The National Republican Convention for 1892 was called to meet at Minneapolis June 7th. The Convention was close at hand before any candidates were named, other than President Harrison. In February Mr. Blaine had written to Mr. Clarkson, Chairman of the National Convention, saying that his name would not be presented as a candidate, and declining in such positive terms that it was accepted as meaning what it said at the time. Later on the opposition to the President’s nomination, led by a syndicate of very strong names—Platt, of New York; Quay, of Pennsylvania; Clarkson, of Iowa; Conger, of Ohio; Kellogg, of Louisiana; Wolcott, of Colorado; Bourne, of Oregon; Filley, of Missouri—agreed to present Mr. Blaine, upon the statement that he would accept if his nomination was plainly for the good of the party. Three days preceding the Convention Mr. Blaine suddenly resigned as Secretary of State, and thus created the impression that he would accept and that he was a candidate. The first effect of the resignation was to enthuse his friends, many of them already assembled at Minneapolis, but when the correspondence was published, and its terseness was traceable entirely to Mr. Blaine’s haste, a great reaction followed in all parts of the country, and groups of businessmen from all prominent towns and cities wired their delegates of the change in sentiment, and as a rule they were asked to re-nominate President Harrison. A feeling affected the Blaine delegates, and many of the leaders began to look for a third man, in the person of Major McKinley, the father of the tariff bill of 1890, since chosen Governor of Ohio. Major McKinley himself voted for Harrison and resisted a proposed stampede in his own behalf, which had been planned to plump Ohio, Oregon and Pennsylvania solidly for McKinley. The plan failed, partly because Harrison had gained largely over estimates after New York had voted, and Pennsylvania cast 19 votes for him at the only moment which could have been at all critical.
The Convention organized at noon on the 7th, with Major McKinley as its President. The first contest was upon the question of the majority and minority reports of the Committee on Contests, the majority being adopted and generally regarded as a victory for the friends of Harrison. The contests were important only in the case of Alabama, where two full sets of delegates disputed for the seats.
Senator Wolcott, of Colorado, presented the name of Mr. Blaine, and it was seconded by ex-Senator Warner Miller, of New York.
Ex-Secretary of the Navy Richard T. Thompson, of Indiana (on that day eighty-three years of age, and a delegate to every previous Republican National Convention), presented the name of President Harrison. It was seconded by Chauncey M. Depew, of New York, in a speech remarkable for its force and eloquence.
The first and only ballot was taken on the morning of June 10th, with the following result:
| THE BALLOT IN DETAIL. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| States. | Harrison. | Blaine. | McKinley. |
| Alabama | 15 | 0 | 7 |
| Arkansas | 15 | 0 | 1 |
| California | 8 | 9 | 1 |
| Colorado | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Connecticut | 4 | 0 | 8 |
| Delaware | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Florida | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Georgia | 26 | 0 | 0 |
| Idaho | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Illinois | 34 | 14 | 0 |
| Indiana | 30 | 0 | 0 |
| Iowa | 20 | 5 | 1 |
| Kansas | 11 | 0 | 9 |
| Kentucky | 22 | 2 | 1 |
| Louisiana | 8 | 8 | 0 |
| Maine | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Maryland | 14 | 0 | 2 |
| Massachusetts | 18 | 1 | 11 |
| Michigan | 7 | 2 | 19 |
| Minnesota | 8 | 9 | 1 |
| Mississippi | 13½ | 4½ | 0 |
| Missouri | 28 | 4 | 2 |
| Montana | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Nebraska | 15 | 0 | 1 |
| Nevada | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| New Hampshire | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| New Jersey | 18 | 2 | 0 |
| New York | 27 | 35 | 10 |
| North Carolina | 17⅔ | 2⅔ | 1 |
| North Dakota | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| Ohio | 1 | 0 | 45 |
| Oregon | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| Pennsylvania | 19 | 3 | 42 |
| Rhode Island | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| South Carolina | 13 | 3 | 2 |
| South Dakota | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Tennessee | 17 | 4 | 3 |
| Texas | 22 | 6 | 0 |
| Vermont | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Virginia | 9 | 13 | 2 |
| Washington | 1 | 6 | 1 |
| West Virginia | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Wisconsin | 19 | 2 | 3 |
| Wyoming | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| Territories. | |||
| Alaska | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Arizona | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Dist. of Columbia | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Indian Territory | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| New Mexico | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Utah | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 535⅙ | 182⅙ | 182 |
| Absent and not voting, 1⅔. | |||
Reed, of Maine, received 3 votes, and Lincoln, of Illinois, 1.
Major McKinley moved to make the nomination unanimous, and it was adopted with great enthusiasm.
In response to the unanimous request of the New York delegation, Hon. Whitelaw Reid was nominated for Vice-President by acclamation.
[See Book II. for Platform and Comparison of Platforms; Book III. for speech of Hon. Chauncey M. Depew.]