文章基本信息

标题：American chronicles
作者：Alexander, Gary L
期刊名称：Human Events
印刷版ISSN：0018-7194
出版年度：1999
卷号：Jul 9, 1999
出版社：Eagle Publishing

American chronicles

Alexander, Gary L

75 years ago, in July 1924, the minor political parties had a field day:

On July 4, 1924, the conference for Progressive Political Action nominated Sen. Robert M. LaFollette, Republican of Wisconsin, for the presidency on the Progressive ticket. (On July 18, Democratic Sen. Burton K. Wheeler of Montana was named the Progressive Party's VP candidate.

On July 9, the Democrats nominated John W. Davis of West Virginia, on the 103rd ballot, and Charles W. Bryan of Nebraska, brother of William Jennings Bryan as his VP. (They can be considered a minor party here because the

Democrats got only 28.8% of the popular vote in 1924.) Finally, on July 10, the Farmer-Labor Progressive and Workers' Party National Convention nominated William Z. Foster of Illinois for President and Benjamin Gitlow of New York for VP.

In the end, the incumbent Republican, "Silent Cal" Coolidge, won in November, garnernng 72% of the electoral votes and 54% of the popular votes against five other candidates, including Herman P. Faris of the Prohibition Party and Frank T. Johns of the Socialist Party.

30 years ago, July 18-20, 1969, the peaks and the valleys of the 1960s came together in one wild weekend. First, there was the peak-the first moon-landing mission, Apollo 11. The actual touchdown date on the moon was Sunday, July 20. But while mankind was making one giant leap outo the moon's surface, the youngest Kennedy boy was making a smaller step toward oblivion. Near midnight, Friday, July 18, Edward Kennedy drove off the Chappaquiddick

Bridge and allowed young Mary Jo Kopechne to die in the shallow waters there. Were the 1960s ever better summarized than the peak and the valley of that weekend-on the moon, and under the bridge?

25 years ago, July 30, 1974, three articles of impeachment were voted against President Richard M. Nixon by the House Judiciary Committee. Nixon would resign August 9.

20 years ago, July 25, 1979, Paul Volcker was nominated to head the Federal Reserve Board and tame the runaway inflation of the Carter years. He was sworn in August 6. He remained in offiee for eight years, taming inflation while leaving right before the 1987 stock market crash.