Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1860-03-29


sesg that mainly resorted to for bringing forward
Presidential candidates In 1924 that had been proved
poweress to concentrate the votes OF the Democratic
party and the result something like what might be
called scrub-race and the throwing of the election
into the House, of the candidates having received
majority OF the votes of the electoral colleges.
Of the ordinations aud recrimLations to which that
election gave RISE it is not our object to speak,
All know that John Z. Adams chosen by the House
though far from being elected by the people. Iu 1928
the party turned instinctivey to Gen. jackson and
it required no formal nomination to mark him out as
the central figure around which the party should rally
the leader under whose banner they should march to
victory. Still less was any nomination required in
1882 snce there were no opposing Claims and Gen.
Jackson had the track by acclamation The question
in regard to the Vice Presidency, and to decide
that question national Democratic Convention was
held in Baltimore, which body Hon. VIM. R. King
native of Sampson county, presided. That assembage
marked the transition from the to the Conven-
ton system, and it adopted the twothrds rue-a rule
which has prevailed in every Democratic Convention
since, with single exception that which re-nomnated
Martin Van Buren, in 1910. No Democratic candidate
for the Presidency, nominated under the twothirds rule
cry of Martin Van Buren, and not the strength of the
Wings, defeated Gen. Glass;
Important and exciting as each of the seven Conven-
tons already held may have been and no doubt were
that about to assemble at Charleston draws to itself an
interest greater in amount and far more absorbing in
character than that attaching to any other merely poll
tca body which has assembled the United States
To say that for months past the Democratic National
Convention, even in prospect has divided public atten
ton with the Congress of the United States now in session
would be saying too little, rather than too much. The
opinions views and preferences of delegates to Charles
ton have been subjected to the most rigid scrutiny
though not always stated with full knowledge of the
facts very careful regard to accuracy. We have
been good deal amused with the perfectly contradic
tory statements put forth in reference to the delegation
from North Carolina.
Now that delegation at least the eighteen members
already chosen unpedged and uninstructe and there
fore free to act in such manner as may appear to il
BEST in view of all the facts of the case North Caro-
lima support any good man fairly nominated upor
an acceptable platform, and she can and will labor il
favour of such nomination.
There two many, too grave and too important
national interests dependent upon the action of the
Democratic Convention to allow that action to be made
subservent to the promotion of any merely personal am
bton, or the advancement of any particular man or SCI
of men, and do trust that while deleyates as men
may and perhaps must have their personal preferences
the representatives of all the States in Convention will
agree to regard such preferences as secondary to The
greater interests of the party, the maintenance of it,
principles and the success of its measures