The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1882-08-16
Lessons Of the Second District
Convention.

vention is the most decidedly demo-
caatic institution of a republican
form of government.
It is neither recognized in the Lea
scripta, nor is 1t regarded as properly
belonging to the institutions Of the
government.
1t has no laws of its own, and &C.
knowledges no authority higher than
itself. 1t is purely a peoples move
ment." Government would exist
without them, but parties might not.
Political parties have adopted this
method of designating candidate
upon whom the entire membership
of that party may unite and for
whom cast their votes. This is the
one object and purpose out of which
the convention has sprung.
In view of the issues arising out
of the Keyser Convention, it is well,
in order to take just view of the
situation, to keep these primary facts
in mind-to begin with first princi-
pies, SO to speak.
The sole mission of the delegates
to the Keyser Convention-and to
other similar Conyentions-was to
nominate a man as candidate Of the
party in that district, and by all pre-
cedent, the party is tacitly bound to
support the man named by the ma
jority of the Convention.
There is no form, ceremony, or par
liamentary law, prescribed as such,
for the government of a political con-
ventioh. 1t is a law, as we have
said, unto itself. There is no special
routine or formula necessary to give
validity to the result, which the
Convention may reach, provided it
is clear that the majority endorsed
that result.
The one acknowledged condition is
that the nominee shall be the choice
of a majority of the delegates-that
fact, and that only binds the party.
If the delegates should file into the
hall appointed as the place of meet
ing, announce their choice, and file
out again, without any formal organ
ization or any regard for parliamen.
tary methods, the nominee thus re-
ceiving a majority of the votes would
be as fully installed as the candidate
of the party, and would be as readily
recognized as the candidate Of the
party, as though the nomination had
been reached through the most scru.
pulous adherence to parliamentary
usage.
The people ask but one thing Of q
political convention: "Who was the
choice of the majority?
Presumably the majority Of the
delegates represent the choice of the
majority of the people and it is not
only right but essential to the sue
cess OF the party that the choice of
the majority of the people should be
the choice of the convention.
We do not depreciate the value of
parliamentary rules and observances
by political convention in arriving
at result, but it must be admitted
that the tactics of the parliamenta.
rian are too often made the means of
defeating or confusing the majority
in the expression Of their choice
But they do not so often deceive the
people. The people look not at the
observance of any special formula
but at the one fact as to whether the
choice of the majority was fairly ex-
pressed.
In the Keyser Convention a run
ture occurred and a part of the dele.
gates withdrew even before a vote
was taken. They attempt to Justify
their action upon the ground that
the Convention violated the rules of
parliamentary law. The President
of the Convention, it is claimed, was
biased in his rulings by his de-
sire to favor one of the candidates,
Mr. Hoge, as against another candi-
date, Mr.. Lucas; that the Commit.
tees were organized with majority
iof their members favoring Mr.. Hoge
as against Mr.. Lucas; and that the
reports or decisions of these Commit.
tees were all in favor of Mr.. Hoge
as against Mr.. Lucas; and that there
fore, as a necessary conclusion of this
state of affairs, when a vote should