Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-07-08
CONCERNING DEMOCRATIC con.
VENrl0NS.
The District Delexation-TwO-th
RuIe-HistOry Of the Last Thirty
Yearu,

The national democratic convention, now in ses-
sion at Chicago, consists Of sO2 delegates with
votes TWO delegates from each territory and two
from the District OF Columbia are admitted to
seats, but are denied the right to vote. At each
recurring national convention for years these COM
plmentary delegates have contended for the privi-
lege OF ballot, but it has invariably been denied
them on the ground that the territories and Dis
tr1ct cannot contribute to the election OF ticket
they should not have vote In making one. At
CINCINNATI. four years ago, the District delegates
united Win the territorial delegates In making q
nsnt Ior recognition. Their petition was rejected,
ana II was then .cded that the District had made
mistake in joining its fortunes to the territories
II was contended and delegates to the convention,
as wen as members OF the national committee. ad-
mitted That there was merit in the claim OF the Dis
trlct OF columbia which the territories did not pos
sesS. 1t was then Determined and that determine
tion was SubSt quently ratified by the District
democracy. to make separate and indepe ndent
application to the Chicago convention for the en-
for the District Is that IL has we-organiZed de-
mocracy, which does active, useful work in every
canvass, and contribut's thousands OF dollars Ior
campaign purposes and that 1t Is entitled TO party
recognition.
UNDER THE Two-THIRDs RULE,
which prevails in democratic conventions, 1t will
require 5343s votes to nominate. Several efforts to
abolish this rule have been made, but always un-
successfully. 1t was adopted at the first party con-
ventlOn, and has prevailed whenever there was any
conte over the nomination. In 1856 the last dem
ocratic presidential candidate who was successful
was nominated at Cincinnati. The con est was be-
tween Buchanan and Douglass, CasS receiving a
Jew votes On the 10th ballot Buchanan received
los votss TO III Tor Douglass, and ON the next bal
lot The iennsylvanian was nominated by acclama-
tlon. In 1850 came the party split with two tickets
In the neld, resulting in the election OF Lincoln.
IN 1884 Gen: Mcclellan was nominated on peace
platform, and in 1865 the convention met in New
YORK on july 4th At the outset Pendleton, An
are" JOlnSon, Hancock. Hendricks and others were
voted Tor. but the fight finally narrowed down to
hancock with 1857 votes and Hendricks 132 votes,
with a lew scattering. On the 22d ballot horatio
seymour received every vote.
Inc next convention assembled in Baltimore on
the 9Th OF July, 1872 and 1t Was but tail to the
cincinnati Kite The liberals had nominated Greeley
tne Sreeiey democrats got the upper hand. They
controlled the convention and accepted both the
liberal platform and candidates This result was
so dlstasteul to straightout democrats that a
movement for ticket to represent them Was at
once started It was, In fact, however, failure.
sllmy attended convention at Louisville nominated
Charles O'Con0r OF New York, and John Quincy
Adams OF Massachusetts, but the ticket only re-
celved 81, 600 votes In the country.
on the 2sth Of June, 1876, one OF the largest dem
ocratlc conventions ever held assembled at ST.
LOUIS. The hTst ballot gave Tilden AJAX, Hendricks
14JH, Hancock Is, Allen {UhiO) "a, BAyard 33, and
scattering 81. On the second ballot Tilden Was
nominated, and then, with great unanimity and a
Dig nurrdA, Hendricks, 1iden's principal competi-
tor, was put on the ticket for second place.
In 1850. on June 23d, the next convention met In
cincinnati, and on The first ballot divided between
Hancock, Bayard, Payne, Thurman, Field, Morrison
and Hendricks, with the two first named in the
lead. On the second ballot Hancock was nominated
with hurrah. Under the congressional reappor-
tlOnment, which increased the membership OF the
House 81, the number OF the convention has been
Increased from 73S in 1880 to S02 nOw or TO $40 In
cluding the nonvoting delegates from the District
and territories