Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-03-21


will be the gamer. for 1t is extremely
doubtful which faction will have the ma
jorty.
In the above estimate Of $40 delegates
for silver. Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and
Ohio 036 votes) are the states that may
fairly be said to be in doubt. and the bur
den of available information. even from
sound money" sources, is that Illinois and
Michigan are pretty certain to instruct for
silver; that in Indiana the tendency is the
same way, and that the Ohio delegation
being divided the silver men are conceded
at least a third of the delegates.
In Iowa, which is not included in this
list, the situation is extremely uncertain.
Gov. Boies may be a candidate for the
presidency. and if he Is it is thought he
can easily bring silver delegation to the
convention. Republicans from the state
think that it will be for Sound money"
The TNO-Thirds Rule.
With the prospect that neither side will
have two-thirds of the delegates. 1t is ex-
pected that the two-thirds rule will be
abandoned. If Morrison were the leading
candidate, silver platform having been
adopted by the majority. he might get
votes from both sides as a compromise
The history of the two-thirds rule dates
back to the first convention ever held by
the democratic party. Up to that time the
candidates of the various parties had been
put out in different ways The first poiiti-
cal convention in the history of the coun-
try was that of the anti-Masonic party,
which brought Seward and Fillmore into
political life. The anti-Masonic party origi
mated in western New York over the al
legged disappearance of William Morgan, a
Mason who had written a book which
claimed to expose the workings of the first
three degrees of Masonry. The party came
to life in 1926 and won some fights in local
elections in the state of it's birth. 1t then
called for a national convention to be held
at Baltimore in September, 1881 This con-
vention was followed by the republican
convention. held in Baltimore in December,
1881, at which Clay and John Sargent were
nominated.
The first democratic convention was call
ed to meet in Baltimore on the 2lst Of May.
1882. Jackson had previously been put out
as the democratic nominee by the New
York legislature. but New Hampshire,
which is the originator of national con-
ventions, called for the convention which
was held. 1t was for the purpose of nomi-
mating candidate for Vice President, Cal
houn having quarreled with Jackson.
The presiding officer of this first demo-
cratic convention was Gen. Robert Lucas
of Ohio, and the resolution requiring a two
thirds vote to nominate was introduced by
Delegate Saunders of North Carolina. The
object of the resolution was to give the
in the future conventions. The rule, as
adopted by the convention, and which has
stood, in part. to this day, was as follows:
Resolved. That each state be entitled, in
the nomination to be made of a candidate
for the vice presidency, to a number Of
votes equal to the number that they will be
entitled to in the electoral colleges under
the new apportionment in voting for Pres
ident and Vice President, and that two
thirds of the whole number of votes in the
convention shall be necessary to consti-
tute choice
At the democratic convention at Balti-
more in May, 1874, when Polk was nomi-
mated, strong effort was made to kill
the rule. but by vote of 14S to 118 it was
allowed to stand.
That was the origin of a rule which some
historians claim has killed Off many of the
| best men the party ever had
Following the adoption Of the rule the
next democratic convention was held in
Baltimore in 1895. and there the first candi-
date for President was nominated. Van
Buren was the nominee and twenty-five
states were represented. After that con-
ventions were considered regular institu-
tons.
ing twice the number of delegates in the
electoral college was adopted. That rule
did not apply until the Cincinnati conven-
ton in 1856.
Van Buren, was the first victim of the
two-thirds rule. In the convention Of 1914
when Polk was nominated Van Buren, had
majority on the first ballot, but could not
secure the necessary two-thirds. Polk, who
had not been talked of, was pushed for
| ward and secured the nomination on the
tenth ballot.
The West.
There is some difficulty in getting re-
| liable Information from sections of the
west because Of the absence Of democrats
in Congress. Lee 80.
Representative Mcguire Of California ID