The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-06-24
THE Democracy will have something of

THE Democracy will have something OF
an ordeal to pass through at Baltimore.
The Greeley element will be in a majority,
but it is questionable whether they will
have on the first showing Of hands the re-
ouired two-thirds for their candidate. 'fhe
action of National Democratic Conventions
in past years has given to this two-thrds
rule the force of an established precedent,
and It has too much historic value now to
be flung aside as a useless and played-out
principle.! 1t was adopted at the sitting Of
the first national convention OF the Democ-s
racy. in 1882, when Jackson was nomlna-,
ted for his second term. 1t twas followed
in 1886 and again in 1910. .>,l ...sse, ,s.,l
In 1914, it defeated Van Buren,, who had
majority. of votes in the convention, but
not the'requisite two-thirds, and Polk, a
comparatively unknown man, was selected
as a compromise candidate. In 1913, Gem
ersl Cass was subjected to the same. rigid
rule, but bolt headedby Van Buren, se-.
cured the election Of General Taylor. In
1852, the two-thirds rule killed off all the
leading aspirants, and resulted in the choice
Of a secondaryman, in the person of Frank
lin Pierce At the memorable Charleston
Convention in 1860, it drove all aspirants
temporarily out of the field; and after a
subsidiary convention held here IN Rich
mond, and an adjournment of the spht-up
convention at Charleston to meet in Balti-
more, the same two-thrds rule resulted in
the smashing of the Democratic machine
for the time being, and we all know what
followed i@.toH .-a.pB yya -yasls Aus
Again, in 1868, this misunderstanding
rule was brought into play at the head
quarters Of Tammany in New York city,
and resulted in killing off all the supposed
available candidates, and in the nomination
and easy defeat of Horatio Seymour. Gree
ley, singularly enough, has come TO be
measured by the same infexible Demo
cratic rule, and upon. the enforcement Of il
at Baltimore depend all his chances Of
success before the American people. He
can easily carry majority Of that Conven.
ton, but will he be able to carry the requisite
two-thirds ? This question must be deter
mined not by the enthusiastic delegations
that shall 50 up from Virginia, or from any
or all of the Southern States, Of. q majority
even of all the States. northern and south
ern, but by the wise and sagacious Demo
Gratis who are largely in the minority, art
yet strong enough to hold the convention il
check by this infexible historic rule. With
this willy minority working day in and day
out, even at this advanced hour, to dcfea
Greeley. and place q less obnoxious ant
chrotchetty man on the ticket, we comics!
that the chances Of the Chappaqua axe maj
are anything but brilliant, much less certain
of success, in that body. At all events tn
radical Democrats element of the country
which is one not to'be despised in point 0
numbers, will put o third candidate in tn
field, should Mr.. Greeley be, endorsed a
Baltimore. We do not say this becaus
the wish is father to the thought, but from
the abundant evidence which comes to u
from sources that the public is little awar
of at this time. The nomination Of Groes
back and Olmstead, by the dsafecte,
free-traders and the powerful German ele
ment of the country, looks 10 the shap
ing Of ticket by these RADICAL Democrats