Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-03-24
THE TWO-THIRDS RULE.

The Democratic conventions of the sew
eral States have been requested to express
their opinion on the subject of the continu-
ance of the two-thirds rule that has pre-
vailed in the nominating conventions of the
party from the year 1874, in conformity
with the following resolution adopted at the
National Democratic convention held at st.
Louis in June, 1876:
Rcsolyed, That the States be requested to in
struct their delegates to the National Demo-
cratic convention to be held in $780, whether it
be desirable to continue the two-thirds rule
longer in force in the National convention, and
that the National convention insert such re-
quest in the call for the next convention.
In Republican conventions the majority
rule prevails, and the candidate that sue
ceeded in securing tie requisite number of
votes previous to the convention has been
certain of carrying off the honors of a. NOM
nation. At the st. Louis convention of the
Democratic party it was proposed that the
rule that had so long bound such assemblages
be abrogated, but in Difference to the tradi-
tions of the party it was decided to continue
it until an expression of opinion could be
had from the several States.
Much can be said both in favor of and
against the continuance of the rule in ques-
ton. In the first place it is urged by some
that the two-thirds rule prevents the nomi-
nation of a candidate who is Objectionable to
large minority of the party, and that, con-
sequently greater unanimity can be obtained
in the party at large by an adherence to the
old custom. On the other hand it is stated
that it is cardinal feature of the Demo-
cratic party that respect must be paid to the
will of the majority, and that candidate
who receives the majority of the votes of the
delegates is entitled to the support of the
whole party. Besides, candidate who is
clearly in the majority may be often defeated
by combinations in favor of some
dark horse or comparatively unknown man
who is taken up on the spur of the moment
and forced to the front by a few interested
admirers, thus giving the delegates the por
satisfaction of nominating in haste to repent
at leisure.
We are of the opinion that the majority
should prevail in Democratic conventions as
we'll as elsewhere, for we believe that this
principle is the only rock upon which re-
public can be based. We have advocated
the abolition of the electoral college, an in
termediary agent between the people and
their rulers, for the reason that the people
should have direct voice in the choosing of
their officials. The Democratic party is par
excellence the patty of the people, and it is
bound by every stie that could possibly bind
apaxty, to respect the will of the majority.
This being the case there seems to be no
good reason why the internal economy of the
party should recognize principle that has
no respect in the body of the party. The
majority must rule in the republic, and the
Democratic party is the chief advocate of
that theory. We claim, therefore, that to be
consistent the majority should rule in the
party itself, and more especially in the body
that represents, more fully than any othe,
the ideas of that party. We trust, therefore,
that the Minnesota convention, shortly to be
called, will instruct its delegates to Cincin-
natl to vote in favor of the abolition of the
two-thirds rule in future nominating conven-
tions,