The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-12-31
National conventions.

and unsatisfactory than the party ma
chinery in this country for making Presi-
Dental nominations. 1t is thoroughly I'M
fair by the possibility which it always
admits that the choice of the candidate
may be controlled by States that can give
no electoral votes. Justice would require
that the influence of different States IN
making the nomination should be IN pro-
portion to the support they are able 10
give the ticket. In the next Republican
National Convention States like Virginia,
Kentucky and tennessee, which can by no
possibility give single electoral vote 10
the candidate of the party, Will nave as
large a representation as undoubted repuo-
lican States having the same population.
Why should States that can contribute
nothing toward the election of ticket be
able to dictate its composition! why
should not the ticket be made up by those
States which are relied on to elect it?
While it is generally conceded that none
of the Southern States will give any cleo
toral votes to the republican candidate
they will have more than four-fifths OF the
number of votes requisite to form ma
jority OF the Conven ton. Although they
must be mere ciphers in the election they
will serve in the Convention as ciphers an
nexed to significant figures multiplying
their value and enabling almost any two
large republican States to control the
nomination if reinforced by the Southern
delegates who represent no electoral votes
At least nine-tenths of the republican
party in the Southern States consist OF
colored voters. It is doubtful whether they
will be represented in the Republican Ma
tional Convention by delegates really
chosen by them and sharing their prefer
ence as to the Presidential candidate
Within the last three or four years the re-
publican organization in the Southern
States has gone to pieces. Unless it should
be reconstructed by the negroes themselves
the republican delegates from the South
will be virtually appointed by the federal
ofice-holders. In that case the Southern
votes will be given in accordance with the
wishes of the appointing power at
Washington. But if the negroes should
become deeply interested in some par
ticular candidate, and should there
upon take the bits into their mouths and
pay no heed to the official reins, their
united choice would be very likely to pre-
vail in the Convention. If Pennsylvania
and New York make an early appointment
of delegates; if the delegates from these two
States should be instructed to vote for the
same candidate, and if that candidate should
be one who would be the natural and spon-
taneous preference of the whole mass Of
colored citizens, New York and Penn
sylvania would be able to control
the nomination, the Southern delegates
being annexed like ciphers. to enable
these States to count ten. Under or
binary circumstances, with the republic
can organization dissolved in the Southern
States, the federal ofice-holders would have
no difficulty in appointing the delegates, but
if skilful attempt should be made toarouse
the dormant negro sentiment into activity
the 'colored voters might be truly repre-
sented In the Convention. If their choice
should happen to coincide with that of the
united delegations from Pennsylvania and
New York the nomination of their candi-
date would be assured long before the
meeting of the Convention. But if the
ticket were to be selected by those
States which are relied on for cleo
toral votes to insure its success the nomi-
nation might fall to different candidate.
There is no immediate remedy for state
of things which permits Presidential nomi-
nations to be controlled by States in which
the party can expect no electoral votes
The only way to rectify it is by a change of
system which would substitute the choice
of Presidential electors by Congressional
districts for their election in each State on
general ticket. That would naturally be
followed by corresponding change allow
ing each district to send its own dele
gate to the National Convention. But
even that would be only partial
remedy, unless political parties should
make provision for discriminating between
democratic and republican districts. The
republican party of New York has made an
approximation to fairness in the compost
ton of its State conventions by giving each
Assembly district a representation proper
toned to the number of votes it polled in
the preceding election. Under the district
system similar method would be practi-
cable for national conventions. 1t would
only be necessary to allow each Congress
sional district one delegate and an addi-
tional one for every three thousand or five
thousand or some specified number of party
votes cast in that district. The national
conventions would then fairly represent
the voters of the party, and the ticket would
be selected by those who could give some
assistan ce in electing it.
The present system is unjust and absurd.
Why should States which cannot give a
single electoral vote to the party candidate
have as much power in nominating him as