This blog entry comes at a point where Presidential Candidate Donald Trump seems poised to split the national GOP.
In 1912, a similar split was happening in national politics whereby Teddy Roosevelt was seeking a return to office following his disappointment with the first term of the William Taft presidency. The Republican Party denied Roosevelt the nomination and he stormed out of the convention to form his own Progressive Party, a.k.a The Bull Moose Party. Roosevelt achieved second place in the 1912 election to Democratic Party candidate, Woodrow Wilson.
Political parties have all sorts of top-down and bottom-up relationships, and the 1912 election was no exception for the Republican Party of Robeson County, North Carolina. In September 1912, W.K. Culbreth was nominated as County Chair of the Republican Party. The trouble being: he was a noted Progressive and Roosevelt-man and the national GOP had nominated Taft, and the state parties were largely undeclared. The North Carolina GOP cast one vote for Taft and one vote for Roosevelt, with the other 22 delegates voting present.
Upon being elected as chair, W.K. Culbreth "Windy Billy" recalled the County Convention to shake up the Republican status quo. Three days later the Robesonian declared the party split.
What ensued was party chaos, with the Robeson County Republican Party finally declaring itself a little Taft and a little Roosevelt. The Robesonian's account, however indicates the county Republicans were solidly in the Roosevelt column. Page 1. Page 2. Of note, Malcolm "Make" Culbreth was also nominated as Road Supervisor for Maxton, NC.