of

a far different order from those of Conkling. Waiting,

at the same table from which Conkling had spoken, until

the tumult had quieted, the Ohio statesman began with

a description that is unequaled in all the history of na-

tional convention oratory. These were his opening

words:

Mr. President, I have witnessed the extraordinary scenes

of this Convention with deep solicitude. Nothing touches my heart

more quickly than a tribute of honor to a great and noble char-

acter; but as I sat in my seat and witnessed this demonstration,

this assemblage seemed to me a human ocean in tempest. I have

seen the sea lashed into fury and tossed into spray, and its gran-

deur moves the soul of the dullest man; but I remember that it is

not the billows but the calm level of the sea from which all

heights and depths are measured.

When the storm is past and the hour of calm settles on the

ocean, when the sunlight bathes its peaceful surface, then the

• 22
 

Ohio in the Republican National Conventions  23

 

astronomer and surveyor take the level from which they measure

all terrestrial heights and depths.

"Not in the turbulent convention," he continued,

"but by 4,000,000 of Republican firesides, in the quiet

hours, there God prepares the verdict which will de-

termine the wisdom of our work tonight," Garfield went

on.

Garfield's calmness and force soon made the Conven-

tion forget Conkling's satire and invective. Like a tidal

wave the feeling went over the delegates that here was

really "the man of the hour" in case of a deadlock.

When he asked, "What does the convention want?" a

voice from the gallery disrupted the Convention by

shouting, "We want Garfield." One of the greatest of

all the nominating speeches, it did not help Sherman,

but it made Garfield a place among the American im-

mortals. Forty years later, another son of Ohio, re-

membering these scenes of which he had read and often

talked, familiar with the effect, used much the same

tactics to aid in bringing about the nomination of

another Ohio candidate for the Presidency.

The Convention could not nominate by Saturday

night and went over Sunday. Sherman received 93

votes. Ohio again added to her reputation for uncer-

tainty in Republican National Conventions.  Despite

specific instructions for Sherman given in the state con-

vention, nine Ohio delegates determined to vote for

James G. Blaine and did so. Sherman, in his memoirs,

says this action and its attendant bitterness resulted in

Blaine's failure to secure the nomination. Sherman

says neither he nor Blaine was able thereafter to swing

their forces for either. as might easily have been done

• 23
 

24       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

had not these nine Ohio delegates so acted. Sherman

thought it probable also that if Ohio had been solid for

him, he might have been nominated and he never for-

gave these bolters. As it was, the distinguished Ohio

Senator never received more than 120 votes. The swing

to Garfield began to be evidenced on the thirty-fourth

ballot, and Garfield arose to ask that votes be not cast

for him. He was ruled out of order, and on the thirty-

sixth ballot was nominated. "I do not think I ever saw

a man so overcome as was Garfield when it was an-

nounced that he was the nominee," says Senator Hoar

in his autobiography. Ohio was jubilant. Senator

Sherman, writing twenty-five years later, was not able

quite to forget that the man who led his delegation,

received the honors he could not have.

Ohio's delegates-at-large in 1880 were William Den-

nison, James A. Garfield, Charles Foster (Governor)

and Warner M. Bateman, of Cincinnati. W. C. Coo-

per, of Knox County, was elected National Committee-

man.

Three new names of great importance to the political

history of Ohio come into the picture with the Conven-

tion of 1884 in Chicago: Joseph B. Foraker, Marcus A.

Hanna, and William McKinley. Each was on the dele-

gation for the first time. All three had been elected

delegates-at-large by acclamation, and the fourth was

William H. West, "Blind man eloquent" of Bellefon-

taine. The alternates-at-large were all colored men.

McKinley became Chairman of the Committee on Reso-

lutions and so had a prominent place in the proceedings,

while Foraker presented the name of John Sherman as

a candidate for President. Sherman in his autobiog-

• 24
 

Ohio in the Republican National Conventions  25

raphy avers he was not much interested in this 1884

nomination, but Foraker in his Notes of a Busy Life

prints correspondence quite contradictory to Mr. Sher-

man's remembrances.

Once again, Ohio was not a unit. The magnetic

name of Blaine had loyal supporters in the state, and

Judge William H. West, who had voted for Lincoln in

the Convention of 1860, presented to the Convention the

name of the statesman from Maine. Both West's and

Foraker's speeches were of a high order and well com-

mended at the time.

The delegation split, 24 to 22, on an early vote over

chairman. On the first ballot for President, Ohio stood

21 for Blaine and 25 for Sherman. McKinley was for

Blaine; Hanna stood with Foraker for Sherman. The

Ohio statesman, however, received but five votes from

other states and his cause was known to be hopeless.

The second ballot was 23 to 23; the third, 25 for Blaine

and 21 for Sherman; the fourth and last, all for Blaine.

General J. S. Robinson, of Kenton, spoke seconding the

nomination of General John A. Logan for Vice-Presi-

dent, and Ohio cast a solid vote for Logan. Foraker

was on the Committee to notify Blaine of his nomina-

tion. A. L. Conger of Akron was elected National Com-

mitteeman.

The story of the 1888 Convention does not appear

upon the surface. It appears Senator Foraker came

nearest in his life to the Presidential nomination in the

"wee small hours" of the Convention's final night and

might have been nominated had he not refused con-

sideration of any offer so long as John Sherman was

a candidate. McKinley, who received votes, remarked

• 25
 

26       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

afterwards that he supposed he came nearer the Presi-

dency in this convention than he ever would again. Both

refused to be put in the situation similar to that of Gar-

field in 1880. Out of the convention, if memoirs may be

believed, also came a severance of several years' political

alliance between Senator Foraker and Mr. Hanna.

Hanna, thereafter, centered his affections on McKinley.

Such a trifling thing as the location of rooms played

a part in this. Hanna and Foraker supporters, now

aging men, still talk with bitterness of the events at

this convention; still make flings at either Hanna or

Foraker.

This Convention was held at Chicago, June 19 to 25.

For once the delegation was solidly and honestly for

Sherman, although under the surface it is plainly to be

seen all was not enthusiasm for the unmagnetic, cold

Senator who gave such distinguished service for almost

half a century. Foraker, McKinley, Charles Foster,

and Benjamin Butterworth of Cincinnati were the dele-

gates-at-large. Myron T. Herrick and Mark Hanna

represented the 21st district. For the second time, Mc-

Kinley was chairman of the Committee on Resolutions

and presented its report. Foraker was one of the even-

ing speakers, and after the name of Sherman had been

presented by D. H. Hastings of Pennsylvania, he sec-

onded it in an enthusiastic manner. On the first four

ballots, Sherman received all 46 Ohio votes. On the

fifth, J. B. Luckey, of Elmore, voted for Harrison and

continued to do so through the remainder of the eight

ballots, all others remaining loyal to Sherman, whose

highest vote in the Convention was 230, or 186 less than

enough.

• 26
 

Ohio in the Republican National Conventions  27 Between the fifth and sixth ballots, the Convention adjourned over Sunday. Senator Foraker tells how, at the now historic hour of two o'clock on Monday morn-

ing, Senator Elkins of West Virginia, Hon. Samuel Fessenden of Connecticut and others, awoke him and told him of a plan to throw the entire Blaine strength to Foraker if he would accept the nomination. He de-

• 27
 

28       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications dined because of telegrams sent to Sherman and the "nominating group" then decided to support General Benjamin Harrison who was nominated, with but one vote from Ohio, after McKinley, from the floor, had also refused consideration of his name.

William H. Giffin, of Tiffin, a member of the 1856 Convention, was received with applause. On the vote for Vice-President, Ohio divided among three candi- dates but gave 30 votes to Levi P. Morton, the nominee. Charles Foster was elected Ohio's member of the Na- tional Committee.

• 28
 

Ohio in the Republican National Conventions  29

When the 1892 Convention met at Minneapolis, June

7 to 10, William McKinley, Joseph B. Foraker, Gov-

ernor Asa S. Bushnell, and William M. Hahn, of Mans-

field, were the delegates-at-large. George B. Cox, of

Cincinnati, was on the delegation for the first time, and

Governor George K. Nash was a member. Foraker this

time was Chairman of the Committee on Resolutions,

and McKinley was Chairman of the Convention.

McKinley received votes for President from many

states, the total being 182. Ohio gave him 44 and Har-

rison 2. McKinley challenged the vote of his alternate,

cast while he was chairman, and later moved that Har-

rison's nomination be made unanimous. The Conven-

tion was so pleased with McKinley's chairmanship that

it passed a special resolution, wishing him well politi-

cally and personally. Foraker was placed on the Com-

mittee to notify Harrison. William M. Hahn was

elected National Committeeman.

The two following Conventions, 1896 and 1900,

were distinctly Ohio in flavor. That of 1896 met in

St. Louis, June 16-18. Foraker, Bushnell, Hanna,

and General Charles H. Grosvenor of Athens, were

Ohio's delegates-at-large. Herrick represented the

twenty-first district. General Grosvenor became chair-

man of the Committee on Permanent Organization,

Foraker chairman of the Committee on Resolutions.

John R. Malloy, of Columbus, was a reading clerk.

In the dramatic moments when Senator Teller

moved a substitute for the "gold standard" plank, For-

aker moved that the substitute be laid on the table, and

Ohio and the Convention sustained him fully. Teller

and his followers withdrew from the Convention. Later,

• 29
 

30       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications Foraker made a noted speech placing McKinley in nom- ination for President, an ovation of twenty-five minutes following. This time Ohio was united and cast all 46 votes for the nominee, who received 661 1/2 of a total

of 930. Garrett A. Hobart, of New Jersey, who was nominated for Vice-President, received 25 Ohio votes, two others receiving the remainder. Mr. Hanna was named on the Committee to notify the Presidential nominee, and also as Chairman of the Republican National Committee. Charles L. Kurtz, of

• 30
 

Ohio in the Republican National Conventions  31

Columbus, was National Committeeman. Charles Dick,

of Akron, was Secretary of the National Committee,

William M. Hahn, of Mansfield, was in charge of the

Speakers' Bureau at Chicago, and Perry Heath, in

charge of the Literary and Press Bureau at Chicago.

Ohio had much to do with the campaign in which it is

estimated some three hundred million pieces of literature

was distributed.

Incidentally, it should be noted that a son of Ohio,

Hon. Charles W. Fairbanks, of Indiana, was temporary

chairman of this Convention.

The 1900 Convention met in Philadelphia, June 19,

20 and 21. So far as the renomination of McKinley was

concerned, it was simply a ratification meeting. The

real story centers around how Tom Platt of New York

compelled Mark Hanna to accept Theodore Roosevelt

as the nominee for Vice-President.

Hanna was not favorable to the nomination of the

New Yorker, but yielded to what were virtually threats

against the peace and harmony of the Convention.

Ohio's delegates-at-large this year were George K.

Nash, Joseph B. Foraker, Charles H. Grosvenor, and

Charles Dick. Charles Foster was an alternate-at-large.

George B. Cox and Charles P. Taft were on the dele-

gation. John R. Malloy was an assistant secretary and

E. L. Lampson, of Jefferson, a reading clerk. Senator

Foraker again presented the name of President McKin-

ley. The President's friend from childhood, Joseph G.

Butler, Jr., of Youngstown, was on the Committee to

formally notify him, George B. Cox was named as mem-

ber of the National Committee, and Myron T. Herrick

• 31
 

32       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications on the advisory committee. Mark Hanna was again National Chairman. At the Chicago Convention, June 21, 22 and 23, 1904, Ohioans were present, of course, but they did not have the conspicuous parts that came to sons of the

state in other Republican National Conventions. The delegates-at-large were Myron T. Herrick, George B. Cox, Charles Dick and Joseph B. Foraker. R. K. Hynicka came into the list as an alternate from the first district, Theodore E. Burton as a delegate from the twenty-second, Warren G. Harding as an alternate-at-

• 32
 

Ohio in the Republican National Conventions  33

large, and Harry M. Daugherty as a delegate from

the seventh. Senator Foraker made a fight to give

Hawaii six delegates and lost it; he also presented a

distinguished soldier of the Civil War, General Peter

J. Osterhaus; later, for Ohio, he seconded the nomi-

nation of Charles W. Fairbanks for Vice-President.

Myron T. Herrick was elected National Committeeman.

Elmer Dover was secretary of the National Committee.

By 1908, however, at Chicago, Ohio was back in the

limelight. The support of the candidacy of William

Howard Taft, of Cincinnati, by President Roosevelt,

again turned the spotlight on the state, where Taft had

to fight for the delegation against Joseph B. Foraker,

who, an active candidate this time, had a small part of

the Ohio delegation. The delegates-at-large were An-

drew L. Harris, Governor, Myron T. Herrick, A. I.

Vorys, of Lancaster, who was manager of the Taft

campaign, and Charles P. Taft, of Cincinnati, the candi-

date's brother. George B. Cox, Wade H. Ellis, General

J. Warren Keifer, Harry M. Daugherty, and Theodore

E. Burton were other members of the delegation. John

R. Malloy was general secretary. Taft's name was pre-

sented to the Convention by Mr. Burton, and Foraker's

by C. B. McCoy, of Coshocton. Ohio gave Taft 42 votes

and Foraker 4. Taft received a total of 702 votes and

Foraker 16. To stampede the Convention Roosevelt sup-

porters staged a tremendous demonstration, but Chair-

man Lodge had the roll call continued nevertheless, mar-

shalling for Taft a larger vote than even his backer,

President Roosevelt, had anticipated. The state's vote

was divided for Vice-President: 26 votes went to J. S.

Sherman of New York, the nominee, and 10 each to

Vol. XXXVIII--3

• 33
 

34       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications candidates from New Jersey and Massachusetts. A. I. Vorys became Ohio member of the National Committee, and General Keifer was on the Committee to formally notify President Taft.

The year 1912 brought the inter-party contest be- tween former President Roosevelt and President Taft, a candidate for re-nomination. A bitter primary fight

• 34
 

Ohio in the Republican National Conventions  35

was staged in Ohio, where the Roosevelt forces captured

34 of the delegates, leaving 14 to President Taft, whose

forces secured the delegates-at-large.  These were

Harry M. Daugherty, Warren G. Harding, David J.

Cable of Lima, Theodore E. Burton, A. I. Vorys, and

Charles P. Taft. The Convention met in Chicago, June

18 to 22, and was hard fought from start to finish. Mr.

Roosevelt personally led his own fight, and on Monday

evening before the Convention made his famous "Ar-

mageddon" speech. On the contest over the chairman-

ship of the Convention, John J. Sullivan, of Cleveland,

in behalf of the 34 Roosevelt delegates, seconded the

the nomination of Governor Francis E. McGovern for

Permanent Chairman, but McGovern was defeated.

Sullivan and James R. Garfield took part in the long

fights over delegate recognition. Warren G. Harding

presented Taft's name, having to stop at one time until

disorder incident to one of his statements could be

quelled. The Ohio Roosevelt delegates refrained from

voting, as did their colleagues from other parts of the

nation. The Taft delegates voted to re-nominate Sher-

man for Vice-President and the Roosevelt delegates did

not vote. As the Convention adjourned, the Roosevelt

followers went a mile away and held a preliminary meet-

ing for the Progressive party, in which many Ohio dele-

gates joined. Walter F. Brown, of Toledo, had been

elected National Committeeman, but he soon after cast

his lot with the Progressive party and resigned, Sher-

man Granger of Zanesville succeeding him.

The diplomacy for which he became famous made

Warren G. Harding, as chairman, a prominent figure

in the Convention of 1916, held at Chicago, June 7 to

• 35
 

36       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

10. His keynote speech, based upon the theme, "Let us

forget 1912," was a masterpiece for the purposes in-

tended. It pleased everybody and offended nobody; yet

there was not a phrase in it which made it memorable.

The delegates-at-large were Harding, William Cooper

Proctor, of Cincinnati, John J. Sullivan, and Frank B.

Willis, Governor. Maurice Maschke, afterward Na-

tional Committeeman, and Harry L. Davis, afterward

Governor, were on the delegation for the first time. As

a member of a special committee, seeking to bring re-

union with the Progressives, meeting in the same city at

the same time, Chairman Harding appointed A. R.

Johnson, of Ironton. Each convention proceeded sep-

arately to its own nomination, however, union being

effected after their adjournment by the refusal of Mr.

Roosevelt to run as the Progressive nominee. Ohio's

candidate this year was Theodore E. Burton, whose

name was presented to the Convention by Governor

Willis, in a speech which was applauded many times,

and which was followed by a demonstration, led by

the Governor, which lasted for thirty-four minutes.

"Willis seized every chance the situation offered," said

the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Mr. Burton, however, had

little chance. The undercurrent in the Convention was

strong for the nomination of Charles Evans Hughes.

Moreover, even before the Convention began, the Cin-

cinnati delegates, angered at some things attributed to

Mr. Burton, served open notice they would not be bound

to his cause. This caused his stock to slump materially,

and when it became known that Senator Penrose of

Pennsylvania was utterly opposed to Burton, the end

came. Instead of an expected 125 votes or more on the

• 36
 

Ohio in the Republican National Conventions  37

first ballot, he received but 77 1/2. The Ohio delegates,

however, held firm even during a big Roosevelt dem-

onstration, and voted for Mr. Burton until released

when Indiana had been reached on the third roll call

and Mr. Hughes' nomination was seen to be immediate.

Governor Willis made another speech classed as a hit,

seconding for Ohio, the name of Fairbanks for Vice-

President. Harding was warmly complimented on his

handling of the Convention, a most difficult job which

undoubtedly brought him to the forefront for the suc-

ceeding convention.

The year 1920 brought to Ohio a bitter primary fight

for the state's national delegates between Mr. Harding,

"the state's favorite son," and General Leonard Wood.

As a result Harding won 39 delegates and Wood 9.

The press of the country, on the day following the pri-

mary, generally construed the result of Mr. Harding's

failure to secure a solid delegation as eliminating him

from the real contenders. Nation-wide the contest

seemed largely between General Wood and former Gov-

ernor Frank O. Lowden, of Illinois. The Convention

met in Chicago June 8 to 12, the delegates-at-large from

Ohio being Myron T. Herrick, John B. Galvin, of Lima,

Former Governor Frank B. Willis, and William H.

Boyd, of Cleveland.  Boyd, as a Wood candidate, had

defeated Harry M. Daugherty, the Harding manager,

afterwards Attorney General of the United States.

Paul Howland, of Cleveland, was Chairman of the

Rules Committee.

In the early stages of the Convention, it did not ap-

pear that Senator Harding had more than a passing

chance, even if that, for the nomination. Nevertheless,

• 37
 

38       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications there was continued activity about his headquarters in Congress Hall Hotel, and a careful canvass of every pos- sibility. Singing of the famous Republican Glee Club of

Columbus, Ohio, won friends. Many former Ohioans on delegations of other states felt quite friendly to Mr. Harding. Former Governor Willis had been asked by Mr. Harding to present his name. In the conventions the roll is called by states, and an "A" state had offered

• 38
 

Ohio in the Republican National Conventions  39

to yield so that Ohio's son might early be presented. A

deep student of former conventions and of mass phy-

chology, Mr. Willis chose another course; he asked that

Ohio's name be called in regular order. The result jus-

tified his judgment to an even greater extent than he

could have anticipated.

Well into Friday afternoon, long, somewhat tedious

speeches virtually tortured the delegates in a hot, weari-

some atmosphere which A. E. McKee of the Ohio State

Journal described as "almost hellish." Almost intol-

erant of further speeches were the delegates when Willis

advanced to the platform.

J. Newton Colver of the Spokesman--Review, Spo-

kane, Washington, wrote for his paper this description

of what followed:

"The speech of Governor Frank B. Willis of Ohio

nominating Senator Harding is to take its place for all

time among the really great national convention ora-

tions.

"If the difference between a speech and an oration,

as my college professor used to say, is that a speech

may only win applause, but an oration wins action, then

indeed does Willis' effort mount to the oration level. It

won action, it made votes, it turned the delegates' atten-

tion to a hitherto somewhat inconspicuous candidate,

and when the drift of voting to Harding began on the

fifth ballot Saturday morning it was apparent that the

delegates themselves and not the bosses had been fired

by Willis' eloquence to a determination to put Harding

over.

"Willis far surpassed any other of the nominating

speakers. He alone of all the men that faced the Con-

• 39
 

40       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

vention during its five days of excitement and confu-

sion could quiet it by simply raising his hand."

In the midst of his address, Mr. Willis started to

say, "Say, Boys, let's nominate Harding." As he

uttered the words, "Say Boys," it occurred to him that,

in this Convention women, too, were voting for the first

time. There was an almost imperceptible pause, but the

audience, sleepy before he began, was fully awake now

and grasped it instantly. When he added--"and Girls,"

the Convention broke loose. It was on its feet in the

first spontaneous demonstration of the Convention. The

slogan, "Say, Boys and Girls, Let's Nominate Harding"

was everywhere within a short time. The speech and

the slogan won the Convention to good feeling for

Harding; no other speech in any convention is said to

have had a real helpfulness in swinging to the man for

whom it was given the nomination.

In the deadlock that followed between Lowden and

Wood, Harding benefited. With but 65 1/2 votes on the

first roll call, he sunk to 58 1/2, then climbed, and finally

on the tenth ballot received 692 1/2 ballots and was nomi-

nated.

Mr. Willis was called by Chairman Lodge to preside

during the nominating speeches and vote for Vice-Presi-

dent. He went to the chair fully expecting the nominee

to be Senator Irvine L. Lenroot, of Wisconsin, upon

whom most of the leaders had agreed. Hon. Myron

T. Herrick, of the Ohio delegation, seconded Mr. Len-

root's name. The unexpected presentation of the name

of Calvin Coolidge by a delegate from Ohio and the en-

thusiasm it provoked, upset this program. Ohio well

• 40
 

Ohio in the Republican National Conventions  41

scattered its votes for Vice-President, giving Coolidge

ten, Pritchard of New Jersey ten, Anderson of Vir-

ginia nine, Allen of Kansas ten, and Lenroot nine.

R. K. Hynicka, of Cincinnati, was re-elected National

Committeeman.

An impression has gained some circulation na-

tionally that Senator Harding, believing in the prob-

ability of his nomination for President on Saturday, did

not file in Ohio on Friday evening as a candidate for re-

election to the Senate, thus bravely "burning his bridges

behind him," as Friday night at midnight was the dead-

line under the terms of the Ohio law. Mr. Stoddard in

his book,' As I Knew Them, comments at length on

what would have happened had Mr. Harding filed for

the Senate and had it become known at the Convention

that he had taken this action. As a matter of fact, Mr.

Harding's papers were filed in Columbus shortly before

midnight on Friday by George B. Harris, of Cleveland,

who had been sent from Chicago for that specific pur-

pose, and this fact was stated, although not prominently,

in the Chicago papers on the morning of Saturday. A

delegate spoke of the fact on the floor of the Con-

vention, as recorded in the official minutes. The break

to Harding, however, had so far progressed that his

action relative to the Senate was not to check it.

Cleveland won from Chicago the 1924 convention

and royally entertained it in a new Convention Hall,

June 10, 11 and 12. So far as the Presidential nomina-

tion was concerned, it was merely a ratification meeting.

The statement of Senator Willis, soon after the death of

President Harding in 1923, that Mr. Coolidge should

unquestionably be the nominee, at first received with

• 41
 

42       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications dissent by many leaders, had by this time become prophetic. The Ohio delegates-at-large, all pledged to Mr. Coolidge, were Harry M. Daugherty, Frank B. Willis,

Simeon D. Fess, Charles L. Knight, William Cooper Proctor, Mrs. John G. Battelle, and Mrs. David Tod of Youngstown. Hon. Theodore E. Burton was Tem- porary Chairman and made a keynote speech that was well received. The only contest was over the Vice- Presidential nomination, which first went to Former

• 42
 

Ohio in the Republican National Conventions  43 Governor Lowden and then to Charles G. Dawes, a native son of Ohio. Mr. Burton received a very com- plimentary vote on the first ballot, but his refusal to permit presentation of his name and the fact, that,

after the first ballot, the administration did not put him on its approved list, did not bring his name to first place. The Ohio delegation gave him 50 of its 51 votes on its first ballot (one delegate being absent), but on the third gave Dawes 25 and Hoover--the administration choice --25. Maurice Maschke, of Cleveland, was elected Na-

• 43
 

44       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

tional Committeeman, and Mrs. John Gordon Battelle,

of Columbus, the first National Committeewoman. Mrs.

Wilma Sinclair Levan of Steubenville was placed on the

Committee to formally notify President Coolidge of his

nomination.

Another bitter primary fight came to Ohio in 1928,

this time between Senator Frank B. Willis, the state's

"favorite son," and Secretary of Commerce Herbert C.

Hoover. Senator Willis died suddenly, under dramatic

circumstances, during a home-coming celebration in his

home city of Delaware, the evening of March 30th.

The leadership of Senator Willis gone, Mr. Hoover won

at Kansas City, 31 of the 51 delegates, but the opposition

to his nomination on the part of the minority remained

to the end. Senator Simeon D. Fess was chosen as tem-

porary chairman and keynote speaker, both of which he

discharged with much credit to himself and the Conven-

tion. For the first time, the radio carried such a speech

to the utmost parts of the continent. The seven dele-

gates-at-large were Frank A. Brown, of Chillicothe,

Theodore E. Burton, of Cleveland, Mrs. Hugh Clark, of

Steubenville, E. W. B. Curry, of Springfield, W. W.

Farnsworth, of Waterville, Col. Edward Orton, Jr., of

Columbus, and Robert A. Taft, of Cincinnati. Mr. Taft

represented the state on the Committee on Resolutions.

Former Congressman Ralph D. Cole, who was to have

presented the name of Senator Willis had the latter

lived, presented the name of President Coolidge for the

Presidential nomination. Ohio gave 36 votes for Mr.

Hoover, 10 for Senator Charles Curtis of Kansas, 4 for

President Coolidge and 1 for Vice-President Dawes.

There was a considerable movement to present the name

• 44
 

Ohio in the Republican National Conventions  45

of Senator Fess for Vice-President but the opposition

of Mr. Burton prevented unity in the Ohio delegation

for this purpose and his name was not presented, Ohio

giving its every vote to Senator Curtis of Kansas, the

nominee. T. R. Biddle of Athens was named on the

committee to notify Mr. Hoover of his nomination,

and Mrs. Katherine Kennedy Brown of Dayton on the

Committee to notify Mr. Curtis. Senator Fess was

named chairman of the latter committee. Maurice

Maschke was re-elected National Committeeman and

Mrs. Hugh Clark of Steubenville, National Committee-

woman. J. R. Nutt of Cleveland was treasurer of the

National Committee and Mr. Maschke a member of its

executive committee.

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

 

NEWSPAPERS

The Cleveland Plain Dealer. . .........................Files

The  Ohio  State Journal  ..............................  Files

 

POLITICAL DOCUMENTS.

Republican National Conventions -- Official Proceedings -- 1856

-- date.

BIOGRAPHICAL.

Burton, Theodore E. -- John Sherman. Houghton Mifflin Com-

pany, Boston and New York, 1906.

Croly, Herbert D. -- Marcus Alonzo Hanna: His Life and Work.

The MacMillan Company, New York, 1912.

Foraker, James B. -- Notes of a Busy Life. 2 volumes, Stewart

and Kidd, Cincinnati, 1916.

Sherman, John -- John Sherman's Recollections of Forty Years

in the House, Senate and Cabinet.  Werner Company,

Chicago, 1896.

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46        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications Stoddard, Henry L. -- As I Knew Them: Presidents and Politics from Grant to Coolidge.  Harper, New York, 1927. MISCELLANEOUS. Halstead, Murat -- Caucuses of 1860; a History of the National Campaign, by an Eye-witness. Follett, Columbus, 1860. Meyer, William S. -- The Republican Party, a History. The Century Company, New York, 1928.

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