The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-05-17

age and has become more or less of a
the Democratic party are very strong
indeed
There is nothing sacred in the rule,
nothing in it that could justify strict
adherence to 1T if it became desirable
to change it or to entirely abandon it.
The history of the rule is as follows:
National delegate conventions for
the nomination of presidential candi-
dates were held for the first time in
1892 The Democratic convention was
held in Baltimore in March, at which
the denomination of Jackson in the
New York and other legislatures was
confirmed and Martin Van Buren,
named for vice-president 1t was at
that convention that the two-thirds
rule was adopted 1t was introduced
by Romulus NJ Saunders, of North
Carolina, and was in these terms:
Resolved, That each state be en-
titled, in the nomination to be made
of candidate for the vice-presidency,
to number of votes equal to the num-
Der to which it will be entitled to in
the electoral college under the new APP
portionment, in voting for president
and vice president, and that two-t thirds
of the whole number of votes in the
convention shall be necessary to con-
Stitute a choice
Only the vice-president is named in
this resolution the reason being that
Jackson had already been nominated
hU nf ;e1o
cordance with the old system of MAX
ing presidential nominations
The rule came into no particular
prominence, raising neither discussion
nor dissension, until the famous con-
vention of 1874 at Baltimore, when
James K. Polk was nominated over
Van Buren,. In 1910. at Baltimore, Van
Buren, had been nominated for a sec
ond term, but it was understood that
the two-thirds rule was not to be
considered as a precedent. The nomi-
nation was unanimous and hence the
rule played no important part while
its possibilities were scarcely thought
of. Four years later, at Baltimore, Van
Buren, realized what it really meant
when through it James K Polk was
made the Democratic nominee for
president, his own name being with
drawn after the seventh ballot Had
the majority rule prevailed and not the
two-thirds rule, he would have been
on the first ballot, he re-
ceiving 146 votes; Cass, SO; Richard M.
Johnson, "a; and something over
dozen scattering. The first ballot
showed the highest number of votes
for him, he dropping down to ninety
nine on the seventh
In the Baltimore convention of 1S4S, |
when Cass and Butler were named as
the Democratic candidates, an attempt
was made to prevent the adoption of |
the two-thirds rule. but without sue
cess. A like attempt at the Baltimore
of 1852 failed.
AIT the Charleston convention of 1860, |
after the withdrawal of some forty odd |
southern delegates, the two-thirds rule
vas adopted, as also in the adjourned |
of the Douglas Democrats
1t Baltimore. 1t has been the rule of
he party ever since then.
The rule has the force of long pre-
;edent and nothing more 1t will be
within the power of the Chicago con
7ention to do with it as shall, in It's
Judgment, seem best Every conven-
ion has, and must have, the power to
make hts own rules and it has no
power to bind any other convention.
The rule was adopted by a majority
-ote and it will be perfectly competent
or the coming Democratic convention
o adopt or refuse to adopt it by the
anne vote What will it do? Politics
viii no doubt play a great part in the
uestion, and gold Democrats and sill
er Democrat will favor or oppose
he rule as it seems to favor or oppose
heir chances of success in choosing
andidates favorable to their views
n the financial issues. The reason
rst assigned for it's adoption-that it
1ould make the candidate stronger by
aving nomination on two-thirds
ote instead of majority vote-win
ut little or no figure at Chicago.