THE

CHAPTER XV.

THE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION.

HE Democratic National Convention met at Chicago on July 8, 1884. It was attended by representative Democrats from all the States and Territories as delegates, by many organizations, and by thousands of zealous and patriotic Democrats from all parts of the country. In character, numbers and enthusiasm it transcended any National Convention of either party held in recent years. The party was entering the canvass with the most brilliant prospects of success. About four weeks before the Republican National Convention had met at the same place and nominated James G. Blaine, of Maine, for President, and John A. Logan, for Vice-President. For reasons, into the discussion of which it is not the province of these pages to enter, the nominations were repudiated by many of the leading Republican newspapers of the country, by the entire Independent press, and by many Republican voters everywhere. The Independent vote-as distinguished from the "Half-breed" Republican vote, which for eight years had desired the nomination of Mr. Blaine-was united against him. In New York city one paper only, the Tribune gave the ticket earnest support, in Boston and throughout Massachusetts leading newspapers threw their influence into the scale against him, and the German press in the West generally opposed the nomination.

In the discussions preceding the Democratic National Convention it was generally conceded that if New York State desired the nomination of Governor Cleveland, he would be chosen as the candidate for President. Several State delegations had agreed to support Cleveland before

New York had formally expressed its choice. On the day before the Convention met the New York delegation assembled, and by a vote of forty-nine to twenty-three decided to cast the whole seventy-two votes of New York State for Cleveland under the rule that the State should vote as a unit, which the State Convention at Saratoga had unanimously prescribed to govern the action of the delegates.

On Tuesday, July 8th, the Convention assembled and the preliminary details of organization were effected. Wednesday and Thursday were devoted to the presentation of candidates. The most eminent statesmen in the Democratic party were put in nomination, in speeches worthy of the men, the occasion, and the party. Delaware named its United States Senator, Thomas F. Bayard; Indiana presented ex-Senator Joseph E. McDonald; California offered the name of ex-Senator Allen G. Thurman, of Ohio; Pennsylvania nominated ex-Speaker Samuel J. Randall; Kentucky asked the suffrages of the Convention for Speaker John G. Carlisle, and Ohio named its Governor, George Hoadly.

When New York was reached in the call of States, the Hon. Daniel Manning, chairman of the delegation, asked permission for the Hon. Daniel Lockwood, of Buffalo, to present his candidate. As Mr. Lockwood took the stage the enthusiasm was unbounded, cheer after cheer filled the great Convention hall, one round of applause no sooner subsiding than another followed. Mr. Lockwood said:

MR. CHAIRMAN AND GENTLEMEN OF THE CONVENTION: It is with no ordinary feeling of responsibility that I appear before this convention as representative of the Democracy of the State of New York for the purpose of placing in nomination a gentleman from the State of New York as a candidate for the Presidency of the United States. This responsibility is made greater when I remember that the richest pages of American history have been made up from the records of Democratic administration. This responsibility is made

still greater when I remember that the only blot in the political history done at Washington, an outrage upon the rights of the American people, was in 1876, and that that outrage and that injury to justice is still unavenged, and this responsibility is not lessened when I recall the fact that the gentleman whose name I shall present to you has been my political associate from my youth. Side by side have we marched to the tune of Democratic music; side by side we studied the principles of Jefferson and Jackson, and we love the faith in which we believe; and during all this time he has occupied a position comparatively as a private citizen, yet always true and always faithful to Democratic principle. No man has greater respect or admiration for the honored names which have been presented to this convention than myself; but, gentlemen, the world is moving, and moving rapidly.

From the North to the South, new men-men who have acted but little in politics-are coming to the front, and to-day there are hundreds and thousands of young men in this country-men who are to cast their first vote, who are independent in politics-and they are looking to this convention, praying silently that there shall be no mistake made here. They want to drive the Republican party from power; they want to cast their vote for a Democrat in whom they believe. These people know from the record of the gentleman whose name I shall present, that Democracy with him means honest government, pure government, and protection of the rights of the people of every class and every condition. A little more than three years ago I had the honor, at the city of Buffalo, to present the name of this same gentleman for the office of mayor of that city. It was presented then for the same reason, for the same causes that we present it now; it was because the government of that city had become corrupt and had become debauched, and political integrity sat not in high places. The people looked for a man who would represent the contrary, and without any hesitation they named Grover Cleveland as the man. The result of that election, and his holding that office, was that in less than nine months the State of New York found herself in a position to want just such a candidate and for such a purpose, and when, at the convention in 1882, his name was placed in nomination for the office of Governor of the State of New York, the same people, the same class of people, knew that that meant honest government, it meant pure government, it meant Democratic government, and it was ratified by the people. And, gentlemen, now, after eighteen months' service there, the Democracy of the State of New York come to you and ask you to give to the country, to give the independent and Dem