Morning journal and courier., 1884-06-28
The Coming Convention.

A Fierce Battle Expected - The Two
 Thirds Rule-The Candfdates-An Esti- mate.
 CHICAGO, June 25. To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
 The great army of the Democratic hosts is
 marching hitherward, and the 8th of July
 will inaugurate, it is thought, one of the fiercest battles ever witnessed within the
 ranks of the party leaders. A veteran man. ager, now on the ground, ayers that the pre- liminary routine of the convention will re-
 quire at least three days, and that the ballot ing for candidates will consume not less than four more, which will carry the session over Sunday, as was the case with the Republican convention four years ago For first place no less than ten candidates will be formally presented, and proceeding under the two thirds rule several days of balloting will be required to arrive at choice Then the struggle for second place will be as stubborn l ly contested, so that altogether the great meeting will scarcely clear up it's work inside | of 8 week Several questions will provoke debate and dissensions and occasion delay s in committee work. Although it is freely as- serted that the eastern protectionist delegates | will be squelched, yet that i5 easier said than | done, and the PenRsylvanians will be found l to be hard kickers and not easy to strangle, 1 even in committees. AS between the high | tariff men and the horizontal redpctionists,
 the proposed free trade plank in the plat
 form will be subjected to not little peril in | the preliminary skirmishing Mir. John Kel- 1 ly, of New York, has prepared 6 tariff plank | which is now being submitted to both wings | of the party with view to ultimate peace. ! It is hardly in the nature of a compromise, | for the tail will under no circumstances be allowed to wag the dog but the language of I aL,zl | as to avoid offense to the large, wealthy and respectable element which insists upon keep | ing the factories running even if the entire | country must be taxed to support them.
 l The discussion over the two-thirds rule 1 will occupy considerable time, and it is l probable that the western delegates will | make an attempt to return to the majority plan of nominating candidates. The two- | thirds rule, since it has been praotice of | Democracy, has served to defeat the will l of the majority and play into the hands of
 men who sought to defeat the preferences
 of the people. It was never Democratic
 principle, but on the contrary was always
 and is to-day anti-Democratic. It has been & Democratic practice for number oi l years, in direct conflict with the great Democratic cardinal principle, that the ma- l majority shall rule. Hence several States
 are uncempromisingly in favor of it's abro- eation and undoubtedly it will have to go
 The coming convention will be distin.
 guished from all previous meetings of the
 kind by the fact that no less than dozen
 candidates will be present in person, either
 as delegates spectators Several ex-can, didates will also figure in the proceedings.
 Hendricks, Mcdonald, Butler, and Garter Harriscn will be heard Flo Wer, Dorsheimer,
 Randall and Bayard will be here; Palmer,
 Trumbull Hoadley and Morrison will be on
 hand to give their advice, while distinguished l politicians and well known orators will be
 plenty. Hurd, Watterson and Villas will
 awaken the echoes of the great hall witt
 their silvery notes and many othsr renowned
 speakers will interest and hold spell bound
 the vast assembly. In many respects il
 promises to surpass in absorbing interest any
 convention of the year.
 Quarters for the delegations, clubs and in
 dividuals coming to the convention hav' been extensively engaged Among the clubs