The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1882-10-06
THE Two-THIRDs RULE.
ITS ADOPTION AND HISTORY IN THE DEM.
oCRAT PARTY.
4 ltlanta speech of A. Il. Stenhens.

OCRAT PARTY.
atlanta speech of A. II. Stephens
1t is said that was not fairly nomina-
ted-that ''the tlme-honored two thirds
rule" vas violated. Tho "time- Eonored!''
What sacrilegel Now, will give you
brief history of the two-thirds rule. 1t
never was heard Of in the days of our fa-
thers. In the days Of Jefferson, Madi-
son, Monroe and Crawford, it was never
heard of-for thirty odd years after Ief-
ferson came into power How did it
come about? will tell you.
In 1882 Mr.. Calhoun and Gen. Jack
son had quarreled. A Vice President
had to be nominated TO run on the Jack
son ticket. They called a National Con.
vention to nominate him the first that
ever assembled on this continent. Now,
| am giving you history, and want you
to understand it, as there is more mis-
take on the subject of this two. thirds rule
thar on aay ether subject, except that
Henry Clay was the author of the Mis-
souri, restriction. suppose half Of this
audience think he was, Notwithstanding
he openly disavowed it in the United
States Senate in 1850, and the record
proved the correctness of his disnvowal.
This National Convention was called, and
all the States sent mp delegates, and
they met at Baltimore. The first thing
was, "How shall we yote?" 1t was the
Democratic Republican, old Jeffersoniun
party. They said to preserve the sym
mctry Of the Government, there shall be
one delegate for each Senator and one for
each member Of the House. In this way
the composite nature Of the Federal sys-
tenn was thought to be maintained. That
was all right. The next question was.
"How many votes will be necessary to
decide p" because in this system it is a
union of States, and as last resort the
election may go into the House. Now,
Pennsylvania, New York, Kentucky and
a few other large States may combine
and nominatea President against the
choice of large majority of the States,
and that would not be right, Give us
such count as will assure majority Of
the States. They thought that right,
and under the thirds rule you could
not make count which would not give a
majority of the States. That was the
origin of the rule, and it was adhered to
i'll Federal Democratic Conventions ever
since because it relates exclusively to
Federal Conventions.
But never has it been adopted by State
Conventions at the North, except one
New .Iersey--and was informed she
would abandon it this year. because il
has nothing to do with State measures.
Time -honored" in Georgia When and
where 1t may have been resorted tc
in few nominations in theState on par
ticular occasions, but it has certainly
not been uniformly adopted since have
been on the stage. Any convention car
adopt whatever rule 1T pleases, but Inev
er thought there was any sacrednesl
about this particular rule. 1t is utterl,
wrong to suppose il is time honored il
any State, North or South. Was it eve
resorted to in Georgia except once o
twice? do not think when Gen Cor
don was nominated in 1868 it was adop
ted, nor IN II and 10 when Gov. Smitl
was nominated, nor in the nomination 0
any Of our Senators. The only time th
two-thirds rule was adopted in Georgi
since the war in nomination for Cover
nor IN 1880, which resulted in lament
able dissension in the party. BIT il j
is right in governors nominations, VIII.
not in senator's nominaEons9 II fiti
right in one case it is right in all. VIII.
@time-honored' have warred agains
it for years. even in Federal conventions
II will burst up any party in the world
in twelve years, because under that sys
tenn there will always be tired out hors
es. What is the effect Of it2 The lead
ing public men, who are the choice Q
the people, Will be beaten. and the tire
out thirl rate hoFses win be brought in
And shat is what crippled the Democra