The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1906-07-03

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reach Of ever, citizen a chance 20 in
prove his knowIedre and better equip
him for .he discharge Of his share in
Determining the countrys course and
destiny Bu, be did not favor depriy
ing the humblest citizen Of single
political right The protection Of
these rights. BE- believed. was one of
the main foundations on which the
government itself was based. When
he became a candidate for President
% was not By the nomination Of any
combination OF set Of men or pOliti.
clans. but by the common consent of
the countrys citizenship. Who
concurred in bis views Of goy.
eminent. the iaalienable Hgh' of
the individual citizen. whose right
u individual action is ever the
bulwark Of the countrys safety la
ter. uhen the element of voters who
coiucidod with the views of the rights
OF men and their share in the affairs
of government and those who took
the opposite view. formed themselves
into political organizatons--J Jefferson
as The leader Of one side and Hamilton
the leader of the other--the custom
of holding "a congressional caucus
for the selection of candidates for
president soon sprang up. Men for
other stations in political life we're Sc
lected by assemblies Of various kinds
TO avoid multiplicity Of candidates
Of the same political doctrine that
the votes OF those Of one way Of think.
ing might unite their votes in the Sc
lection Of public officials committed
to given principles.
Later conventions Of delegates com
ing up from the people made the selec.
tions and. strange to relate, in the
beginning Of this method also began
the trickery which has many times
since distracted political parties be-
cause of the tricks and schemes often
resorted to to defeat the popular
choice. II was the desire Of q political
ring to defeat the nomination of Van
Buren, for second term as President
that produced the twothirds rule In
National Democratic conventions. Not.
withstandng its adoption, ne WAS
strong enough with the enormous pat
ronage even then at the disposal Of
the President to defeat and discomilt
his opponents But b. dissensions
they were able 10 produce. the min.
orlty proved his unioing at the clec-
ton which fonowed Van Buren, was
defeated and the elder Harrison. the
candidate Of m, Wings. was elected
with this convention began the dem
onstration of the power Of public pat
ronage IN the hands uf the chief
executive IN the control OF convention
nominations. yet IL was shown by the
subsequent election that such power
could not be- indiscrlminatoly resor,ed
to without danger of defeat from the
minority smarting under the lash OF
executive patronage and dictation, es.
pccially In elections where public sen.
tlment was anything like nearly even
as between political organizations.
Since that time the political defeats
which various political organizations
have met In the Nation and ga the
States. and Ia the counties, and In the
cities, have, as a result of division grow
ing out Of combinations. tricks and
trades In political nominating couven,
tions. is an important part Of the po.
litical history of parties In the United
States.
Twelve years ago. in Texas, the two
thirds rule was abolished in Demo
cratic state conventions and the party
placed itself on record In favor OF the
majority rule In making county nom
nations About the same time the
primary election for party purposes
was adopted by very many counties
in Texas, and at such elections men