| 1904 presidential election | |
  Nominees Parker and Davis | |
| Convention | |
|---|---|
| Date(s) | July 6–10, 1904 |
| City | St. Louis,Missouri |
| Venue | St. Louis Exposition and Music Hall |
| Candidates | |
| Presidential nominee | Alton B. Parker ofNew York |
| Vice-presidential nominee | Henry G. Davis ofWest Virginia |
| ‹ 1900 · 1908 › | |
The1904 Democratic National Convention was an Americanpresidential nominating convention that ran from July 6 through 10 in the Coliseum of theSt. Louis Exposition and Music Hall inSt. Louis, Missouri. Breaking with eight years of control by theDemocratic Party's reform wing, the convention nominated conservative JudgeAlton B. Parker ofNew York for president andHenry G. Davis ofWest Virginia for vice president.
The Democratic ticket lost in the November1904 presidential election to theRepublican Party and its ticket ofTheodore Roosevelt andCharles W. Fairbanks.
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The 1904 Democratic National Convention was opened at two minutes past noon on July 6 in the Coliseum of the old St. Louis Exposition and Music Hall byJames K. Jones, chair of theDemocratic National Committee.[1] Following the reading of the official call of the convention and delivery of an opening prayer,John Sharp Williams of Mississippi was named the honorary chairman of the gathering,[1] emblematic of a return to power by the conservativeBourbon wing of the party.
The traditionalist Southerner Williams delivered an opening speech but was hindered by a voice unable to reach all of those assembled in the convention hall, many of whom, according to a contemporary press report, "kept up a constant hum of conversation that smothered Mr. Williams’s voice."[1]
After the second straight defeat of Democratic presidential nomineeWilliam Jennings Bryan in the1900 presidential election, the conservative allies of former PresidentGrover Cleveland regained power within the party.[2] However, with the popularity of PresidentTheodore Roosevelt, many of the most prominent Democrats, such as Cleveland and former Attorney GeneralRichard Olney, refused to run.[2] Additionally, Maryland SenatorArthur Pue Gorman alienated many in the South by opposing Roosevelt's policies inPanama.[2]
In this atmosphere, in advance of the convention conservative Democrats coalesced aroundNew York Court of Appeals JudgeAlton B. Parker, an ally of former New York GovernorDavid B. Hill.[2] Parker hoped to one day sit on theUnited States Supreme Court, but was convinced to run by Hill, and the Parker campaign was backed by conservative business interests.[2] With the reform wing around Bryan and the ethnic political machine ofTammany Hall unable to agree upon a single alternative candidate, Parker was seen by many contemporary observers as a prohibitive favorite to win the nomination.[1]
Eight names were placed in nomination: Alton B. Parker,William Randolph Hearst,Francis Cockrell,Richard Olney,Edward C. Wall,George Gray, John Sharp Williams, andNelson A. Miles. Representative Williams thanked the North Dakota delegation for generosity but declined to be a candidate. Over the objections of Bryan, Parker defeated New York Congressman Hearst on the first ballot.[2] In a further defeat for Bryan, the Democrats adopted a conservative platform far different from the policies espoused in 1896 and 1900.[3] However, Bryan would re-take control of the party in the1908 Democratic National Convention.
| Presidential ballot | |||
| 1st before shifts | 1st after shifts | Unanimous | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alton B. Parker | 658 | 679 | 1,000 |
| William Randolph Hearst | 200 | 181 | |
| Francis Cockrell | 42 | 42 | |
| Richard Olney | 38 | 38 | |
| Edward C. Wall | 27 | 27 | |
| George Gray | 12 | 12 | |
| John Sharp Williams | 8 | 8 | |
| Robert E. Pattison | 4 | 4 | |
| George B. McClellan Jr. | 3 | 3 | |
| Nelson A. Miles | 3 | 3 | |
| Charles A. Towne | 2 | 2 | |
| Arthur Pue Gorman | 2 | 0 | |
| Bird S. Coler | 1 | 1 | |
With Democratic prospects in the November election appearing bleak, most prominent politicians expressed no interest in the vice presidential nomination, or declined when asked to consider it. The names of several lesser-known individuals were mentioned, including businessmanMarshall Field of Illinois, former RepresentativeJohn C. Black of Illinois, RepresentativeJames R. Williams of Illinois, attorneyJohn W. Kern of Indiana,Edward C. Wall of Wisconsin, David Bost of Wisconsin, GovernorAlexander Monroe Dockery of Missouri, and attorneyJoseph W. Folk of Missouri.[3]
Four names were placed in nomination:Henry G. Davis, James R. Williams,George Turner, andWilliam A. Harris. Davis, a former U.S. Senator from West Virginia, won the nomination; at 80, he was the oldest major-party candidate ever nominated for national office.[4] Davis received the nomination because party leaders believed that as a millionaire mine owner, railroad magnate, and banker he could be counted on to help finance the campaign.[4] Their hopes were unrealized, as Davis did not contribute substantially to the party coffers.[4]
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| Vice presidential ballot | ||
| 1st | Unanimous | |
|---|---|---|
| Henry G. Davis | 644 | 1,000 |
| James R. Williams | 165 | |
| George Turner | 100 | |
| William A. Harris | 58 | |
| Blank | 33 |
After nominating the ticket of Parker and Davis, the convention adjournedsine die at 1:30 am on Sunday, July 10.[5]
The 1904 Democratic National Convention took place simultaneously with the1904 World's Fair and the1904 Summer Olympics.
The Democratic national convention adjourned sine die at 1.30 o'clock Sunday morning, after nominating Judge Alton B. Parker, of New York, for president, and Henry G. Davis, of West Virginia, for vice president.
| Preceded by 1900 Kansas City, Missouri | Democratic National Conventions | Succeeded by 1908 Denver, Colorado |