1900 Democratic National Convention

The 1900 Democratic National Convention was a United States presidential nominating convention that took place the week of July 4, 1900, at Convention Hall in Kansas City, Missouri.

The convention nominated William Jennings Bryan for president and former Vice President Adlai E. Stevenson was nominated for vice president. The ticket was to lose the general election to the Republican ticket of William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt.

Vice presidential candidates
At the start of the convention, former Representative Charles A. Towne of Minnesota was considered the favorite for the vice presidential nomination, as both the Populists and the Silver Republican Party backed Towne. Other names mentioned as possible candidates included former New York Senator David B. Hill, former New York Senator Edward Murphy Jr. and John W. Keller, New York City's Commissioner of Public Charities.

Seven names were placed in nomination: Adlai Stevenson, David B. Hill, Charles A. Towne, Abraham W. Patrick, Julian S. Carr, John W. Smith, and J. Hamilton Lewis. Former Representative Lewis thanked the convention for its generosity but did not wish to be considered for the vice presidency. Governor Smith declined to allow the use of his name, and it was withdrawn before the result was announced. Former Senator Hill was opposed to including a pro-silver plank in the party platform, so he spoke against his own nomination and declared that he would not take it if offered. Former Vice President Stevenson won the nomination with the help of Bryanites who wanted to keep Hill off of the ticket. The choice of Stevenson alienated the Populists and Silver Republicans, who had planned to nominate the Democratic ticket.