The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-06-20
SEATTLE. M0yDlY. JUNE 90.
THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL con-
VENTION.

The Democratic national convention
which meets at Chicago tomorrow is COM
posed Of S9S delegates; that is, two dele
gates for each electoral vote and two dele
gates for each of the four territories and
the District OF Columbia In Democratic
conventions two-thirds are required to
nominate. Democratic national conven-
tions sustain the unit rule as applied to
states. If a majority of a state delegation
in a Democratic convention votes for the
unit rule. the convention susta;ns the
chairman of the delegation in casting the
whole vote of the state in spite of the pro-
tests Of the minority. The Republican
conventions do not stand by the unit rule.
National Democratic conventions since the
war have not held as long sessions as the
Republicans. with the exception of the
convention Of 1865, which was in session
from July 4th until July 9th, when, after
long controversy between the supporters
Of Hendricks, Hancock, Chase, Pendle-
ton, Church and English, Horatio Sey-
mour was nominated on the twenty second
ballot. The Baltimore Democratic con-
vention of July, 1872, did not nominate
candidate Of its own, but ratified the NOM
ination of Horace Greeley already made
by the Mugwumps of that day at Cincin-
natl. The Democratic national conven-
tions which nominated Tiiden in 1876 at
st. Louis. and Hancock in 1880, were not
as long drawn out as that of 1868; the
convention Of 1884 nominated Cleve-
land at Chicago in face of the Bit
ter opposition of Tammany Hall;
In 1888 Cleveland was nominated by
reclamation. Democratic conventions
have never gone West for q presidential
candidate since 1913, when Lewis Cass was
nominated for defeat. The effort to nomi-
nate Stephen A. Douglass in 1860 split the
party and elected Abraham Lincoln.
While the Republican party in every in
stance, save that of Blaine in 1884, has
taken its candidate from the West, the
Democracy, in every instance since the
war, has taken its candidate from New
York. General Hancock was really taken
from New York in 1850. for he lived at
Governors Island, and all his social &C.
quaintance and influence was in New York
city. Even Mcclellan, nominated in 1864,
was really q New York candidate.
for while nominally citizen of
New Jersey all his influence, social and
political, was in New York city. Orange.
N. j.. was only his country residence, and
the New York delegation, under the unit
rule, cast its vote for him and secured his
nomination.
The reason why the Republicans have
never. save in the case of Blaine. gone
East for candidate, and the Democrats
have gone West, we do not have to go far
to find. The Democratic vote is massed
largely in the cities OF New York state.
New Jersey and Connecticut. Two of
these states are doubtful New York
city and Brooklyn are democratic by
great majorities. The influence of New
York city is strongly felt in New Jersey
and Connecticut, where thousands of New
Workers have suburban homes. 1t is. of
course, good politics for the Democracy TO
take their candidate from New York.
where there is the largest Democratic
wealth and political strength. The Re
publicsns continue TO take their standard
bearer from the West. because the strength
OF the party is at the West; because the
West desires 10 name the candidate and
has the power 20 enforce its wish.