Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1860-08-16
From the st. Louis Republican,
The History OF the "TwO-
Thirds Rule.c

more reckless attempt has seldom been
made in this country to deceive and mislead
the people in regard to historic fact thar
that made by President Buchanan, when he
ventured in his stump speech against the
Democratic nominee for President, to declare
that the "two-thirds rule" had been "broken tc
pieces" by the Democratic National Conven
ton in the nomination of Stephen A. Douglas
1t is matter of surprise that the falsehoOd ot
that declaration has not heretofore been ex
posed by all exhibition IN detail of the iacts
in relation to that rule. Having examined
its history, | here present the record as it is
and the world will Judge what faith to place
in Mr.. Buchanans statement ! commend
the facts in an especial manner to those hon
est Democrats who wish to sustain regular
nominations, but have been led by the decla
ration of the President Of the United Stdh,
to believe that Mr. Douglas was nominated
in violation of the established usages of the
party ] desire that they should not take
his word for that, but should examine
the records for themselves, and learn that
his word on that subject is utterly worth
less
Before proceeding to present the historical
facts, let the question be fairly stated Mr.
Buchanan, in his speech, was referring to the
'two-third rule" as established by Democratic
National Conventions previous TO that of the
present year. He gave its origin, and refer.
red to its effect upon the party during the pc
riod which had elapsed since the old Congress
sional caucus system was abandoned, and
that of the National Conventions was institu
ted, for the first time, in 1892 In broad
terms he averred that the rule had been "bro
ken to pieces by the Convention that nomi
o;c H. ,,,Lats o 10 ~ nt .ho
was aone Ris words words meant notb;ns \
,ho,, d;J No, ,,aan thot ,ho Gonran,;nn boG
.orJooiod uJ i'a o. o,,ortnrnad -. d;sraoardoJ
TX trtn,a ,birds rnIa y as Lod s',.1s;a,,sb
o,';.,oJ ,"G ''''''' '"''' "' ~ ""D P''''"''S
G~d nc tho rosoIrt;on rossod q, Cborlos,o,
o H. ,he ia, T." "F NJ, ieen lpa"a;n;" p ,ha preoi
Jont ortho ronvont;on not 70 isc5,ys arv nor.
,, ,'a,',;uo,ad ,,niosa b rooo;,od nd.
81 ,U tbn y"tos ,ha G,r Convant;on ,yos on,;
ioJ 20 cost NJ Rrchopon d;d not mention Il
as g. 80 |, H., ,,,,, II :, n,as IN III
hind o. oIl he tnoy tbot noth;r@ wos 70 he
I'D hy say;nc, anv thin, obont hooorse
,hat ma ~ ,~3s ,J;na ON tho Convon,ion omIy
,'s,' ''". ~, 90 ,ha 'ro,,on oLoso tbot /;
JlLa,,I5 s Lo I, Nos ,,o,,, ,,lo rovor no.
corc introduced INTO anv Democratic National
Con,on,;on II d;gorod from hnt did not in
-. das,.o,, ~ IA s,, ,Li,Js r,,Iar s;noa
y pa,n ipraann;ro1o ;1' i,,,o,. vo,o Co.. nnn,;not;on
han that r,I5 All Il ,yos NO, lao osod an INV
nrcyions r, nsoge of the marty. lint was the crea.
ture of that Convention, and might be repeal
ed or disregarded by that Convention without
violating any party usage or obligation.
1t is therefore perfectly manifest that Mr..
Buchanans charge of breaking the two.
thirds rule" TO pieces is nonsense, if it do not
refer to the rule which had existed so long as
to have become party usage, which no Con.
yention ought to set aside. This charge |
pronounce false, and will show it to be so by
the history of the rule. The rule, from the
day of its first adoption in 1892, has required
two-thirds of all the votes gipen, and no man
will deny that Stephen A. Douglas received
far more than that proportion of all the votes
given at Baltimore. Ii was easily shown, as
u hos MANY ,;r,as baar tbat he raca;vad tyvo.
~ Z, i LII =,
lnlfuS OF ut inc NOleS u Iutt OOnNeuuOh WAS
entitled to cast But that is not the matter
now under consideration. The question is
was he nominated in accordance with the
usage of the party2 Did he get the number
of votes required bv the 'twothirds ruleg' II