Mexico weekly ledger., 1880-04-15
THE NATIONAL CONVENTIONS.

will be asked to pass upon the two :
thirds rule, the Republican will be
called upon to decide if instructions ]
given to delegates by state conven- {
tons must be obeyed, and the Green
hackers will have causes of -troueie J
~neculiar to themselves, which 1t IS un- :
necessary to notice, but as the nomi-
nations at both Cincinnati and Ghlca-
90 may depend very much upon the
way in which the Democratic and
Republican conventions solve the
problems likely to be presented to
them, it may not be amiss to dwell
upon them somewhat in detail.
There have beentWelve Democratic
National Conventions. Prior to 1852,
nominations were made by congress
sional and legislative caucuses. The
first Democratic National Convention
was held at Baltimore, and nominated
Andrew Jackson. The second, third,
fourth, fifth and sixth nominating
Martin Van Buren,, James K. Polk,
Lewis Cass and Franklin Pierce were
held at Baltimore under the two-thirds
rule. The seventh selected James
Buchanan, in 1856, by a majority
vote. The eighth met at Charleston,
and after a split, adjourned to Balti-
more, where James c. Breckenridge
and Stephen A. Douglass were put
forward by the dissenting factions.
The ninth met at Chicago in 1864,
and placed Gen. Mcclellan in the
field by a majority vote. The tenth
nominated Horatio Seymour at New
York in 1868, also by a majority vote.
The eleventh met at Baltimore in
1872, and agreed on Horace Greedy,
and the twelfth convened at St. Louis
in 1876, and placed Samuel j. Tilden
in the lead. Each of the two last
conventions adopted the two-thirds
rule.
From the above it appears that the
two thirds rule has not been adhered
to always. To give iteeffect, it had
to be adopted by the conventions
governed by it. Hence, if this rule
is to be observed at Cincinnati, it will
have to be agreed to.
Different opinions prevail among
Democrats in regard to the proprlety
ola national nominating convention
being governed by such a rule. Or
the one side, it is urged that often thu
most desirable aspirants cannot OBJ
tain such a vote, and that, therefore
such a rule must as frequently deprlv'
the party and the country OF thel
best talent. On the other hand it i
argued with much force that partle
are voluntary combinations, and tbs
if all their members are expected
sustain the choice of conventions
those selected for candidates shoul
command the approval OF an owe
powering number of the delegate
appointing them, as the best and pc
haps the only means OF uniting e;
classes in their favor.
The Republicans have never be-
governed by the two-thirds rule, al
it is not probable that an attempt W
be made to introduce it at Chicag
Their trouble will be of a diifere
character. 1t will spring from
instructions that have been given
state conventions to delegates to C;
their votes, as a unit, for particu
presidential aspirants. The questi
of the right Of such conventions
give such instructions is certain to
raised, and once introduced, 1t '
have to be decided. In that event
is difficult to see how it can be s
tanned by a party that has heretot
allowed delegates 20 follow their P
renee To refuse to recognize
right of individual judgement,
allow its free expression through
chairmen of state delegations wo
in all probability, raise such { a nc
would disruRtK or two "O
could 6 q twie the convention.
breath. IIarce be otherwise.
would be thought of a congress
should attempt to force senators
representatives to vote, as unit
states, for particular measures o
pointees, when instructed to do
their respective state leglslat
Such senators and represent:
would of course be responsible
their states for refusing to obey
mandates of their Legislators bl
right of private judgement wou
their privilege also, and II
thought those legislatures mis-
sented their constituencies, The
no power in existence to compee
to surrender that judgement .
cases are parallel. The delega
responsible to their party
counties and districts they rep
and to no n else. The onv
that instructed them' like man
latures, have disappeared ne
he rc-convened with authority
sort.
At first sight it might apps
Grants managers will scarce
to attempt to override the In
preferences of their delegates
views correspond with those
odkoun.ies and districts they re
alw1E the great mass OF them
liz stalwarts but machine pc
G4YHBk. anG