The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1860-08-22


tofal votes not represented Ia the ballot
Had the rule, or the will Of the Convention,
required two-thirds Of the entire electoral
vote, Gen. Cass would have needed 1874 to
nominate him; but be was declared nomins-
ted when he received l79, and that was
nine more than were necessary to choice.
CONVENTION OF 1861.
The report resorted to for the proceed
ings of this body is the official Journal, prin-
ted in pamphlet form.
The Committee on Organization reported
three resolutions which were adopted, Of
which the following is the second:
Resolved, That two.thirds of the whole number Of
votes given shall be necessary 70 neminauo1 OF
candidates for Presindont and Vice President OF the
United States BY this Convention. 8
Mr.. Creighton, of Ohio, moved to recon-
slider the vote by which the second resol luton
reported BY the Committee on Organization
was adopted. - ss. Il
! A motion was made to lay the motion to
reconsider OH the table.
! On demand Of the State Of Maryland, the
question was taken by States, and the vote
resulted as follows: Ayes 269. nays l3.
CONVENTION OF 1855.
From the official journal of the proceed
ings Of this body, it appears that the Com
mittee on Organization was instructed tc
report rules for the Government OF the Con-
vention; and that they reported, recommend.
ing that the rules and regulations odopte'
BY the National Democratic Convention il
1859 be adopted by this Convention for it
government; which report was unanimously
adopted; and the "two.thirds rule," as adop
ted in 1862, was continued as the rule II
1855. s.aao -.
Thus is presented the full history OF thi
remarkable rule, from its first adoption, il
) ls32. up to the time Of the assembling q
the Charleston Convention, in April, 1860
In that period 1t was adopted six times, on
in every instance, except the first, the Ian
Q gusge is "that t,Oo thirds Of the aOhole nunlbe
Q of uoteS given shall be necessary to a nom
/ ination." The rule as adopted In 1882 sal
: two. thirds, of the whole number of vote
:. in the convention" but the proceedings I
this body as above stated, and especially Ii
|. preamble TO the resolution offered by M
Jefferson Phelps, leave no doubt "that Il
number of votes in the Convention" WI
regarded as the same as "the number
votes given" ..+,. IA.
}. Let 1t be remembered, too, that It WI
If never regarded as necessary that the Cor
Q vention should be full In order to enable
3 to make nomination. In fact, prior
1860, there had been only two Convention
d those of l84S and l856-in which eve
State was represented. In 1882, Missour
rs 10. 1885, South Carolina, AlObaml, and III
ds nois; in 1910, Connecticut, Delaware, vi
q : ginio, South Carolina, and Illinois; and
1914 and 1862, South Carolina were not !
2. q. presented by any delegate in the Democr
: tic National Convention.
"a In view Of the facts thus presented, no
telligent and upright man can adhere to 4
position that the two-thirds rule" was viol
ted by the Convention that nominated D
% . Douglas. He received "two thirds of
o. whole number of votes eiuen;" he receiV
more, that is, "two thirds Of all the vo
y the full Convention was entitled to cas-
and he is fairly and honestly the regu
IN IN Democratic nominee for President of
nd United States, and as such, all true Dem
ne, ne crats ought to support him.
,er CHARLES D. DRAKE.
Oh ST LOUIS, August 8, 1860.