The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1880-04-23


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-
lished 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
as late as 1882, President Jackson was Il
candidate for reelection without being
nominated by convention. The Dem
ocrats, however, held such convention
to choose II 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 III the Southern States,
and Mr.. Greeley's first nomination as
Liberal Republican was made by mass
convention.
A National Convention is made up of
representatives from each State, to the
number of twice its representation in
Congress. Thus Delaware, with two
Senator's and one Representative, has
six delegates; Ohio, with two Senators
and twenty Representatives, has forty
four delegates Sometimes, but not al
ways, two delegates are admitted from
each organized Territory.
Conventions formerly consisted of only
one delegate for each Senator and mem
Der of Congress. The custom sprung
up of electing twice as many delegates
and allowing only half vote to each.
The later way is much better.
1t is the business of National Con-
vention first to make n "platform," or
declaration of the principles of its party,
and then to nominate candidates. The
platform is made by 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 i'll secret. Sometimes OPP
position is made in open convention, but
it is rarely successful.
While it is comparatively easy to Sc
cure an appearance of harmony as to
party principles, contests over the candi-
dates cannot be avoided. This is partic-
ularly the case in Democratic conven-
tions, which adopt rule that no candi-
date shall be nominated unless he re-
ceives two-thirds of all the votes
In 1860, Mr.. Douglas had clear ma
jority of votes on every one of the fifty
seven ballots taken in the Baltimore Con-
vention; yet he never received two-t thirds,
and the convention divided and nominal
ed 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-first
ballot. Only two ballots were necessary
to nominate Mr.. Tilden at st. Louis in
1876.
Mr.. Lincoln was nominated in 1860 on
the third ballot, and again in 1864, al
most unanimously on the first ballot.
Gen. Grant was nominated unanimously
and on the first ballot, both in 1868 and
i'll 1872. Mr.. Hayes was nominated In
1876 on the seventh ballot, after a very
hard struggle.
The conventions of third parties are
rarely of much interest. There WAS SO
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 can
didate 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 a
candidate. He received in the whole
country less than 80, 900 votes, or only
twice as many as the Greenback candi-
date for Governor received in Maine last
September.
No doubt the party will have a candi-
date 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 rs to the
condition of the party. Outsiders are
apt to think it has had its day, and is
dead. The leaders think differently,
and promise to nstonish 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
teenth Presidential canvass for President
of the United States will be fairly
/ Oppne1