The Portland daily press., 1896-06-06
STICK 10 TWO-THIRDS RULE.
The Precedent Established by Demo-
cratic Conventions.

York Are Opened to Amy chauge-Has
Been Suggested That Silver Democrats
May Try to Make IL Possible for the
Nomination for Presidential Candi-
to be Made by Majority.
1t has been suggested by some of the
silver Democrats so called, that if the OPP
portuuity is presented at the Democratic
National Convention they will endeavor
to do away with the two-thirds rule, I'M
der which all Democratic conventions
have made their nominations. This rev.
olutionary idea is based on the SUPPOSE
tion that the silver men may be able to
fFRme the platform of the convention,
but that if the two thirds rule in refer
ence TO nomination prevails there is no
possibility that silver candidate can be
nominated.
A majority vote can determine the
platform, but. under the rules of all pre-
vious conventions, it will take two-thirds
Of the delegates to nominate candidate.
Therefore, If, by any mischance, there
should be silver majority in the Demo-
a silver platform but it cannot nominate
a silver man for President unless it abor-
gates the two-thirds rule.
1t may be recalled that in 1892 the sug-
gestion was made that the two-thirds
rule should be abrogated in the interest
Of the nomination of Mr. Cleveland.
The Cleveland managers however, re-
jeoted this proposition at Chicago and
determined te stand by the two-thirds
rule. The result was that Mr.. Cleveland
was nominated before the conclusion of
the roll call on the first ballot.
Inquiries have been made by reporters
for the New York Times as to how DEM
oorats in this city would look upon an
attempt to abTogate the two thirds rule
with the following results:
JOHN DE WITT WABNER.
Former Congressman John De Witt
Warner SAID he was strongly opposed to
any change from the method SO long OBJ
served in Democratic National conyen-
tions.
SIT is always unwise to make change
In long established custom to meet a
special exigsnoy of the party he said.
eff the change is to be made at all SO
TINT the number OF delegates which
adopts q platform shall nominate a can
didate, it should ba made as O. matter of
general expediency and not when it's dis
cussion would be complicated by circum-
stances which at the time could scarcely
avoid introducing other things than the
good of the party
So IN V0u haliaVA fha a0yOoa tea of ha
free coinage of silver will have majority
of the delegates in the convention
enough to make platform, if they cam
not nominate candidate"
81 certainly hope not. I believe the
chances favor small sound money ma
jority, but tho situation is uncomtorta-
ply close for hot weather"
'If it should turn out that majority
of delegates is in favor of free coinage
and they make platform of that NATURE
would the soEnd-money delegates bolt?''
Certainly not They would not be
justified IN boiling. Having gone into
the convention, they must as delegates
abide by its results. They are not sent
to the convention to bolt. What the
Democracy of the State that sends them
may do is its business"
What would be tho case If the rule
were changed, to permit nomination of
a free silver candidate"
TO Justify the sound money delegates in
considering whether they should longer
participate in the deliberations of tho
convention. They would certainly have
the right to bolt and no one but them
selves would have the right to judge
whether to do so or not. The situation
thus created would be one not contem-
which they were accredited, and the dele
gates would be obliged to use their best
judgment as to how they could best rep
rsssnt those whose commission they
BORE
"What would such Q change on the
part of the National convention mean?"
sit would be an abandonment of the
Democratic principle that mutual con-
cessionss should be made until two-thirds
OF the delegates agree On candidate.
and an adoption of the Republican theory
that a majorI3s, however small, has a
right sum marils to disregard the oonvic-
tions CT a majority, however large.
"There is wide difference between the
ideas of the two parties on this matter.
The Republican idea, as understand it,
logically carried out, puts the rights of
the individual at the disposal of the
State. The rights of the minority at the
mercy of the majority, and sacrifices eve
siders the oomslon veal, and this simple
and forGible way of attaining it.
s'The Democratic theory is that tho
main end Of government is to secure the
liberty and the rights of the individual
and of conventions, to secure as repre-
sentative an expression as possible of the
whole body of delegates, and, therefore,
that every care should be taken in gov
eminent to avoid unnecessary intsrfer
enee with the rights or freedom or fnter-
ests of individuals and in conventions to
go as far as practicable to secure by mu-
tual concessions that the platform and
the candidate fairly shall represent the
largest posi- BILE proportion of the party,
instead of bare-which generally means
a casua.-mejority.
with the two-thIrds rule in effect, it
is still true that the majority rules. But
the majority rules by making such con-
SESSIONS al shall win the support Of
portion of the minority"
f. ELLERY ANDERSNON.
E. Ellery Anderson said he did not
think it would he advisable to make any
change in the two-thirds rule. 1t was
Democratic tradition and custom to re-
quire the votes of two-thirds of the Ma
tinnal Convention tn nominate a candi