Norwich bulletin., 1920-06-07
SNAP SHOTS OF
DEMOCRATIC CONVENTIONS
Copyrighted by G. NJ. Adams Service


In II democratic national conven-
tons Including two in 1850 since
1956-the year when the present historic
conflict between republicanism and de-
| moeracy began-six states, none of
them included in that persistently DEM
eeratc section of the country known as
/ the solid South have monopolized the
honors of providing the party with
l.. jidential nominees. New York leads
| tne list with seven such recognitions
| for her sons New Jersey and Nebraska
divide second honors. each with three
nominations to its credit; Pennsylvania
has furnished two nominees, and Illinois
and Kentucky one each. Meanwhile, the
party's vice presidential honors have
| been divided between nine states, in the
| following inventory: Indiana, 6; Illi-
nois, Missouri q; Ohio, 2; Kentucky,
/; Georgia, Oregon, l; Maine, l ; West
| Virginia, l.
Chicago and st. Louis lead the rolls as
he ''favorite convention cities" in which
these great national conclaYes have oc-
CURED. Four times the conventions
have gone to each of these places. Bal
timore has been three times the mecca
Cincinnati has two conventions to her
credit and Richmond, New York, Ken
sas City and Denver have each entertain
ed the convention once.
In two ways Democratic ~Nationa
Convention history is strikingly differ
! ent from republican national convention
history and in both instances, convention
dulles" are involved.
A majority suffices to nominate repub
lican candidates; but ever since 1882
when Andrew Jackson established thu
''two-thirds rule" to aid hi min forcing
Van Buren's nomination for vice presi
dent, two-thirds majority has Away
been necessary TO nominate democratic
candidates. Frequent efforts have beel
made to change this rule, but it still
stands and has never been suspended.
Its companion, the unit rule" unde
which majority of a states delegation
controls the entire delegation, ais
: dicers from the standard republican prac
tlce. 1t, too, was sacred for three
quarters of a century-until amended. a
! last, in 1916, consonant with the need t
recognize the integrity Of instruction
from presidential primaries.
The "two-thirds rule has sometime
> prevented majority nominees from reach
|. ing the final goal-like Van Buren,
"a 1S4S, who had a presidential majority G
26 but could not get the necessary two
thirds presidential majority on the tent
. roll-call but failed of the ultimate two
. thirds.
Naturally this rule has prolonge
5 democratic conventions beyond the re
g publican average. Since 1856, the az
Il erage number of republican roll-ealls
8 nominate a president has. been betwee
D. four and five; the average number {
5 democratic roll-ealls has been betwee
nine and ten. The hardest fights were
y 1860 when SO roll calls were necessar
q to name Douglas; in 1912 when IS 70
II calls were necessary to name wilson; an
n in 1858 when % roll calls were neeessar
y to name Seymour. Meanwhile democrat
l. conventions, like republican convention
-e have made little contest over secent
n place. Thirteen times, vice presidents
d nominees have been named on one ba
s. lott.
OF the II nominations which tn
z Snap Shot series will now proceed
record, five have won the elections
$. the succeeding November polls.
TX To be continued tomorrow with Il
is story of the 1855 convention.