The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-03-06
Interview win Major Hrown.

What isyour opinion orlhe two'thlrds ruiz
in Democratic nominating conventions.
Answcr--My views are not new or cphem
eral. believe the rule Is Mt war with ever,
dea of American institutions, and have Sc
believed, with increasing earnostness, lol
many Yeas, 1t Is II rule by which wei
organized minority of one vote over one third
in any nominating holy can force majority
of only ono less than two.
thirds t. abandon their choice
and take up man never dreamed
of by the people, There II stood, in all III
naked dotoumity, an outrage on popular
liberty and sure precursor TO ulcers, heart
burnings, or ulti nate defeat in any political
party that adopts it. No party in the United
States ever did adopt it, except the Demo-
cratic party, and how came this to pass
Although nominally used in the nomination
of Van Buren, for Vicc-Presdcnt in 1882, it
was neyer,no, neyer,ad0pted really and in truth
in any political NssOmbage in tho United
Statos until 1874, and how came that to pass !
The answer.is plain to all conversant with
the Democratic history of those times, and
should be known 10 the young Democrats of
to-day.
Mr.. Van Buren, was candidate for the
Democratic nomination. Henry Clay was
the prospective and assured candidate of the
Wing party. Ho and Mr.. Van Buren,, as is
well known, were warm personal friends, and
as Congress adjourned IN the opening of 1914,
either in person or through friends Il do not
know by which meuns) IL was mu-
tuslly agreed that the Presidential
race should be run fairly and squarely be-
tween them on tbs Issues between the two
parties in regard to tho tariff, national
bank, ETC., etc, and that both would oppose
the annexation of Texas, then a question
rising into mammoth proportions before the
country. In pursuance Of that understand
ing, Mr.. Clay took his Southern tour in the
early spring of 1914, and at Raleigh, North
Carolina, wrote his celebrated letter, on the
18th of April, opposing the annexation of
Texas. Almost simultaneously, Mr.. Van Buren,
wrote his letter. of like purport, but as long
rs tho five books of Moses and hedged in by
numerous "ifs" and lands" and "whys" and
"wherefores."
ers of the Democratic party, perhaps not
patriotic TO Van Buren, at best, saw that the
true policy of the party was to advocate the
annexation of Texas, not only rs good ard
wise measure in itself, but rs the only means
of defeating Mr. Clay.
But before these matters assumed shape in
the public mind of the Democratic party,
majority of the delegates to the National
had already been instructed to
vote for Mr.. Van Buren,. To meet this state
of the case, defeat Mr.. Van Buren,, nominate
u candidate in favor Enumeration, and there
by insure victory to the Democrat party,
through the influence of Romulus NJ. San
ders, of North Carolina the two-thirds rule
was for the first time really and practically
adopted MS affecting anything practical in the
party. 1t was emphalically dernier resort
in the life and death ggle-doubtless jus
tilable in the peculiar emergency should
ha, ceased with the emergency, be ause, as
a general rule of action, it was and is at war
with true Democracy, as well as true Repub-
licanism, two terms occupying about the
same relative position as the terms "conta-
gious" and "infectious," terms so closely al
lied as to demand an explanation from men
of medical science, as we appeal to stock men
to determine the exact lines of color among
horses wherein the dark bay and the light
brown interlope.
The two-thirds rule, outside of the nomi-
nation of Polk over Van Buren,, has never
brought good fruit to the Democratic party,
50 far us now remember.
1t unrighteously defeated Throckmorton
for Congressman at large at the convention
in Corsicana in 1872, of which was a mem
Der. He had nearly two-thirds from first to
under this despotic two-thirds
rule.
In the same year it first defeated
Culberson and then Maxey for
Congress at the Mckinney con-
vention and led to the nomination ofa "black
horse" in the person ola man never dreamed
of BY the people.
In the last State convention it overwhelmed
the only two men between whom the people
wanted selection-both being eminently
worthy, and led to the nomination of one
whose name had never been cam
vassed in that convention. It has invariably,
when brought into action, defeated the voice
of the majority and led, almost universally,
to alterations in the heart of the party.
1t is essentially and intrinsically at war
with true Jeffersonian Democracy, and en-
ables ward, crossroads, precinct, courthouse
and county politicians, in nine cases out of
twelve, 10 defeat the voice of the majority
and force the will of an active, wel-organ-
lied minority on the party.
Besides, it is at war with the principles of
the Constitution of the United States, and of
the constitution Of every one OF the States
of this Union. Under all and each of them
q majority elects, from the highest to the
lowest ofice--from the President of the
United States Through the electoral college)
to the humblest constable in the remotest
corner of the Union. Nay, more-in all the
States, outside of New England, in every one
of them, even majority Is not required, but
the man who gets the largest vote among a
dozen candidates, whether for Governor,
Sheriff or Constable, is elected, although he
may not have received one.fourth of the
whole number of votes cast. In every
light and upon. every point, l denounce
the iwo-thirds rule as playing
into the hands of a cute few against the ex-
pressed will and wish of the many, and the
Democracy of Texas, with whom l have
abored in season and out of season for thirty |
i've years, and never betrayed, while many
nave fallen by the wayside. gone after
stranger gods, herded with ismatics or gone |
bodily over to the foe-the true Democracy |
If Texas, | say, should cast the despotic rule
side and leave the majority to rule -Four
'oluntary party assemblies, as 1t does rule by !