The 1920 Democratic National Convention was held at the Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, California from June 28 to July 6, 1920. It resulted in the nomination of Governor James M. Cox of Ohio for president and Assistant Secretary of the Navy Franklin D. Roosevelt from New York for vice president. The 1920 Democratic National Convention marked the first time any party had held its nominating convention in a West Coast city.
Neither President Woodrow Wilson, in spite of his failing health, nor former United States Secretary of State and three-time presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan had entirely given up hope that their party would turn to them, but neither was, in the event, formally nominated. In addition to the eventual nominee, Cox, the other high-scoring candidates as the voting proceeded were: Secretary of the Treasury William McAdoo and Attorney General Mitchell Palmer. On the forty-fourth ballot, Governor James M. Cox of Ohio was nominated for the presidency. Cora Wilson Stewart of Kentucky, head of the National Education Association's new illiteracy commission, was chosen to second the nomination for Governor Cox. Mrs. Stewart was selected to replace Kentucky Representative J. Campbell Cantrill, highlighting the candidate's support for what would become the 19th Amendment.
During the drafting of the Democratic Party platform, labor planks were drafted that were described as highly progressive,” with a stance against child labor and an argument made (as noted by one journal) ‘to recognize the right of labor to be represented in collective bargaining by “representatives of their own choosing.”’ The program of a separate woman’s party, which focused on measures such as maternity benefits, insurance and old age pensions was “met favorably,” according to one journal.‘BONE- DRY PLANK IS IN PROSPECT FOR DEMOCRATS’ By Martin E. Pew., The Pittsburgh Press, 30 Jun 1920
The platform adopted by the convention supported the League of Nations, albeit with qualifications, women's suffrage, and measures aimed at helping workers and farmers.The Democratic text book, 1920 / issued by the Democratic National Committee, the Democratic Congressional Committee, P.3-43
Presidential candidates
Although William Gibbs McAdoo (Wilson's son-in-law and former Treasury Secretary) was the strongest candidate, Wilson blocked his nomination in hopes a deadlocked convention would demand that he run for a third term, even though he was seriously ill, physically immobile, and in seclusion at the time. The Democrats instead nominated Ohio Governor James M. Cox as their presidential candidate and 38-year-old Assistant Secretary of the Navy Franklin D. Roosevelt, a fifth cousin of the late president Theodore Roosevelt, for vice-president.
Fourteen names were placed in nomination. Early favorites for the nomination had included McAdoo and Attorney General Alexander Mitchell Palmer. Others placed in nomination included New York Governor Al Smith, United Kingdom Ambassador John W. Davis, New Jersey Governor Edward I. Edwards, and Oklahoma Senator Robert Latham Owen.
History was made at the convention when Laura Clay, a delegate from Kentucky and co-founder of the Kentucky Equal Rights Association and the Democratic Women's Club of Kentucky, became the first woman to have her name placed into nomination for president at the convention of a major political party. She was also the first woman to receive a convention delegation's vote for the presidency.
Balloting
Presidential Ballot1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th 15th 16th 17th 18th 19th 20th 21st 22ndCox 134159177178181195295.5315321.5321332404428.5443.5468.5454.5442458468456.5426.5430McAdoo266289323.5335357368.5384380386385380375.5363.5355.5344.5337332330.5327.5340.5395.5372.5Palmer256264251.5254244 265 267 262257257255201193.5181167164.5176174.5179.5178144166.5Al Smith 109 101 92 96 95 98 4 2 1 0000000000000E. Edwards42 3432.53131302000000000000000T. Marshall 373636342913141277777700000000Owen 33292232343635363737353432343134363837413635J.W. Davis 3231.528.5312929333232343331.529.5333252574231365452Meredith 27 26 26282700000000000000000Glass 26.525.52727272727272525252525252525 27 2626262625Cummings 252726 242120191818191987719201919191076Simmons 242500000000000000000000Gerard2112112000112110000001100J. Williams 20000000000000000000000Hitchcock1816165500000000000000000Clark9678978654444444222222Harrison6660000000000000000000Wood 4000000000000000000000W.J. Bryan 1101000000000000000000Colby 1000210000000000000000Daniels 1110000000000000000000W.R. Hearst 1000000000000000000000Underwood 0.5000000000000000000000Wilson0000000000000000000002
Presidential Ballot23rd 24th 25th 26th 27th 28th 29th 30th 31st 32nd 33rd 34th 35th 36th 37th 38th 39th 40th 41st 42nd 43rd 44thCox 425429424424.5423.5423404.5400.5391.5391380.5379.5376.5377386383.5468.5490497.5540.5568699.5McAdoo364.5364.5364.5371371.5368.5394.5403.5415.5421421420.5409399405405.5440467460427412270Palmer181.5177169167166.5165.5166165174176180184222241202.5211741912871J.W. Davis50.554.558.555.560.562.5635857.555.55654332850.55071.57655.549.557.552Owen343334333435.533333434343738.5363333323335343434Glass252525252524242412.59.5137.554110024245.51.5Cummings5543344433333334222320Clark22232222222.52.52223222220Adams0000000000000010000000Bonniwell0001000000000010000000W.J. Bryan0001000000000000000000Clay0000000000100000000000Cobb1.5000000000000000000000Colby0000000000000000111111Daniels0000000010000000000000Hines0000010000000000000000A. Jones0001000000000000000000Lardner0.5000000000000000000000Lewis0001000000000060000000T. Marshall0000100010000000000000Pershing0010000000000000000000Robinson0000100000000000000000Stewart0000000000000100000000Underwood0199461200000000000000
Vice Presidential nomination Cox asked the delegates to support former Assistant Navy Secretary Franklin D. Roosevelt, because, as some thought, he had a "magic name." FDR was nominated by voice vote and received the nomination by acclamation. After it became clear that Roosevelt was the choice of party leaders, former Ambassador David R. Francis of Missouri, Major General Lawrence Tyson of Tennessee, Governor Sam V. Stewart of Montana, former Governor James H. Hawley of Idaho, former FTC Chairman Joseph E. Davies of Wisconsin, William T. Vaughan of Oregon, and oil tycoon Edward L. Doheny of California all withdrew their candidacies.
See also History of the United States Democratic Party Democratic Party presidential primaries, 1920 List of Democratic National Conventions U.S. presidential nomination convention 1920 Republican National Convention 1920 United States presidential election
References
External links Democratic Party Platform of 1920 at The American Presidency Project