The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-02-04
DEMocRACY's Two-THIRDs RULE
Origin and Eject on National Con-
ventiOns of the Party.


The first Democratic national convention
was held in 1892. says the Chicago
Chronicle. Previous to that time can
d.dates for president and vice president
had been nominated by congressional eau
cuses or by state legislatures, or had been
indicated by spontaneous public sentiment
In that year Andrew Jackson. who had
served one term as president. was the
unanimous choice of the Democrats for re-
election. But there were many candidates
for the vice presidential nomination, among
whom Martin Van Buren, had the lead. A
Democratic national convention was held
to express the popular Will for Jackson's
reelection and to name candidate for
vice president.
At this convention the two-thirds rule
was adopted. 1t did not apply to the
nomination OF candidate for president,
as Jackson was the unanimous choice. 1t
applied to the nomination of a candidate for
vice president. and Van Buren, secured the
requisite number of votes. A somewhat
similar condition of affairs existed in 1896
Van Buren, was the unanimous choice of the
Democrats for president to succeed Jack
son. But the two-thlrds rule was adopted
and 1t applied to the nomination of vice
president. A similar state of facts existed
again in 1870. when the two-thirds rule
was adopted. although Van Buren's re-
nomination was a matter OF general con-
had become Democratic tradition. with
the force OF law. II was an established
usage OF the party, universally accepted
and subject to repeal only by revolutionary
methods.
In is4t for the first time In the history
of the Democratic party. there were sew
erai candidates for the presidential NOM
ination. Following precedent, guided by
the highest Democratic authority, the
Democratic national convention of that
year recognized and affirmed the two
thirds rule. under which james X. Polk
was nominated for president. At each
national convention since that time tho
candidates for president and vice presi-
dent have been selected by vote Of two
thirds of all the delegates from the several
states participating In the nomination,
There were rumors that the Chicago con-
vention of 1881 would rescind the rule. but
the councils OF wisdom prevailed and no
such effort was made.
Sanctioned by usage that covers two
thirds OF our national history since the
first national Democratic convention was
held, affirmed In constitutional succession
by sixteen quadrennial national conven-
lions. a political law could not he more
deeply Embedded in party organization. 1t
could not be repealed without uprooting
the faith and traditions on which every
Democratic platform rests. To annul this
law of custom and prescription would he
like a proclamation disbanding the Demo-
cratic party. II has been chord of ua4ea
In all the past Its observance IN noni-
nations leaves no ground for the discon-
tent OF factions or the plots of boilers.
The reasonahleucss OF the two-thiTds rule
II vindicated hy uniform experience. IL Is
a conservative power ~ the highest USE
fulness unsAimlty is certain 20 follow
when two thirds OF convention agree
TO nomination The rule causes no dif-
lcuity, No deadlock ever occurred where
IL was IN force. Il is the best guide for
asccrtaining and expressing the sentiment
OF the party in all it's intelligent and pstri-
otic elements,