Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-06-26
Aailcaster flttelliQe,,rer.
MONDAY EVENING. JUNE 20, 1859.
Democratic Rules.


to the proposed adoption of definite rules
for the government of the party in this
state, in order that whatever system of
organization is the best may be formally
expressed, instead of being left to be
contenaed about year after year as occa.
sions arise which are too often met by
the determination of disputed prece.
dents, according to the interests of the
majority in the state committee or con-
vention. Since this subject was first
.broached there has been steady growth
of popular sentiment in the party in
favor Of having certain general matters
and essentials to efficient organization
80 we'll defined and SO clearly laid down
in advance of all exigencies which may
arise, that in the management of con-
ventions and the direction of campaigns
neither the interests of candidates nor
of factions shall be allowed to divert the
party from its ordered plan of organiza
tiOn.
As to the details of this improved plan
of organization the members of the con-
vention may not be entirely agreed, and
it is proposed to ask the convention to
refer all propositions offered to the
usual committee on resolutions, which
will be composed of fifty members, re-
presenting each senatorial district and
fit to deliberately consider this important
matter and to report a plan satisfactory
and equitable to every section of the
state.
We believe there is general concur
renee in the idea of having the state
committee made up of the chairmen of
the county committees, or-cticio, with
the provision that any county entitled to
more than one state senator, shall have
an additional member of the state COM
mittee for each additional senator, this
additional member of the state commit
tee to be appointed in such manner as
tho local regulations of the respective
county organizations may determine
this will preserve fair representation
for the larger counties. The suggestion
that the state committee shall organize
in the winter and appoint an executive
committee is also generally approved
and also that it shall meet the evening
before the state convention, fix the prima
facie roll and appoint the temporary
officers of the convention.
The widest difference of opinion will
no doubt he found to prevail concerning
the best plan of representation in the
state convention. Everybody seems 10
be agreed that the senatorial delegates
should he abolished, as an entirely use
less system of representation, since
every county in the state now has at
least one representative district and the
selection of senatorial delegates by con
ferees, as we'll as their anomalous posi-.
tion in the convention, has too often
been the occasion of discord and un-
seemly strife. In most other states they
are not known. The abolition of the
senatorial delegates would reduce the
membership of the convention, upon
the present plan of representation,
from $50 to 200, and it has been
proposed that the representation in state
conventions shall consist of two dele
gates for each representative i'll the state
Legislature from the respective districts
in the state. From many quarters there
comes the very natural and equitable dc
mand that the representation shall be
more nearly based on the Democratic
vote, conceding, of course, one delegate
at least to every county in the state.
This proposition has not been included
in the draft of rules submitted to the
Democracy of the state, not because they
are deemed complete or beyond improve
ment, but because it is considered better
to defer radical innovations until fair
trial shall have been given the proposed
revision, while matters Of detail
can be safely left TO future state
committees and conventions; and,
moreover, there is not likely to be
unanimity among Democrats as to the
policy of increasing the size of their
conventions, the editors of the INTEL
L1GENCER being themselves of different
opinions in the matter, Mr.. Steinman
considering them already quite large
enough for proper handling.
But if the present convention shall de-
sire to incorporate this idea in the rules
now to be adopted it will find feasible
basis of apportiOnment in one dele
gate for each 900 Democratic votes cast
at the last presidential election and for
each fraction of 1000 amounting to 500
or over provided, of course, that any
separate county not casting 1000 shall
have one delegate. This would make a
convention of little over 400 men,
bers. The only difficulty about
this plan would be to distribute
the delegates from the large counties
among the various representative dis
tricts composing them, for it would not
do to have the big delegations elected
en- n,asse. But this could be avoided by u
judicious apportionment made by the
state committee or local organization on
the basis of the Democratic vote in the
several representative districts of such
counties as Philadelphia, Allegheny,
Berks, Schuylkill and Lancaster.
The Internal Revenue Tax.
Congress is engaged in depicting the
revenue by reduction Of the internal
Il