, 1876-06-23


Conventions it requires tho vote Of two-thirds
of oil thu delegates to nominate candidates.
for President md Vicc-president. This rule
WIN established by the first National Conyen-
ton ever held by tho Democratic party,
which was in baltimore III 1852, nnd it Inns
obtained in ali subsequent Conventions.
There is some dispute rs TO the reason for
adopting 1t in tho first place. Con. RoaEn
pEYon, III n recent communication to tho
New York Sun, assumed that it Ind been
adopted in order to prevent tho possible
nomination Of q Democratic candidate by tho
votes Of delegates from tho Democratic
Statcs. But nnotler writer corrccts this
statement from personal knowledge and roc
ollection, and says that7 whom the idea wna
first broacllel of holding National Conycn-
ton for tho nomination Of Presidential
candidate, it was opposed by tho Southern
Democrats partly because it was contrary
to their custom to nominate BY Conventions,
but mainly because tho Southern, or alavo-
holding States, would 10 in the minority,
and tho Northern States might force upon
then, candidate who would be obnoxious to
them in order to obyiote this objection, it
was promised that rule would he adopted
requiring two.thir<1s vote for the nonina-
tioll Tho Southern States thcreupon con-
sonted to send delegates, which they did,
and tho two~thirlz rule was passed accord
ing to agreement
There Inns recently been moro serioua dis
oussion than ever lefoso about abandoning
H. !,
accepting tho nomination Of GREELEY, has
not been bound down SO closely to its tra-
Iitions, It would not bo surprising IT tho rule
were discontinued. It would only require
vote Of the majority to accomplish this.
Certainly the two-thires rule in opposed to
tho Democratic principle that the minority
should govern, and as slavery las been abol-
to DO protected at the South, the original
reason for the rule no longer exists. Gen.
PnYon advocates the retention of tho rule
fur tho following reason:
A largo number Ut States now cast their vote as
WHOLE without reference TO lo will OF tho minor
Ity, 1t Is obvious that II vii the Statcs wcre to
asippt this e:prurnt, eanaidatp might be chosen
by minority Ut tllo Convention. Fur l!lustsatIon:
two States particular cand1tate hns two Yates and
0ns against him, whilo tau third State gives Its
three votes for thu candidate OF the minority In the
uthus twp States. This lntter candidate has actual
Iy I've Yotca and tho other four, yct by operation
of Tho unit Eulc tho with four votes il nomi-
nuted tIr ulau With i've vutesi Az atforsllng
snulc guarantee ngalnst sls absurd an1 Ubiquitous
RESULT tie tWa-thlrud rule should bu held 3nvlo-
late.
~ t,o .R
ing one obnoxious rule to hell, render M
other imperative, to abolish both the ruloa,
and follow tho preoedo:t established by tho
Cincinnati Republican Convention, anl Kiye
to oach delegate the control Of his own vote :?
4 Democratic Convention IN really a most
unlc1nocratio body, With rules TINT coerco n
minority Of cach delegation to submit to a
vote as uuit, aud thon requiring two
thirds vote. Tho two practices laay tosomo
extent counteract each other, hut both aro
wrong in principle, and absurd in thus being
applied OH either silo. one to Offset the
other.
The prospect for m Abandonment Of the
two-thirds r,,lo ut st. Louis will depend
somewhat OH tho actual strength Of Mr.. Til
bAH III eAa AAtAftullDu. II uH 4IlGA1tla CAI
count Oh two-thinls vote, OF course thert
will 10 no neod for thom to seek to changs
the r1lls, hut there is no doubt that Mr;
'flLDxN will 60 into tho Convention with 6
majority, and this majority could nominate
him by uniting to yoto down tho two.thirIs
s7'le in tho lirst place. 1t 1nay NOT bo posi-
bio for the Tilen'tea To do this, however, a.
though they should recognize the necessity
for 1t in order to savo their man, because
many OF the Southern TlLDEA delegates,
from secret hope OF thus assuring to the
! South an opportunity to dictate to the Dem.
ocratio purity candidate OF their own nou
| Or in the future, may refuse to tayo'
Il repeal of tho two-tlrsls rule fol
| tho particular benefit Of 8lr. T11pEN; oi
course, all tho anti-TlLnaA delegates from tlls
South would insist upon retaining the rule
It would no. be surprising, therefore, II thsrt
should DO some sharp fighting over this rule
~ there will DO also by the effort OF soms o.
tho independent delegates to express thei1
Individual preferences by their votes, mt
not bo swallowed up in tho "unit" syssen
OF voting by States. There is prospect
lhun, Of Hotno excitement in st. Louis, but il
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