Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1912-06-07
SYSTEM Of
GO INVENTIONS
The Procedure That Is Gone
Through With Every
Four Years.

Each state is allowed twice as many
delegates as it has electoral votes.
Two delegates are chosen for each
congress district by the party conven-
ton of that district and from four to
eight for the whole state called dele
gates at large by the state convention.
Each delegate has an alternate.
AS soon as these calls are out the
party committees of the different coun-
ties or other subdivisions of the state
convene and provide for a choice Of
delegates from their respective coun-
ties to the state and congress conven-
tons.
Then the county committee issues
calls to the different precinct commit
tees or precinct heads, who summon the
voters of their districts at primary
election to choose the delegates who
are to speak for them and, as is usual
ly the case. give them instructions as
to how they are to speak.
Highest Bidder Gets 1t.
Out of it all come the delegates, or,
rather, the temporary delegates. The
national committee passes on the roll
of delegates when two men are con
testing for q place, deciding which
will be accepted. Then the convention
itself ratifies the action of the commit
tee and usually pronounces the tempo.
rary roll as permanent.
Meanwhile. the city Offering the big
gest inducements in the way of con.
vention hall and other expenses, some,
times reaching 500 900, as In the case
of Baltimore this year, is selected by
the committee as the place of meeting
The local hotels plume themselves for
the event, storekeepers bring out deco
rations, brass bands veneer their in
struments with unwOnted luster-in
short, the city gowns itself in full gala
day attire.
The delegations from each state, with
their respective chairmen, gather in
certain section of the hall under ban
ners. With the galleries thronged by
10000 or $4,000 spectators and some
what over 1000 delegates on the floor,
the chairman of the national commit
tee calls the convention to order.
There is an opening prayer, one day
by a Catholic priest another by an
Episcopaliaa minister-the various de-
nominations all receiving recognition.
Then a temporary chairman is nomi-
mated. following which is the appoint
ment of secretaries, clerks and other
necessary officials, together with the
adoption of the rules which are to gov
ern the business. Then the commit
tees, among them those on credentials
and resolutions, are appointed, and ad-
journment is taken to wait upon their
reports.
Getting Down to Business.
The next sitting usually names a per-
manent chairman. Then the report of
the resolutions committee, which con.
tains the platform or the principles and
program of the party, is read and or
dinarly sustained. Follows the real
business of the convention, when the
roll of the states is called. ohio" is
sung out from the desk, and q promi-
nent delegate from Ohio rises, steps to
the rostrum and proposes with orator.
cal flourish the Ohio candidate. The
roll call completed and all candidates,
ranging from perhaps seven to twelve
in number. proposed, the business of
balloting begins.
As the clerks run down the roll from
Alabama to Wyoming the chairman
of each state announces the various
numbers of votes for each of the candi.
dates from his delegation, except where
the unit rule prevails, in which case
the whole vote of the delegation goes
to the one candidate who has a major.
ity of the delegation's votes. That con-
testant is selected under the Republic
an rule who receives a majority-un-
der the Democratic. two-thirds of all
the votes. Not always is the candidate
chosen on the first ballot. There may
be many roll calls before any one wins
the requisite majority.
In 1852 the Democrats agreed on
Franklin Pierce only after forty-nine
ballots had been taken. The Wings in
that year went four better than their
opponents in selecting General Scott
OF recent years. or, accurately, since
1892. there has been little doubt as to
the nominee In that year both Mr.
Harrison and Mr. Cleveland were
chosen on the first ballot