Resolved, That a just and liberal policy should be pursued in reference to the Territories; that right of self-government is inherent in the people, and guaranteed under the Constitution; that the Territories of Washington, Dakota, Montana, and New Mexico are, by virtue of population and development, entitled to admission into the Union as States, and we unqualifiedly condemn the course of the Republican party in refusing Statehood and self-government to their people.
Resolved, That we express our cordial sympathy with the struggling people of all nations, in their efforts to secure for themselves the inestimable blessings of self-government, and civil and religious liberty, and we especially declare our sympathy with the efforts of those noble patriots who, led by Gladstone and Parnell, have conducted their grand and peaceful contest for home rule in Ireland.
The Republican convention met at Chicago on the 19th of June, with M. M. Estee, of California, as permanent president. It was assumed by the friends of Blaine in Pennsylvania, and generally throughout the country, that he did not desire to be nominated as the Republican candidate for President. Pennsylvania, where Blaine’s friends were largely in the ascendency, declared in favor of Senator Sherman, of Ohio. Senator Quay was at the head of his delegation, with instructions from the State convention to support Sherman, and ex-Governor Hastings, then Adjutant-General, presented the name of Sherman to the convention in the name of Pennsylvania.
Blaine was in Europe, and while he evidently did not desire to confess himself a candidate, he seemed unwilling then to make his declination peremptory, as he had done in two letters long before the convention met. His hesitation delayed the action of the convention several days, but finally he authorized the withdrawal of his name from the list of candidates, and a very earnest contest was made between the friends of Sherman, Gresham, Alger, and Harrison. Governor Alger was largely supported by the commercial delegates from the South, and Sherman and his friends bitterly complained that the Southern delegates had been corruptly diverted from the Sherman ranks. Gresham represented the more conservative Republican element. He was not a radical politician, as was shown by his support of Cleveland in 1892, but while conservative with Mugwump flavor, it was evident from the demonstrations made in Chicago during the convention that the labor elements of the country were very strongly in sympathy with him, although his own delegation was against him.
Depew was only an ornamental candidate, and was brimful of humor as he mingled with the delegates and spectators. He knew that the Grangers of the West would no more vote for him than they would for the Czar of Russia, but his State had declared for him with great unanimity, and he was very cordially supported by a number of friends outside of New York. It soon became evident that Sherman could not succeed, as he reached his highest vote on the 2d ballot and steadily declined thereafter, while Harrison increased on every ballot from the first to the eighth, when he was nominated by a large majority. The following are the several ballots for President:
| First. | Second. | Third. | Fourth. | Fifth. | Sixth. | Seventh. | Eighth. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Sherman, Ohio | 229 | 249 | 244 | 235 | 224 | 244 | 231 | 118 |
| Walter Q. Gresham, Ind. | 111 | 108 | 123 | 98 | 87 | 91 | 91 | 59 |
| Chauncey M. Depew, N. Y. | 99 | 99 | 91 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Russell A. Alger, Mich. | 84 | 116 | 122 | 135 | 142 | 137 | 120 | 100 |
| Benjamin Harrison, Ind. | 80 | 91 | 94 | 217 | 213 | 231 | 278 | 544 |
| William B. Allison, Iowa | 72 | 75 | 88 | 88 | 99 | 73 | 76 | — |
| James G. Blaine, Me. | 35 | 33 | 35 | 42 | 48 | 40 | 15 | 5 |
| John J. Ingalls, Kan. | 28 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jere. M. Rusk, Wis. | 25 | 20 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — |
| William W. Phelps, N. J. | 25 | 18 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — |
| E. H. Fitler, Pa. | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Robert T. Lincoln, Ill. | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 2 | — |
| William McKinley, Jr., Ohio | 2 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 4 |
| Samuel F. Miller, Iowa | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Frederick Douglass | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| J. B. Foraker, Ohio | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — |
| Frederick D. Grant, N. Y. | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — |
| Creed Haymond, Cal. | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
One ballot was had for Vice-President, as follows:
| Levi P. Morton, N. Y. | 591 |
| Walter Wm. Phelps. N. J. | 119 |
| Wm. O. Bradley, Ky. | 103 |
| Blanche K. Bruce (col.), Miss. | 11 |
| Walter F. Thomas, Texas | 1 |
The nomination of Morton was made unanimous. The following platform was unanimously adopted:
The Republicans of the United States, assembled by their delegates in national convention, pause on the threshold of their proceedings to honor the memory of their first great leader, the immortal champion of liberty and the rights of the people, Abraham Lincoln, and to cover also with wreaths of imperishable remembrance and gratitude the heroic names of our later leaders, who have more recently been called away from our councils—Grant, Garfield, Arthur, Logan, Conkling. May their memories be faithfully cherished. We also recall with our greetings and with prayer for his recovery, the name of one of our living heroes, whose memory will be treasured in the history both of Republicans and of the Republic, the name of that noble soldier and favorite child of victory, Philip H. Sheridan.