1900 Republican National Convention

The 1900 Republican National Convention was held June 19 to June 21 in the Exposition Auditorium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Exposition Auditorium was located south of the University of Pennsylvania, and the later Convention Hall was constructed along the building's east wall. It was demolished in 2006.

1900 Republican National Convention
1900 presidential election
Nominees
McKinley and Roosevelt
Convention
Date(s)June 19–21, 1900
CityPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
VenueConvention Hall
ChairHenry Cabot Lodge
Candidates
Presidential nomineeWilliam McKinley of Ohio
Vice-presidential nomineeTheodore Roosevelt of New York
Voting
Total delegates926
Votes needed for nomination464
Results (president)McKinley (OH): 926 (100%)
Results (vice president)Roosevelt (NY): 925 (99.9%)
Abstaining: 1 (0.1%)
Ballots1
‹ 1896 · 1904 ›
1900 Republican Convention
An admission ticket to the 1900 Republican National Convention featuring a sketch of Philadelphia City Hall

Each state was allotted two delegates per electoral vote, and territories were granted from two to six delegates. Altogether, there were 926 delegates and an equal number of alternates.

Mark Hanna opened the convention, and proposed that Senator Edward O. Wolcott of Colorado serve as temporary chairman: this was to show that the party had overcome its division in 1896, when the Colorado delegation walked out of the Republican Convention after a dispute over federal subsidies for the silver industry. Senator Henry Cabot Lodge of Massachusetts served as the convention's permanent chairman.

President William McKinley was unanimously nominated for reelection after no candidate ran against him, although Admiral George Dewey considered a run.

Governor Theodore Roosevelt of New York, who was himself a delegate, was nominated for vice president by a vote of 925 to zero, his vote alone abstaining.

State delegates

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The 1900 Republican National Convention included a historic first for the Republican Party: Frances Warren of Wyoming served as the party's first-ever female convention delegate.[1] Additionally Jennie L. McCargar Jones, of Utah, and Susan Henderson West of Idaho served as alternate delegates.[2][3][4]

Speakers

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The 1900 convention had fewer speakers than a modern convention typically has due to lack of TV and even radio at this time. There were however the following speakers:

June 19

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June 20

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June 21

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Balloting: President McKinley was nominated unanimously. This was the first unanimous nomination since President Grant in 1872.

  • John W. Yerkes, IRS Commissioner from Kentucky
  • George A. Knight, attorney and businessman from California
  • James A. Mount, Governor of Indiana

Boss Platt of New York wanted to be rid of reformist governor Roosevelt. He persuaded Roosevelt to accept nomination for the vacant office of Vice President.

  • Lafayette Young, newspaper reporter from Iowa, Roosevelt nominating speech
  • M. J. Murray, local politician from Massachusetts, Roosevelt seconding speech
  • General James M. Ashton, lawyer and soldier from Washington, Roosevelt seconding speech

Balloting: Roosevelt was nominated for Vice President, though he abstained from voting on his own nomination.

Vice-presidential nomination

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Vice-presidential candidates

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Candidates considered

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Vice President Garret Hobart had announced in September 1899 that he would not seek re-election due to declining health. In the event, he died in office on November 21, 1899, leaving the party the task of choosing a running mate for McKinley.

Entering the convention, many had expected that the ticket would consist of President McKinley and New York Governor Theodore Roosevelt.[5] However, Ohio Senator Mark Hanna maneuvered to keep Roosevelt off the ballot, instead proposing Navy Secretary John D. Long of Massachusetts or Iowa Representative Jonathan P. Dolliver.[5] Without the support of McKinley, Hanna's efforts fell short.[6] Roosevelt himself did not particularly want to abandon his position of governor, but he desired to run for president in 1904 and when the party nominated him, he accepted the position.[6] Roosevelt's nomination was spearheaded by bosses Matthew Quay of Pennsylvania and Thomas C. Platt of New York, the latter of whom wished to find a different job for the reformist Roosevelt.[6]

Vice Presidential Balloting
Candidate 1st
Roosevelt 925
Not Voting 1


Vice-presidential balloting / 3rd day of convention (June 21, 1900)

Platform

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The Republican party supported the current administration's actions in the Philippines, while the Democratic party promoted "anti-imperialism".

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Milestones for Women in American Politics". cawp.rutgers.edu. Center for American Women and Politics (Rutgers University). Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  2. ^ Freeman, Jo (2000). A Room at a Time: How Women Entered Party Politics. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 65. ISBN 0-8476-9804-1. Retrieved May 20, 2013.
  3. ^ Thiriot, Amy Tanner (August 2019). "Jennie McCargar Jones: "Women Know Their Own Convictions"". Utah Women's History. BetterDays2020. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  4. ^ Blumenberg, Milton W. (1900). Official Proceedings of the Twelfth Republican National Convention, Held in ... Philadelphia, June, 19, 20 and 21, 1900. Philadelphia: Dunlap Printing Company. pp. 62, 77. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
  5. ^ a b "Roosevelt's Fate is Still in Doubt". New York Times. 19 June 1900. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  6. ^ a b c "Theodore Roosevelt, 25th Vice President (1901)". US Senate. Retrieved 8 October 2015.

Bibliography

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  • Richard C. Bain and Judith H. Parris, Convention Decisions and Voting Records (Washington DC: Brookings Institution, 1973), pp. 158–161.
  • Andrews, E. Benjamin (1912). History of the United States. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. pp. 301–325.
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Preceded by
1896
St. Louis, Missouri
Republican National Conventions Succeeded by
1904
Chicago, Illinois