The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1870-12-30
County Convention.

County Convention.
The Democratic Convention called
specially to amend the rules of nomina.
tion in this county, assembled at the
Court House on Monday last. A code
was adopted with rare unauimity.
which We do not doubt will give per.
fect satisfaction, and which will hereaf.
ter prevent all division, pickering and
disaffection of any character. 1t will
be seen that the cumulative or free
voting plan is applied. Not only the
majority in every district will therefore
De hereafter represented, but the mi.
norities also-every Democrat will. or
may If he attends to it, be fully repre-
sented. The aggregate will of the ma
Jority, thus clearly ascertained, has a
right to respect and Its decisions will be
regarded by all who have the interests
of the great party truly at heart. We
print the proceedings in full, and also
table showing the number of dele.
gates to which each district will be en-.
Titled until new appointment Is made
after the next Governors election. AS
no provision was made to publish the
new rules in any other form, it may be
well to preserve this paper for future
reference.
IL Will be seen also that radical
change has been made in the represen-
tation of districts in Convention, and
that sundry rules to secure fairness in
nominations have been adopted.
The time for holding the annual Con-
vention is fixed upon the second Tues.
day of August, just two months before
the date of the general elections, and
that is probably as good a time as could
be selected. The manner of choosing
the Standing Committee is changed and
the number largely increased, but the
quorum is fixed at so small number
That the business of the Com mmittee can
at all times be conveniently transacted.
The provisions against fraud seem to
beJudicious and although stringent can.
not be complained of as they are made
prospective and apply only to the fu-
tnre. The same remark will apply to
the rules which deprive candidates and
voters of certain privileges in case of
their opposition to party nominations.
A reasonable amount of discipline is
necessary to the union, strength and
success of a party.
But, as we have already mentioned,
the important changes made are in the
basis OF representation and in tho man.
ner of electing delegates. Districts are
to be represented in Convention accord
ing to their party vote, but no district
shall have less than two or more than
four delegates. Upon an exact appor-
uonment upon ratio of 60 votes to a
delegate, five districts would have but
one delegate each. These districts are
Berwick, Montour, Franklin, Roaring.
creek and South Conyngham, the two
first of which are only little over the
ratio for one delegate while the others
fsll below 1t. But it was supposed that
taking away one delegate from each of
those districts would produce dissatis
faction, while allowing them two each,
would only give i've more votes in Con-
vention out of total of sixty. seven.
This would but slightly disturb the
general result. Independent of this
slight misrepresentation o. small dis
tricts, the apportionment will lie based
strictly upon the principle of numbers
allowance being made for majority
fractions of ratio) and will be com
pletely just. The result will be that
Locust and Fishingcreek will have A
delegates each and all the other districts
2or each, according to their Demo-
cratic vote. But the delegations from
the larger districts will ordinarily be
divided between candidates in cases of
contest, under the operation of the 9TH
rule, so that those districts will not
have undue power or absolute control
in Conventions.
GnaahAr rrA -