Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-02-25
The Two.Thirds RuIe,

The national democratic executive committee
have, in accordance with the instructions of the
st. Louis convention, inserted In the call for the
Cincinnati convention request that state dele
cations be instructed with regard to the abol-
1Shment OF the two-thirds rule This request
mas brought the question of doing away with
the rule squarly before the democratic party of
The country, and 1t Is already apparent tina t a
very great change of sentiment has taken place
on the subject since the adjournment of the
convention In 1876. That convention, in the
form OF resolution, pronounced the rule re-
curing two-thirdS vote to nominate ticket
as "unwfse and unnecessary" and. though
there was some opposition to this resolution, it
was Feeble 1t was argued, and generally
agreed TO, that majority rule was one of the
tenetS of democratic faith, and that the national
conversations of the party ought to adhere to 1t.
MIR. Tflden's friends urged the adoption OF the
resolution, and 1t went through with q rush.
1t has been an unwritten rule of national demo-
cratic conventions to nominate a candidate
when he developed maJortty OF strength, but
OF course, there is nothing compulsory in this.
Under tine twO-thirdS rule 1t would be entirely
legitimate for convention to defeat candt-
date with majority voting for him, and it is
because this very use may be required of the
rule that 1t finds advocates now in men who
advised and voted for its adjustment in 1876
And, right on this rule, or rather on the subject
of instructing state delegations to the national
convention how they shall vote. it is probable
that Tilden will make his preliminary fight for
the nomination. 1t is the anti Tilden demo-
Gratis who are now insisting upon the MAIN
tenance OF the rule. They say that with ma
1or1ty rule established for the coming conven-
t on T1lden can obtain the nomination by the
votes OF states which would not be able to give
The democratic ticket single electoral vote.
This is, and has been for some time source of
grave apprehension to a large proportion of the
democrats. Ttlden is strong in the republican
states He has been directing his energies, so
1t is alleged, to securing the committees In
Wisconsin, Michigan, Massachusetts, and other
reliably republican states, with the object of
having those states send Tflden delegations to
the national convention. Tilden Is said to be
weakest in the strongest democractic states,
and II the congressman from these states rep
resent the sentiment of their constituents with
regard to Tilden, this is true. The disastrous
enect upon the party of having an unaccept-
able candidate forced upon those states which
are expected to elect him, If that be possible by
states that cannot contribute a single electoral
vote towards that result can easily be appre-
c1ated. The indications are that the demo-
cratic states Will, for self-protection, instruct
their delegations to vote against abolishing the
rule, but whether those states not belonging in
the democratic column will endeavor to abol-
ish 1t or not the discussion has not yet pre-
gressed far enough to determine. 1t is plain
however, that the anti-Tilden democrats every
where will stand by the old rule, and If Tilden
wants to ascertain his precise strength before
r1sk1ng his name before the convention, he can
DO so by making this an issue. His opponents
have already taken their stand in favor of re-
tanning the two-thirds rule; If he can marshal
delegates enough to beat them he can take the
prize he so eagerly seeks. resolution to aboI-
ish the rule would come before the convention
precisely as any other resolution or motion, and
a majority vote can adopt it. The two-thirds
rule applies to nominations only. So that If
Tflden can secure a majority of the delegates
no matter whether they are from democratic or
republican states he will have the nomination
in his own hand.