The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-05-01
The Unit Vote.

Inere nave been great deal OIL ullileCco-
sary talk and writing about the way IN
which the business of the late State Con-
vention of the Coalitionists was conducted.
We have never attended State Conyen-
ton that programme of the business to
be transacted was not sketched by some
one for the guidance OF the body-to fur
nish starting point. This is about what
was done on this occasion, and about
which so much has been said. Ii what
was suggested was so well matured as TO
need but little modification, so much the
better for the delegates in attendance NO
one presented a better plan, OF at least one
that the Convention thought better. Much
criticism has been INDUCED, too, about
the recommendation by the District Dele
cations Of the unit rule for the delegation
in casting the vote of the State in the Ma
tional Convention. While we doubt
whether any arrangement by District
OF State Convention could enforce the unit
rule, if an appeal were made to the Ma
tional Convention, yet we think the com
mon sense of the delegates would do so, II
for no other reason than to give dignity
and weight to the State in the Convention.
1t certainly would reflect no credit on. the
State to have the vote of the delegates d.
vided between four or five candidates and
thus frittered away, without any compen-
sating good. A comparison of views be-
tween the delegates as to the most avalla-
BILE candidate ought to be had, and indl-
yidual partialities subordinated to what
might be regarded as the general good
With this kind Of spirit prevailing con-
cord and unity would be secured and the
force and dignity of the power attaching
to the delegation exercised for a good pur-
pose and exert an influence in the Conven-
ton that could be effected in no other
way. The intelligence and honest pur-
pose of the delegates ought to suggest the
wisdom of aunited delegation. SO that it
would be respected when the twenty-four
votes of the State were cast. 1t would be
looked for with interest and felt in the
direction of a wise selection, if other than
mere personal feeling were the controlling
motive.
The action Of the National Convention
of 1880 and it's imperative order to the Ma
tional Committee of the Republican party,
leave no doubt as to the object had in
view. 1t was to secure district representa-
tSon. That is the law Of the party ordered
by the highest party authority and cannot
be annulled or circumvented by any Dis
trict or State action. At least that is our
view of it. But at the same time, where
district has recorded instructions in ad-
vance of electing it's delegates, it would be
bad faith on the part of those delegates to
disregard them. In accepting the position
of delegate the obligation is accepted to
carry out the wishes of the district, as ex-
pressed by the delegates constituting the
District Convention, and not to do SO
would forfeit the respect and confidence
of the appointing power. No mental
reservation would justify the violation OF
the order concurrent with the appointment
that the vote of the State shoald be cast
as unit.
The vote Of Virginia had uniformly. up
to 1850, been cast as unit,and it was that
fact which gave the State as much impor-
lance in National Conventions as any other
State in the Union. 1t was only when the
unit vote was being perverted to bad
purpose and to accomplish a sectional and
factious end that it was broken in the
Charleston Convention of 1860. And if any
improper object were attempted through
the unit vote in the Chicago Convention,
an effective protest could be entered by any
delegate. We assume that such will not be
the case, and that every member of the del
egation will feel a paramount interest in Civ
| ing to Virginiathat influence and character
| in the Convention that attached to the State
| in other days. 1t would be a small-guaged
man, indeed, who would not be willing to
abide by the decision of the majority OF
the delegation, when the sole purpose was
manifest to snbserve the best interests OF
the party. We take it, therefore. that the
twenty-four votes of Virginia will be cast
as unit in the Chicago Convention, and
that they will be cast for the man who will
present himself to the delegates as the
proper person to be nominated.