The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-06-29

THE TWO-THTRDS RULE.
It's Presidential Elections
from the Time of Jefferson Down.

foreehadows an attempt IN the 81 Louis
Convention, to abrogate the two-thirds
rule. In view of the discussion which
the effort will occasion, and particularly
since some misapprehension seems to
prevail as to the origin and policy OF this
famous regulation, brief review of its
history may not be without interest and
instruction.
The Congressional caucus itself bor-
rowed from the politics of England, was
the original of the National convention.
In 1900, at Philadelphia, caucus COM
posed of Representatives and Senator's,
nominated Jefferson and Burr for Presi-
dent and Vice President of the United
States.
AT Washington, on the 10th of .Janu.
arv. 1903. a similar caucus nominated
Madison for the Presidency, and in 1872
a caucus presented him for re- election
Meanwhile much discomfort with this
method of selecting candidates had
spread among the Republicans; so that
on the 11th of March, 1916, when Con-
Rressional caucus met in Washington to
choose successor to Mr.. Madison, nine
teen members of the party refused to at
tend. After severe struggle between
Monroe and Crawford the former was
nominated bya vote of sixty-tive to fifty
four. Monroe was reelected without OPP
position. In 1924, Notwithstanding the
popular clamor against the system, eau
Gus of Republican Congressmen present
ed Crawford for the Presidency; but his
nomination was largely repudiated by
the party, and, in default of majority
vote in the Electoral College, Adams was
elected by the House of Representatives
over Jackson.
The result was to the last degree obi
Gus and disappointing to the country, and
being imputed to the operation Of the
method of nomination, as well as to some
intriguing between Clay and Adams,
"King Caucus" as it was called in the
slang of the day. .was abiured forever,
and its memory exists only for "admoni-
ton and reproof"
General Jackson was nominated, both
for his first and second term, by the Leg
islatures of the States The first Nation
al convention for the nomination of can
didates was held in Baltimore, Septem-
Der, 1881, by the anti-Mason party, and
they presented William Writ for Presi-
dent and Amos Ellmaker for Vice Presi-
dent. 1f more information Of this party
and convention be desired, reference
may be had to the venerable Thurlow
Weed)
In December of the same year party
styling itself National Republican, met
at Baltimore, and nominated Henry
Clay and John Sergeant for President
and Vice President.
The Democrats as they now began to
distinguish themselves, had already, by
the State Legislatures, presented Jack
son for second term; but controversy
existing in the choice of candidate for
Vice President, for the solution of the
difficulty, New Hampshire proposed the
expendient of a National convention.
The first Democratic National Conven-
ton was called to nominate a Vice Pres.
ident only; and it met in Baltimore on
May 2lst, 1882. Robert Lucas, Of Ohio,
was chosen President of the body. In
determing the selection of candidate
the convention, on motion of Romulus
M. Saunders, of North Carolina, adopted
the following resolution:
Resolved, That each State be entitled,
in the nomination to be made of can
.didate for the Vice Presidency, to a num-
Der of votes equal to the number that
they will be entitled to III the Electoral
College under the new apportiOnment in
voting for President and Vice President,
and that two thirds of the whole num-
Der of votes in the convention shall be
necessary to choice.
This is the origin of the now famous
two-thirds rule. Martin Van Buren, re.
ceived the requisite vote for the nomin.
alton, and was elected on the ticket with
Andrew Jackson.
The next Democratic National Conven.
tion met in Baltimore, May 90 1886,
and by unanimous tote nominated Van
Buren, to succeed Jackson in the Presi-
dency. In 1910 Van Buren was present
ed by another convention at Baltimore
for second term, but was defeated by
General Harrison, whom the Wings had
nominated in convention at Harrisburg.
The ambition of the Sage Of Kinder
hook" was not to be appeased without
another incumbenCy of the Presidency;
and accordingly his friends urged him
for nomination by the Democratic con-
vention which met at Baltimore on May
18th, 1874. But Romulus Saunders was
again present with his two thirds rule;
and on his motion the convention adopt
ed it by vote of l4S to ll8. On the first
ballot Van Buren received l46 votes, a
majority, but not two thirds Of the con-
vention. After the seventh ballot an at
tempt was made to repea the two thirds
rule, but was defeated by the same vote
by which it was adopted, namely, 1l8 for
and l48 against its repeal. On the ninth
ballot Jan, es X. Polk was nominated by
unanimous vote.
In the Democratic convention which
met at Baltimore on May 2S, 1S4S, the
two thirds vote was again adopted, and
under its ruling Lewis Cass was nomina-
ted for the Presidency. =.
The same rule was re-enacted at Bal
timore in 1852, and has been retained in
every succeeding Democratic convention.
1t is not true, then, as popularity re-
ported, that the two thirds rule origina-
ted in the convention of 1874, and was
devised to prevent the nomination of
Van Buren. 1t was adopted in 1882 by
the first Democratic National convention
ever held, and is, in truth, an original,
traditional and fundamental principle of
the Democratic constitution.
The policy ofthe rule consists in its eff
ficacy as a safeguard against the nomin-
alton of candidate by States which can
not contribute to his election.
d. A al s., ,k,
ton is indefinitely strengthened by the
modern practice of a vote in convention.
A large number of States now cast their
vote as a whole, without reference to
the will of the minority. 1t is obvious
that if all States were to adopt this expe-
dient, candidate might be chosen by
the minority of the convention For il
lustration: Take ihree States with three
votes each; in each of two States par
ticular candidate has two votes, and one