New-York tribune., 1884-01-17
CONVENTIONS IN THE DISTRICTS

CONVENTIONS IN IHE DISTRICTS.
In some counties in Pennsylvania the Repub
licans are already taking steps toward the
| election of delegates to the Chicago Convention
| by home conventions in the districts. There
| is no good reason why the Republicans in this
State-and all the States-shOuld not begin
thinking about the same matter Under the rules
adopted by the National Committee the State
conventions to elect delegates at large must
be held, except in the cases of Louisiana
and Oregon, not less than thirty nor more than
sixty days before the National Convention.
This will bring the State conventions this year
between the Sd of April and the Sd of May.
SuppOsng that the convention in this State, for
example is held about April 10, the district con
ventous for the election of the district delegates
must be held, if at ALL between April l and 15
and the county conventions to elect delegates
to, probably, both the State and district con-
ventiOns will need TO be held some time in the
latter part of March or early part of April. If
point is to be made of holding these home
conventions, it is not too early for an agitation
of the subject in the various districts
1t seems to us very important that home con-
ventIons should be held, unless there are
great difficulties in the way. Rights which are left
unused are apt to grow rusty. The right of
district representation, In fact, and not partly
in fact and partly in theory, has been secured
after considerable struggle. The best way to
preserve it is to use it. 1t may perhaps be lit
tie more convenient in some of the districts-in
some, perhaps, will be considered really neces-
sary to allow the district delegates to be
elected at the State Convention. But if the
Congressional districts generally drift into
this habit. we should have the old
system again in force, with all the probabilities
that district delegates would be overawed by
the feeling of the State Convention, instead of
looking only to their constituents at home. II
is not likely that any attempt will be made very
soon to set up the unit rule again, although this
very thing was tried in the convention of 1880,
after the convention of 1876 had formally pro-
nOunccd against it. The progress of events in
the Republican party from tho summer of 1880
to the present day has been such as to break
down whatever popular support bOssism and
the unit rule ever had. The time Is pr0ptious,
therefore, for the establishmentOf the system of
district conventions, electing delegates di-
rectly to the National Convention, and holding
the same relation to 1t that the people of the
district do to the House of Representatives at
Washington. To have such system in actual
operation will develop spirit of independence
in these constituencies, which cannot fail To be
hcalthful. 1t will also be useful in bringing the
delegates into a more direct responsibility to
their constituents than will be likely, perhaps,
if they are chosen under the shadow Of the
State Convention and by tho delegates of dele
gates The most encouraging tendency of Re-
publicanism in recent years has been that toward
freedom of individual action and toward popu-
lar methods and machinery, and we believe the
system OF district conventions will be a great
help to all of these.