The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-02-18


cordial applause
Mr. VAN buren, remarked that the committee had
unanimously instructed him to report the address which
he held in his hand 1t intended to submit 1t at the
close of the proceedings of the convention because it
contained an account Of the proceedings of this
tion well as an exposition of the principles of the de-
mocraticparty Mr. Van Buren, then proceeded to read
the address have made copious extracts from it,
which have the honor to submit, in advance Of any
other source under heaven
T" the Democratic Republican Electors Of the Stale Of
New York;-
FELLOW CITIzENs-This Convention, composed of del
egaes chosen from the several Assembly districts Of this
Of the democratic party having discharged Tbs duty as
signed to them by you deem 1t appropriate to accompa
~ report of their proceedings with simple and can.
did exposition OF their views in regard to some of the
great questions which sgtate the country and of
the condition and prosperity Of the republican party Of
This convention called by joint CAUCUS ofths
democratic members Of the Senate and Assembly, for
the purpose Of determining how delegates should be
to represent the democracy OF this State in the
next national convention TO nominate candidates to be
of President aud Vice President; aud power was given
to this convention in it determined that such del
s 20
acting s, then, one which you will readily recognize
as your legitimate and time. honored agency.
No regular democratic delegated convention
assembled In this State under any other authority
Prior to the year 1896 democratic nominations for
tbs state at large were made by legislative
es; In these ths counties in whca the democrats
were Ia minority were unrspresented, and improper
influences wers often brought 70 bear to control seec
lions made by thore who mingled gisative schemes
with party nominations, and whose long absence from
forgetting mirepresenting their wishes To obvats
these difficulties, and at tho time to the
operation Of democratic members of the legislature who
chosen by their friends their senaves by
of their integrity and ability and who acted
der the responsibility Of official position thus
qured, 1t was deemed wise with the general concur
Of the party that State
to the year alluded to- should be made by State
tons composed of delegates from every county in the
State but that such conventions should be called by
democratic members Of the legislature In pursuance
OF TINS mountainous we're nret maze In
1896 by State convention, convened in this
with the uni,ers concurrence OF the party and the
then established has been adhered to unvaryngy
to the present day. You will resdily remember that
every Stats officer aud every Presidential eleotor whom
you nave supported sinoe 1926 except The electors
chosen by diarict in 1928 put in nomination IN this
mode The electors of President Vics President in
this State prior to the election Of 1924 chosen
by the Legislature They subsequently chosen by
the people, in congressional Districts single election
however, hat Of 1929 served to show how entirely tbs
power of New York In Presidential test might be
prorated by this mode OF choosing Presidential
Under It Andrew Jackson obtained twenty electoral
votes, and John Quincy Adams sixteen the effective
power OF the State thus amounting four votes and
just equaliing that Of Rhods Island.
In 1890 the system was therefore abandoned to the
system of choosing Presidential electors by general
ticket, adapted almost unanimously by the Legislature
1t Is honorable to the citizens OF this State of both po
tical PARTIES that they united in this measure and
suffered no hope OF petty or temporary advantage to
stand in the way Of their noble determination to pre-
serve unbr; ken tho commanding influence Of New
York. Whilst the electors chosen by districts,
they were nominated by district conventions but
since they have ben ohosel by the State large they
have uniformly been nominated by State convention,
aud by the State convention which nominated tbs
democratic candidates. for Governor and Lieutenant
Governor, to be supported at the election The
delegates to the national nominating convention how
ever, have always been selected by State convention,
called by tho democratic members Of the for
the single snd purpose with two exceptions to
which We shall ALLUDED of choosing ouch delegates
Prior to 1884, the democratic didates for the offices
Of President and Vice President selected by
greesional caucus The first national convention for
this purpose assembled in 1882 1t nomins Andrew
President 1t consisted of delegates chosen by the de-
mocrAcy Of each Stats in conformity to It's ussges
VINO gave IN .ns convention vote equal Ia numDer
Virginia, for instance sent one hundred more
DELEGATES to Civ. twen.yfour Notes.-The like was
true Of others. New York, however, sent . number
OF delegates corresponding with the number Of her
electoral votes. Those delegate selected by Stats
convention assembled ct Albany, and called by the de-
mooratic members of the Senate and Assembly. The
mode OF selecting these dslegses then established has
been pursued uninterrussedly till now. Martin Van
Buren, thus nominated for President in 1896, and
again in $780, and James X Polk in ls4.. SO firmly
this mode Of calling state conventions established as
.srly 1884 that the albany Argus ewspaper Of
position and influence at that time in the republican
party IN abiding to the adjourned cauou: Of the repub
1882, by which State convention at HsTkimer had
been called, the democratic address and resolutions
adopted, said -" lhe customary accommodation Of
State convention for the nomination of the republican
candidates for Governor and Lieut. Governor and cleo
tors of President and Vice President is in
with established and sautary usage aud will receive
the universal and cordial acquescence Of all the sncsre
friends OF the national and state administrations
As the deliberations Of the Herkimer convsn-
ton from the various candidates for high and re-
.ponsble stations which it will be required to present
for the surages of the electors, will be with
great interest any attempts to forests the
ing: or by partial agreements to interrupt The regular
themselves, and bring odi,,m upo their aufhors.f
We have stated that conventions have besn heretofore
called for the express purpose with two exceptions Of
choosing delegates to tho national convention The
ceptions to which we aude the present convention
and that of the year 1913 The nomination for the Pre-
al in In alb s-t. int.
known that the State Of New York presented cit
zen Of her own as candidate, and the controlling inu
dreaded by the friends of the other candidates =
vigorous effort was made to persuade the de-
lied usage. and to select their dessate, ' to ns
tional convention by allowing each congressional
dstr ct to send one representative To take the
republican members Of the legislature In April ls4s
called State convention to assemble in September s43
with power to choose delegates to q national conven
ton, to determine the In which they should
be chosen lt was wise and masuanmous thus to refer
low abundant time between the call OF tho invention
and Its ASSEMBLING to discuss it The convention as
ssmbed and declared by vote Of 03 to 10 In favor Of
the State system
In October 1885, State convention assembled under
the call OF the d.mocratio members OF the legislature
aud nominated Siss Wright for Governor, Addison
Gardiner for Lieutenant Governor, and other officers
they also appointed State central committee to
the spring of ls47 State convention was called and
held In Ike manner for the nomination OF Judicial off,
GERS and another 10 October ls47 to nominate csndi-
dates for the various State offices be filled at the
suing November election These were a lieutenant
governor comptroller, secretary Of state attorney
neral treasurer State engineer and surveyor, three
State prison inspectors aud three canal commissioners
warm and sctvs took place for seats In the
lsst convention. But go far have been able to
learn no complaint than made Of the conduct
OF the State central committee appointed In S43 tor
the ensuing two years was suggestion made that
the convention should in any way interfere with the
question of the Presdency Of the United States The
public expectation, 80 far as we know IT, awaited at the
hands Of the convention avowal of democratic prin
cipes. and nomination of candidates who should be
the honest choice ofthe democratic party for the various
State ofces We have named How far their wishes In
these respects met, do not stop to inquire;
but OF their acton subjects not cophded to hem
is becomes our principal duty to speak Without au-
thorty and without complaint, they removed to state
central committee, whose term unexpred, aud ap.
pointed another in its stead To the entire surprise
of uh0 fhauc clntha