New-York tribune., 1908-06-16
"DTLL" CONVENTIONS.

ConnTsints come from Chicago that the ma
+ional convention is dull" A prominent mem
her of the national committee is reported ss
saving that national conventions have lost 'iielr
oldtiIne interest. Too much, he laments' Is pre-
determined the voters having taken the nomna-
ton of a President into their Own hands ana
left only the minor details of the gathering 10
be worked out by the leaders. The appearance
of ex-senator J. Donald Cameron at Chicago IS
noted as emphasizing the contrast between the
national conventions of the 7Os and sos ana the
conventions Of to-day. Then. it is said the lead
ers met and fought out the issues among theh
selves Now they go to national gatherings only
TO execute the decisions Of the party
There is a good deal of basis for this contrast
The Republican conventions of 1876. 1880, 1854,
1855 and even 1892 were backgrounds on Whlch
leaders were pitted against one another ana the
personal equation was potent. In 1876 looV.
1894 and 1883 two factions of nearly equal
strength contended for party control. The ad-
vocates of autocratic management OF the perpet-
uation of machine rule and the maintenance of
8 standing army Of political workers were pit
ted against the advocates of more popular rep
resentation the divorce of politics from the
snois system and the suppression of the political
rnercenarv The latter element slowly drove the
former to the wall. but not until after many
tests Of strength and many spectacular political
encounters In the old days the issue was often
doubtful until the balloting was over, and CAM
paign strategy was at a premium. In the newer
era of popular power nominations are usually
decided long before the convention meets. Inc
old delegate convention system gave much freer
play to the arts of manipulation. Under it lead
ers ike Conking Cameron and Logan were able
TO control New York Pennsylvania and Illinois,
casting the larger part of each states vote
against the actual wishes Of a majority Of the
voters. There can be no question that with
primary system in use such as Pennsylvania now
has Mr.. Blaine could have carried that state IN
1876 1880 and 1884 against any other asplrant
for the Republican Presidential nomination.
Popular rule here in New York would also have
broken Mr.. COnkling's power before 1880. But
under the old system a minority in control OF
the party machinery could overrlle the majority,
and groups of leaders in various states could roll
up formidable vote without much real sup
port among their constituents.
The nomination of Major Mckinley i'll 1896
showed what could be accomplished by a popular
canvass. Major Mckinley was nominated not
because the Republican politicians wanted him.
but because he had demonstrated his strength
with the rank and file all over The country.
Fortunately new generation was then pushing
TO the front. unframed in the factional wars of
. Half Breeds and Stalwarts and wholly unin-
| terested in them The voters Of the party had
! come 70 stand more and more on common ground
and were more and more determined 70 assert
, themselves. They have asserted themselves
! since 1896. and the conventions of 1896, 1900,
| 1904 and 1908 only registered the Will of the
| party. Naturally these gatherings dull"
compared with the fight-to-the-fnis conventions
/ of the era Of boss rule and factionalism. II Is
no discredt TO the convention of 1908 that 1t
promises 70 be dull If it is, il will he so only
because the voters of the party have thought and
acted for themselves and have thereby definitely
shaped its course in advance 1t may lack the
spectacular element of uncertainty and sus-
pense. but it's action will reflect with precision
and accuracy the desires of the great ma iority
of the Republicans of the Union.