Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-03-02
RULES OF THE NATIONAL CON
MENTIONS


face OF the nation.
RULES OF THE NATIONAL CON-
MENTIONS.
Under the existing rules which gov
ern the National Conventions OF the
two great political parties, majority is
sufficient To nominate in the Republi-
can Convention, but it requires two
thirds to nominate in the Democratic.
So, also, there are eighteen more dele
gates entitled to vote in the Republican
than in the Democratic Convention.
The Republican Convention will be COM
posed OF seven hundred and fiity-six
delegates, corresponding to double the
number OF Senators and Representatives
in Congress from each State, and two
from each Territory and the District OF
Columbia. A majority OF the Conyen-
ton, or three hundred and seventy-nine
votes, will he sufficient to nominate.
The Democratic Convention will con-
sist OF only seven hundred and thirty
eight delegates entitled to vote-those
from the District Of Columbia and the
Territories being merely honorary mem
bers. Under the existing rule, a two
thirds vote is required to make nomina
tons Tor President and Vice President.
That is, it will take four hundred and
niuety-two votes to choose candidates
unless the rule is changed.
The two-thirds rule in the Democratic
conventions is almost or quite Us old as
the Democratic party. But there has
always been more or less opposition to
it at every convention-nOt sufficient,
however, to do away with the rule.
1T will be remembered what strug-
gle occurred in the st. Louis Conyen-
ton in 1876 to repeal the rule, and how
long nomination was delayed for lack
OF the two-thirds vote.
But there has been, and always will
be, determined opposition to change
when a convention is once assembled,
because OF the fear that, in some way OF
other, those interested in urging it aim
at some immediate advantage in behalf
of some candidate.
The action Of the st. Louis Con
veution indicates that requisite
majority would have been favor
able to an abrogation OF the
rule, but for the advantage it would
have given to Mr.. TmDEN in securing
the nomination. For the Convention
after the nomination was made, declared
rs the sense Of the delegates that the
rule was unwise and unnecessary, and
took action looking to the abolition oj
the rule in the coming Convention this
year. For this purpose the Convention
Of 1876 adopted the following resolution;
R,soired, That it he recommended to
future National Democratic Conventions
as the sense of the Democracy here IN
convention assembled, that the so.callej
two-thirds rule he abolished rs unwise
and unnecessary, and that the States bt
requested to instruct their delegates to
the Democratic National Convention Il
be held in 1880, whether il be desirable
to continue the two-thirds rule longer
in force i'm the National Convention, and
that the National Committee insert such
request in their call for the Convention,
This matter will, therefore, properly
come before the convention of West
Virginia, rs we'll as other States, for &c
ton, and should receive careful consid
Grafton before and during the conven,
ton.
Whether all the States will act upon
it, is questionable, and equally doubtful
whether it can be decided in the Ma.
tional Convention. The very same in
tlueuces that operate in the National,
will be present in the State Conven-
tons to prevent a change in the rule.
For example, if Mr.. TnDEN continues
to occupy his present uncertain and un-
defined attitude toward 4 nomination,
all the State Conventions which oppose
his nomination will instruct against a
change in the rule, fearing it will result
in his nomination, and the probability
is that the National Convention would
be almost solid against change.
The same result is likely to occur over
aud over again on the eve OF conven.
ton, until it shall happen, it it ever
does, that there is no man 50 prominent
for the candidacy as to disturb the ques-
ton OF change in the rule.
We are OF opinion that no very great
harm will result from sticking TO the
rule. In these times, when bold strokes
OF political strategy are often used to
put convention under the control Of a
minority, the rule is safeguard that a
convention needs. The shrewd, wire
working politicians who are always pres
ent to run 4 convention cannot succeed
80 we'll in manipulating two-thirds OF the
delegates as half of them.
That party viii always have the best
prospect Of success in the campaign,
whose conventions most nearly repre-
sent the will Of the people. As it is.
conventions are getting to be & long
remove from the people. The late
Pennsylvania and New York conven-
tons are instances Of this. The abroga-
ton OF a txo-thinds rnla Will moi INFECT