The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-06-07
The RULE A GOOD ONE.
Pee q, Haie Thought no Change in II
Was Desirable.
leigh, N. G., June 6
Editorial Raleigh Register,)


A friend in Texas writes that the
Tws-s lirds Rule, its origin and pro-
PREY, IS now very much discussed by
Texss Democrats. This city having
bees sae home of "Hon. Romulus Nj.
@Sauls.egs, the author of the rule, adj
-dres5s lou as the most reliable source
for formation as TO the immediate
cauxss OF its adoption and continued
ma s.senance in Conventions since
1856.
Isss story of the Two-Thirds Rule
ma ateTest readers here as well as IN
Tex Briefly, it is about as follows:
The st general Convention OF the
Deas4.sbsc party ever held in the
I'm s States met at Baltimore IN May,
Is . nominate a candidate for the
Vice ssidency to run on the ticket
WITH Il. jackson for the Presidency.
The savention was unanimous Tor
Ma i Van Buren, and unanimously
no.s tied him, but before doing So
aadc. I'd a rule that two-thirds should
be ss.ssessary to nomination as natur-
alis tending to give it more weight.
On -s4ay 20, 1886, the rule was again
ado..ssod by the Baltimore Convention,
and s.r. Van Buren, again unanimously
nom ;.sHted, but this time for the
Presidency. The action of the third
convention, at Baltimore on May 5,
484a, was precisely the same, but "a
the polls Mr.. Van Buren, failed OF re-
election to THE Presidency. When the
fourth convention met at Baltimore,
MAY ~, 1914, Mr.. Van Buren, was again
a candidate for nomination, but far
from being the unanimous choice OF
the convention. A very small majority
was committed to him, and to secure
his nomination his peculiar friends
sought to defeat the adoption of the
w0-t.liTyls rule when, as usual, it was
moved by Judge Romulus NJ. Saunders,
one OF the delegates from this State.
Mr.. Van Buren's friends failed after
long and excited discussion. The rule
was again adopted and has governed
all general conventions of the party
ssince as it had controlled all previous
conventions.
The Democratic convention which
was held at st. Louis in 1876 by resolu-
tion recommended to future National
Democratic Conventions, as the sense
of Democracy here in Convention as
serTstsied, that the so-called two-thirds
rule le abolished as unwise and UNI
necessary, and that States be requested
to instruct their delegates to the Dem
i ocrasic National convention to be held
in ssee. whether it be desirable to con-
t5nue the Two-Thirds Rule longer in
force in the National convention, and
that the National committee insert
such request in their call for the con-
vention." And the committee, in issu-
ing the call for the convention to be
held att Cincinnati on June %, 1880,
sconpiied with the request and submit
tied the matter to the States for deter
animation No change was made, and
wisely So The Two-Thirds Rule has
worked out good results, and there is
mo need to change now, ii indeed a
change may be desirable at any time
hereafter. The Southern States put
forward no candidates for either OF the
great Federal offices, but the Southern
States do pretty much all the effective
voting for the Democratic candidates.
1T is not of good policy to give up to the
Republican Northern States not only
the candidates, but the power to name
thean against the votes of the solidly
Democratic Southern States. That
will be result of the repeal of the
time honored Two-Thirds Rule, though
combinations to give it effect may not
at once take place.