State journal & flag., 1846-12-25
state Convention.

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convention 10 nominate democratic
candidate for Governor. TAe only ques-
tons now to be decided, are first, the
time at which it shall be held and, Sc.
condy. the place. The FIRST MONDAY in
May. next, has been suggested by several
democratic journals, and will, no doubt,
prove acceptable to the party throughout
the State. The place at which the con-
venion shall be held, will be more difficult
10 agree upon but we hope our friends,
rather THAI suffer this to become a subject
OF much discussion will agree, at once, upon
Tuscaloosa. We have no choice in this
mailer, and will take no part IN any discus.
sion that may grow out of it.
In September 1874, when it was pro-
posed 10 hold convention. sometime DUR
ing the following session Of the Legislature,
we published an article, which is not inap-
propriate 10 the present condition OF the pc
lilica aifirs of our State. We advocated
The convention system then, as our read
ers will recollect and thereafter, until the
assembling of the convention, which nom.
mated Mr.. Terry, our efforts were directed
to induce such action, on the part of the
convention as would have insured success.
and prevented the unfortunate division
which secured the elevation of Gov. Mar
tin. But these are by gone events, and
we refer TO them now, in order that our
friends may guard against the ill-di5ested
action, and the unseemy haste, which
unfortunately prevailed in the convention of
1915. One of the errors of that convention
was its refusal to adopt the two thirds rule
in selecting candidate. We urged it up
on the members of the convention, as
measure, OF all others, most likely to bind
the minority, and insure harmony but, it
met with little favor. This rule should
prevail 10 the next convention. No nun
should be selected, now, unless he is the
choice Of Two thirds of the democratic party
There should be no lazard no uncertainty
in the selection; ard whoever can be pre-
sented with this strength will command The
entire democratic cote Of The State. We
regard the two thirds rule, N the selec~
ton Of candidates for office, as entirely
just and equitable. The decision of con-
venons is nothing more than the determi
nation. or judgment, of political agents as
to the qualifications, and availability, of The
candidate, or candidates, selected for the
sufrages of the party represented. It's
binding force depends upon party Affinity
and its decision is binding, and controls
its party jus, so far as ii harmonises with The
moral sense, and political principles of that
party aud no farther. If convention Sc.
lect man against whom any good and
valid objection, either Of a private or public
nature. can be maintained, its action will
fail 10 be binding on The members OF
the party it assumed to represent. These
are truths which will find response in
the heart of every honest man, of every
party; and it is the reverse of this action,
which has enabled demagogues, who seek
every popular hobby to ride into office, that
has brought State, district, and county con
ventlons, in some degree into dsrepute.
The two third rule, has had strong len
d ,ncy, wherever adopted, to correct most
of the evils complained of-by insuring the
nomination of men, who ara well tried, and
who, as politicians, are sufficiently elevated
in H. public estimation. to insure, under
their lead, success to their party. As gen
era rule it may be assumed to be true, that
it is not possible for any man who is OBJ
iectionable 10 respectable number of his
party, to obtain the vote Of two thirds OF "a
political convention.
These suggestions are thrown out with no
other view than to direct the attention OF our
readers to, what we look upon as, one of
h. necessary pre- requisites to insure GER
tain success. We would cheerfiJly yield
oar preferences to numerical majority of
our party friends; but The great body of the
democratic party, seem to require that the
action of the convention in selecting a de,
mocratic candidate for Governor, shall be
made to conform to the wishes of as large a
number of the party as is possible.
The article to which we referred above, and
which was published in the " F ag" of Sep
tember 6, 1874, embodes all we could say,
in addition on this subject, and we again
present it to our readers, after two years
have elapsed, as our deliberate, and fixed,
opinion, as to the principles which should
control the action Of State convention
assembled TO select candidate for Cover.
nor.
From the Flag Of September 1874.
Stale Convention.
"The proposition for Democratic State
Convention, next win'er, to select candi,
date for Governor, does not seem 10 meet
with universal assent. A few papers only
have responded to the proposition, ard mol
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