The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1884-03-23
THE Two-TuiRDs RULE AND THE
DARK HORSE BUSINESS.

hst worked well Gnd has produced good
results In all these yeaId. Bat
the circumstances loading to as
adoption were peculiar. President
Jackson was then IN Office, with Mr.. eau
uouS as vice president, Jackson had been
nominated In February Of that year In New
York sud other states. The leading oandi'
dates Tor the second place were CALHOUN
and VAN BuRrS. The faction of the former
strongly opposed the old heroes re'nomina.
ton at the national convention, and they
aud their leader were Suspicious of him In
view Of the probable course OF South Caro-.
! Ina in the event OF the Continuance OF the
protective tariff system. The breach was
definitely made two years before at a bar
qaet at Washington on JEfFERsos's birth.
day, ana which was intended to
b, qualification demonstration
JACKSON londered The toast, "our Fedora
Union; II must aud shall be preserved"
To this bomb.shell CALHOUN responded IN
the Toast, Liberty; II IL worth more than
Union" Again, as New York had so
warmly spoken for the rennessenn, LARGELY
~
was natural that his preferences shou q
run toward the latter. On the other hand,
there Vas much opposition TO the Atttr,
even Ia his own tectlon. lie had been
nominated rs minister 10 Esgland tho year
before. and had actually gone tnore,
and was in the discharge Of bis
functions when his case comes up iosconiir.
malion by the senate. VAN buren, had
clearly cuough erred IN some reflections
mai3 when secretary OF slate, on the pre-.
yl1us administration, but he was sustained
by the executive. Mn. Webster remarked
rebukingly, that the appointment thus
made was 1.-THE iirs. instance in which an
American minister had been sGnt abroad %
the representative Of bis party and not
az Inc representative OF his county" The
ssnstes rejection Of that nomination
created sympathy for Mn. VAN
Duran; all OF which produced
intense ceilings throughout the nation
The CALHoUEIrEs and the VAN BURsSITE,
yere especially inflated because the vote
n the senate on the continuation was so
arranged as to make tie-23 10 %, thus
giving VIcr PRESIDENT CALHOUN the
vengeance of the casting vote" so bitter
were the feelings OF these psrlizans that
each had determined that he leader OF the
opposition should not be nominated il it
were possible TO avoid it. rhe tactics Of the
.wo.thirds rule was resorted TO, and assented
10 even by those who we're less deeply con.
,erned But, through JAcKsoY's influence
or his friend, and opposition to his
foe, and in view OF tho Threatened
AID secession by South Caro-
inn. VAN buren, was nominated by the
This vas the origin and tho true inward
ness ct this famous Lwo.thrds rule. IL was
conceived in apitefulness not 50 benefit The
country then, but simply to defeat an OPP
posing .piraut OF the same party, even to
the very possible infection of IA very in
ferior man. This state OF Texas
had an experience some half dozen
J ears ago, almost ide1ticaly, a.
the state democratic CONVEX lion in Austin.
Two excellent gentlemen, sound democrats
and prominent and experienced statesmen,
locked that same convention for days under
that.two.thirds rule, which finally defeated
both OF them and ran in person. never
thought OF nor intended by the people for
the position OF governor. True. OBAN III.
ROBERTS was happy selection, but 1t
might have been otherwise. Yet either
HUBBARD or TnEocKMoRToN was the evil
dent choice OF these citizens, and rule
with birth so contemplate was invoked
10 thwart their Will.
This IL = country wherein the majority
are supposed to DO taken care of and as
sov.reigns 10 determine the governments.
A majority of the votes cast in oil cases
obtain IN our usages in elections in upper
aad lower houses, national, state and mu
nispal. A plurality popular vote Huifioes
10 elect the chief executive OF the state, and
thence down 10 smaller offices, etc. This
foisting of an unknown quantity
by few men in convention upon
the people against their will 10
~ orcs undemocratic and unjust.
This dark horse" surprise business
trotted out suddenly and sprung upon the
course should have aurcesse of fraud.
When the people concerned have signihed
their preference, whether this preference be
manifested to delegates, or to officers and
representatives In any position. as TO whom
tho citizens desire for q certain thing, 1t
should be respected and conformed to, and
he Is unfaithful to his constituents who
falls to recognize and act upon such will.