Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-07
Organization Committee
Reported Two-Thirds Rule.

| UrganlZaClon committee GU os
i Reported Two Thirds Rule.
vention of 1892 1t was apparent that
Van Buren, would be nominated by ac-
clamaton and, therefore, in this conven-
| ton as in the first convention the ques-
ton hinged entirely on the vice presi-
Dental nomination. The committee re-
port readopting the two-thirds rule was
presented by Romulus M. Saunders of
North Carolina. Instant opposition de-
veloped. Samuel c. Allen of Massachu-
sets protested that the rule was unwise,
unfair and undemocratic, and that ma
jority ought to control. Mr. Allen then
moved to substitute a majority for
''two-thirds." and his motion was adopted
by vote of 231 to 30.
But the organizat.on-that Is the Jack
son and Van Buren, men-was intent
upon nominating Richard M johnson of
Kentucky, for Vice President. The vir-
ginians not only were loyal to William
C. Rives, but they were intensely opposed
to Johnson. In Pennsylvania and other
states there also was strong opposition
to Johnson. The mandate Of the national
convention did not then have the patent
force that 1t now possesses, and the
leaders were afraid that the electors
would not obey the national convention
If Johnson were nominated by a mere
majority. Therefore, they determined
to rescind the action abandoning the two
thirds rule. and to add to it the unit
rule and thus put Johnson over"
The better to mask their purposes, which
were inimical to Rives. they persuaded
William B. Randolph. Rives delegate
from Virginia, to bring in a resolution
providing for the unit rule
1t was resolved that I'm all questions to
be decided by this convention the vote
should he taken hv nSt of no
capita II it be desired by the delegates
from any one state, each state being en-
titled to the number OF votes to which
she Is entitled in the electoral college,"
Mr.. Randolph. 1t Is apparent from the
newspaper reports at the time. did not
know that he was cutting off all chance
of Rives' nomination, but was pron1p ted
to offer the rule solely because of the
fact that. as up to that time all questions
in the convention had been voted on per
|, capita. and as there were a greater num-
Der of delegates from the city of Balti-
more and Maryland than from all the
other states combined, 1t was a question
of whether the national convention should
submit to the control of the Baltimore
delegates. On the face of things, that
was the reason advanced for the voting
of the states in favor of the unit rule
and it was adopted.
Ihe next morning Robert Strange of
North Carolina moved to reconsider the
change from
Johnson Nominated the two
Over Rives by 1857. ,ha -, ,o TO
fty'' rule. The chair held that as Mr..
Strange had voted against the change he
could not be recognized. Thereupon the
motion was renewed by Joel *. Mann OF
Pennsylvania After short debate. in
which the speakers obviously were sup
pressing their real reasons for action. the
vote of the day before was reconsidered
and rescinded. and the two-thirds rule
remained in force. BY the combination
OF the two-thirds rule and the unit rule
johnson was nominated for Vice Presi-
dent over Rives by lis to 81 votes. After
the nomination was made. Saunders of
North Carolina introduced a resolution
requesting the party leaders in the sew
eral states to hold delegated conventions
or by some other means to nominate