The Election of 1912: The Democratic Convention
Delegates Cluster Outside the Fifth Regiment Armory, Site of the 1912 Democratic Convention
The Democratic Party which gathered in Baltimore in 1912 would be unrecognizable to any student of recent American politics. The party was not an organization of ideologically allied groups, but rather a loose coalition of everything from corrupt big-city, pro immigrant constituencies like New York's Tammany Hall political machine to Populists like William Jennings Bryant, formerly the nominee, now a fiery elder statesman type, to Southern grandees, often racist ghouls in the mold of the notoriously loathsome James K. Vardaman. Yet the wind of change was already blowing through the hallowed halls of the Democratic Party. Indeed, 1912 would be the first year that (some) states would hold primaries, which was a major goal of progressives in both parties. So it was that on June 25th, the candidates, delegates and officals arrived at the Fifth Regiment Armory in Baltimore, Maryland to listen to Chairman Alton B. Parker
1 open the convention. It would prove to be an interesting one.
James Beauchamp "Champ" Clark
Two men arrived in Baltimore with significant popular and institutional support, New Jersey Governor Thomas Woodrow Wilson and Speaker of the House James Beauchamp "Champ" Clark. Beside them were Ohio Governor Judson Harmon and Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee Oscar W. Underwood of Alabama, the two possible "dark horse" contenders. Clark entered the convention looking to be the stronger candidate, with 440.5 pledged delegates to Wilson's 324, but neither had the two-thirds majority required to win. The convention went on, through, two, three, four, ballots as Clark's candidacy grew stronger, then on the ninth ballot, he made a fatal mistake.
The Democratic Party was divided on a number of issues, but few were more contentious than the Tammany Hall machine in New York City. Although the group had significantly improved under the tutelage of Charles F. Murphy, who had helped lead the organization in a more generally progressive direction; it was still seen as corrupt, oppressive and representative of vested interests. So when "Champ" Clark accepted an offer from a representative
2 of Murphy's to gain the endorsement of Tammany Hall's bloc of delegates,things looked suspicious; even though no firm evidence of a "corrupt bargain" has ever been uncovered.
Wilson was preparing to write a concession speech when, before the tenth ballot was cast, three-time presidential candidate and Democratic legend William Jennings Bryant took to the floor to denounce Clark as the candidate of Tammany Hall and "Pocket Privilege", and to endorse Wilson. Clark's bandwagon, which had looked poised to crest the hill of the 2/3rds majority stopped and began to roll backwards. On the tenth ballot Clark received 556 votes, the most he would ever get. The balloting dragged on,. as Clark tried to claw his way back, rallying occasionally, but inch-by-inch retreating, slowly losing votes, slowly inching towards defeat. After Indiana Governor Thomas A. Marshall released his delegates to Wilson, Wilson finally gained the lead over Clark on the thirtieth ballot, 460-455. Finally, on the forty-sixth ballot, Wilson was nominated as the Democratic candidate for president. With that done, all that was left was to select a Vice President and after Clark declined, Indiana Governor Thomas A. Marshall was nominated on the second ballot. This convention had seen the greatest number of ballots cast at any Presidential Convention since the infamous 1860 convention, where the Southern Democrats eventually walked out; yet Wilson was not compromised by the grueling convention because of the spectacle which had occurred only a week earlier at the Republican Convention.
1: The Democratic nominee in 1904, a man utterly and deservedly crushed by Teddy Roosevelt in the general election.
2: Some sources say the representative was powerful New York Assemblyman Alfred E. Smith
@Soviet Amerika: He really did.
@Agent Larkin: I really didn't think this update out, I wanted to kill Gandhi in such a way that he was consequential, but not, ya' know, Gandhi...
@Kurty: I think I'm becoming you, what with the murder I'm dishing out.
@Milites: I killed Gandhi for two reasons, one, I had had two of my butterflies deal with death avoided, so I figured someone
major needed to die, and Gandhi was just the person I happened to think of. The second reason was that I wanted to have an excuse to research the history of India in the interbellum period, so to be honest I have no idea what this will do. I just smacked the kill Gandhi button and I guess the chips will fall where they may.
@Nathan: Well, that depends if someone makes an epic Song biopic or nor...
Thanks for all the compliments and support everyone! It means a lot to know that people other than myself are reading :wub:
