The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1880-05-28
NATIONAL CONVENTIONS

DelOre many weeks nave passed, the
candidates for president and vice presi-
dent of the United States will be nomi-
| mated by national conventions that will
represent the several parties.
The convention system was not estab-
| llshed until long after the adoption of
the constitution. Washington was elect.
ed without any nomination whatever
After him the candidates were presented
by party caucuses in congress. Even
rs late as 1882, President Jackson was
candidate for reelection without beng
nominated by convention. The Dem
| ocrats, however, held such convention
to choose a candidate for the office of
vice president.
Since then all candidates have been
chosen by conventions, consisting usual
ly of delegates, regularly elected from
| all the states. In the early days of the
Republican party, however, conventions
had no existence in the southern states,
and Mr.. Greeley's first nomination as a
Liberal Republican was made by a mass
convention.
A national convention is made ND of
representatives from each state, to the
number of twice its representation in
congress. Thus Delaware, with two SEN
ators and one representative, has six del
egates Ohio, with two senators and
twenty representatives, has forty-four
delegates. Sometimes, but not always,
two delegates are admitted from each or
ganiZed territory.
Conventions formerly consisted of on
ly one delegate for each senator and
member of congress. The custom sprung
up of electing twice as many delegates
and allowing only half a vote to each
The later way is much better.
1t is the business of a national conven-
ton first to make platform, or dec
laration of the principles of its party,
and then to nominate candidates. The
platform is made by a committee on res
olutions, consisting of one member for
each state. The work of this committee
is usually submitted to the convention
and adopted entire, all the contest over
it taking place in secret. Sometimes op-
position is made in open convention, but
1t Is rarely successful.
While it is comparatively easy to Sc
cure an appearance of harmony as to
party principles, contests over the can
didates cannot be avoided. This is
particularly the case in democratic con-
ventions, which adopt n rule that no
candidate shall be nominated unless he
receives twO'thirds of all the votes.
In 1860, Mr. Douglas had clear ma
jOrity of votes on every one of the fifty
seYen ballots taken in the Baltimore
convention: yet he never received two
thirds, and the convention divided and
nominated separate candidates.
Again in 1868 Mr. Pendleton went
into the convention with great strength,
but Mr.. Seymour was nominated on the
fifth day of the session and on the
twenty-tirst ballot. Only two ballots
were necessary to nominate Mr.. Tilden
at St. Louis in 1876
MIR. Lincoln was nominated in 1860
on the third ballot, and again in 1854,
almost unanimously on the first ballot
Gen. Grant was nominated unanimous
~ and on the first ballot, both in 1868
and 1872. Mr.. Hayes was nominated in
1876 on the seventh ballot, after very
hard struggle.
The conventions of third parties are
rarely of much interest. There was so
much division in 1860 that the candi-
dacy of Bell and Everett was quite an
important matter. But few people now
remember that Gen. Fremont was a can
date against Mr. Lincoln in 1864, al
though nobody voted for him, or that
Mr.. O'Conor was voted for by hand
full of Democrats in 1872.
AT the last election, in 1876, the
Greenback party made its first national
appearance with Mr. Peter Cooper as
tanuluaIe tie received III the whole
country less than 80 600 votes, or only
twice as many as the Greenback candi-
date for governor received in Maine last
September.
No doubt the party will have can
didate this year, and something more
than the usual interest will be attracted
by its convention. The reason for this
is the very wide difference of opinion
as to the condition of the party. Out
siders are apt TO think that it has had
its day, and is dead. The leaders think
differently, and promise TO astonish the
country.
The preparations for the several con-
ventions are now going on, and will
draw increasing attention until the can
didates are selected, when the seven
tenth presidential canvass for president
of the United States will be fairly
ODened