The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-03-09
Hon, John Coebran on the two
Thirds IlmIa,

rule, Should II DO abrogaled IN State mud
National conventions or not;
Mr., Cochmn--l do not believe "lhat the
rule il NJ war with every idea Of American In
dlulons" Because, rs conventions have
hitherto been conducted n maioHly Of tho
delegates do not always represent the npjor-
Ivy Of the people or party they profess to
represent, but very often represent the MI
norty, Tolllstmts A md y aro candl-
dates for Governor, Precinct conventions
are called, In precinct ono there arc 900
Democratic yotca, In precinct two therenrc
400 IN precinct three there Aro GOO In
precinct four there nro 800, and In precinct
i've there Nro lOO making total Of 1900
Democratic votes In tho county, But In the
precinct meetings A receives, from precinct
one, 300 votes, and h 200 votes,
Hence precinct one sends live delegates In.
Eruclcl for a, lnprccInct two A gets 80
votes md II gets 800 votes, So precinct No.
. sends 10 the County convention four dele
gatcs Instructed for u, and In precinct three
4 gets 800 votes md b gets $50 votes but
tho delegates sends six delegates instructed
and i gets 800 votes, and sends three dele,
gates instructed for U while IN precinct five
A gets no votes nj allHnd h 100 y0tcs.nrd sends
one delegate instructed for b, OF the pop.
ularyotc you perceive A only gets 700 votes,
but has eleven delegates instructed for him
In the County conycntion-w while Il receives
Of the popular vote $50 votes, but only has
eight delegates instructed for him In the
County convention, and, Ms the two-third rule
does not proynl in County conventions in
nslructing It's delegates, the delegation from
tho county go to the State convent on, in
structed TO Gust the ncteen votes of the
county for A, who only represents $50 votes,
sguinst b, who represents $50 votes. Hence
these delegates, representing $50 votes out of
1900, cast the nineteen votes of the county
for A. ! have used tho old basis Of ono
delegate for each 100 votes for convenience,
but 1t is sufficient to show how a
majority OF the delegates 10 conventions Sc
lected under our present system may, and no
doubt do, frcqu ntly represent minority In
stead Of majority, Hence, to abolish the
two-thrds rule would in my opinion place
the power in the hands of majority of mi.
nority to dictate the nominees of the party,
and when that party is in the ascendancy, to
virtually elect the officers Of State, and TO
shape the destiny of the nation. This, |
think, would be sat war with every idea of
American institutions" For il il the rule of
the American people, that maiorties shall
rulo-not minorities. And in order to insure
and to enforce this principle, the people of
the different States knowing that even a ma.
ority Of Legislative Bodies who are
elected under the forms of law, do not
always represent II majority Of the people
have adopted and required the two-third rule
in proposing amendments to their State CON
stitutions, while n large majority of only one
vote of the people themselves can atifv or
reject the amendments proposed. So where
the apparent exceptions to the majority
rule cXist-if we will only mali2e, we will
find that il was adopted in order to prevent a
majority Of what might be u minority from
the exercise of too great power or for the
protection OF the minority from bare MAORI
ties. 1t may be, and no doubt is true, that
the two-thirds rule often defeats the choice of
n majority of the delegates to conventions
and perhaps, the will Of majority of the
party sometimes But ia this an argument
of sufficient force TO warrant the adjustment
of the ruley Is it not more of
an argument against the mode of selecting
deleg0t TO, and tho manner of conducting
conventions, than against the rule ?
Let us while trying to avoid one evil not
run on to another,
Political parties are made up of indi-
viduals, rallying aroynd some fundamental
principle or principles of government which,
in their opinion, will be most conducive to
the perpetuity Of free individual interests and
happiness and political nominating conven-
tons are necessary to crystaliae and harmon
i've all differences OF opinion and conflicting
interests ofiAdiyiduals and sections. Hence,
like in the formation ofgoverments, there are
many necessary concessions and compromises
to be made to preserve its potency, unity
and success. Hence, the question
arises which will be most
likely to preserve harmony and prevent Sc
rious dssensions from arising in the party
and best preserve its unity, the two.thirds
rule, or bare majority of delegates which
may represent only a minority Of their party.
Which will carry with it the greatest moral
force? Which will command the greatest re-
spect from the great masses of the party?
Or, in other words, when the lines are sharply
drawn between two promin' mt candidates,
and the friends of each become excited, as is
frequently the case, and n majo ity of each
side, believing denomination of the opposite
candidate would be detrimental to the prog
ress and needed reforms of the country and
non-productive of individual or sectional in
forests of themselves and friends, would not
the nomination of either of these candidates
by bare majority endanger the unity of the
party moro than if one of them or, if must
be, some one else be nominated by two
thirds of the delegates?
Both in Texas and the United States there
are conflicting sectional interests as well as
conflicting individual interests. The interests
of people most generally shape their poll
ties. So if one section has n majority, and
majority of that majority although it may
be n minority of the whole should use that
sectional majority to crafty sectional pride
and promots sectional interests to the neglect
Of other sections, the voice of the people of
the neglected or oppressed sections would be
silenced and rendered powerless, except in
helping to elect those who cared nothing for
them, If the two-third rule should be abo-
ished. apprehend that the people would,
under such state of affairs, soon become rest
less, if not rcsenttul, and party allegiance
weakened, if not destroyed altogether. The
two-thirds rule is for the protec-
ton of the weak - the strong
will always protect themselves. It
gives to the weaker sections some voice,
some protection, which think ought not
Al. = 4. =