Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-04-23
The Two thirds Rule in Democratic
National Conventions.

nizes the right Of the majority to rule,
the insistence Of the Democracy up
on a two-thirds vote in determining
it's candidate is both un-Democratic
and un-American. The fact, remains,
however, that this rule exists purely
upon the basis of tolerance, and can
be rescinded at any time by MAORI
ty vote of the convention itself. This
fact must not be lost sight Of In con-
siderins the probable action of the
Democratic national convention at
Denver. Some Democratic newspapers
are felicitating themselves upon the
outlook that Mr.. Bryan and his friends
will not have tWo-thirds of the dele
gates in the convention, but we have
yet to see one so blind to the trend of
events as to claim that he will not
have a very large working majority.
With such majority Mr.. Bryan and
his friends will be in position to alb
solutely determine the outcome of the
convention, which certainly will have
no rules until they have been duly re-
ported and adopted. If a majority of
the convention, with due regard to the
protests of the rank and file of the
Democracy all over the country. should
decide to do away with the traditional
two-thirds rule and return again to
the Democratic form of conducting the
convention, there will be absolutely
nothing to prevent them from doing
So The two-thirds rule was obviously
enacted to afford the minority pow
er which it has no moral right to eX-
ercise. and which is, in its very es-
sence, contrary to the spirit of Ameri-
can Institutions. It will be greatly to
if they refuse longer to permit the re-
tention of such rule which has moth
ing behind it to sustain it save an ex-
ceedingly bad precedent. In this con-
nection it is interesting to consider
the objections which are being raised
to the candidacy of Mr.. Bryan by
small coterie of bosses in his own par
ty. They claim to fear that he would
lead his party to defeat, and doubtless
this fear is well grounded. No Demo-
crat can lead his party to victory the
present year, but it will not be wise
I1nnlnnrutin loa1orc tn nUnrlnnls ht.
fact that Mr.. Bryan has shown himself
to be by far the best vote-getter of
his party in recent years He has UNI
questionably the most attractive per-
sonalty and the most magnetic pres
cncc of any Democrat of the present
day and generation. He is a man of
clean character and certainly mas the
largest and most devoted following of
any Democratic leader. -Four years
party that his views were too radical
and that a more conservative candi-
date could make u better showing at
the polls, Mr. Bryan stood aside and
did not contest the nomination OF
Judge Alton B. Parker of the great
state of New York, who was loudly
footed as the one man who could im
prove upon the record of Mr.. Bryan as
q vote -getter. and lead his party to a
was urged that he was a conservative
man who would bring back to the
Democratic party those forces which
had been opposed to the radical pro-
gram of the Nebraska leader; that he
was sound on the currency question;
that he was eminently clean and re-
spectacle; that he had made 4 splen-
did record as judge of the highest
court in the great Empire State and
that he would assist his party in win
ming u victory at the polls by carry
ing New York with an overwhelming
majority. Having shelved Mr.. Bryan
the old line Rourbons looked out upon
the political battle in a most COM
placent spirit and deluded themselves
into the belief that victory was in the
air. So it was. but SO far above their
heads that they were never able to get
a fair view of it. Judge Parker went
down in one of the most disastrous and
overwhelming political defeats ever
sustained by a candidate Of his party.
He did not secure single electoral
vote outside of the solid South and
even in that section of the country
was materially shy Of the number of
votes secured there by Mr.. Bryan. SO
much for the record of Mr.. Bryan as
a -gettcr in comparison with the
conservative and highly respectable
Judge Parker. Today the very same
Democrats who were clamoring for the
nomination of Judge Parker. and OPP
posing the further leadership of Mr.
Bryan. are clamoring with equal in
sstency for the nomination of Cover
nor Johnson of Minnesota, but it isl
difficult to see wherein Governor john
son would he a stronger presidential