The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1897-08-19
THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 1897.
PARTY RULES.
(Conmunicated.l

party in this county remain unchang-
ed, except in a single PARTICULAR by
the failure of the late convention to
act upon the proposed changes, there
will be plenty oft time to consider those
changes before any future action upon
them can be demanded.
But inasmuch as it is absurdly and
falsely claimed that the new rules
were in some way adopted without
any convention vote thereon, it will
be timely to point out the plain facts
which settle that question beyond
honest dispute.
The Standing Committee in March
last appointed committee of FIVE to
prepare amendments to the rules, and
were authorized to report to the next
annual County Convention their
amendments. for adoption or rejec-
tion, by that BODY.
The committee prepared such
amendments, concluding their sttlngs
on the 18th of July, but withheld
their amendments for publication in
the Democratic newspapers until
Thursday of the week before the DEL
egate election, thus rendering impos-
sible any discussion or examination
of them or opposition to them through
the same newspapers, before Thurs
day and Friday of the following week,
or only one or two days before the
delegate election was held. Besides,
the committee made no report of
their new rules to the convention, ac-
cording to the terms of their appoint
ment, nor were they read in conven-
ton, or actually presented to it, in
any regular form.
But at the delegate election the
regular slip ticket of candidates ap.
peared with an addition to the bot
tom, without any apparent authority
therefor, inviting an expression of
preference by voters upon a single
alternative question, to wit: nomina-
tlon of candidates by delegates, or by
the highest popular vote. There is
no reason to doubt that this invited
expression OF choice or preference
was intended to influence votes in
convention when the new rules came
under consideration, but it was neither
in form nor IN substance, binding
instruction that is, a command or
order to the delegates how they
should vote, and confined as it was
to one question, it could have no re-
lation or concern with the many other
questions raised by the new rules for
the consideration and decision of the
convention by two. thirds vote. The
judgment and discretion of the con.
vention in the amendment of rules
expressly and clearly conferred upon
it by the rules themselves, was not,
therefore, not infringed upon, or in
tended to be, by this preference vote.
1t simply conveyed information of
views held by those who voted, upon
an abstract question, which might be
involved IN convention debate.
All this appears clearly enough
from the call for the delegate election
and convention, by the accomplished
chairman of the standing committee,
who, after referring to the action of
the amendment committee, ard
consideration OF the subject of
amendment at the time of choosing
dele lies, clearly stated party law
OF the case as follows, to wit 4" For
these rules to 60 into effect it requires
a two-thrds vote of the delegates of
the convention, and if endorsed by
the convention they will then govern
the primary election of 1898 for the
first trial"
Under this declaration the Demo
cratic people of the county had a
right to understand, and did under
stand, that the power Of amendment
vested IN the members of the con
vention would be fully exercised by
them, if thought necessary, by formal
votes, and under the two thirds rule,
with due respect to the views of their
constituents, and in view of the best
interests of the party, They had no
conception that chairman would be
chosen in convention (as the Sentinel
informs us) "to command the situa
tion," and ultimately prevent a con-
vention vote.
1t will be seen that when Mr..
Daniel McHenry, as a friend of
change, moved in convention for a
vote on the new rules, that he did
what was expected, and his motion
was appropriate to convention busi-
ness. After debate on his motion, a
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