Milford chronicle., 1928-08-17
LITTLE BAND WAGON
JOURNEYS LIZ. n By
of the Unit Rule
Aeu-s3Is ttsa o bSz1s rtspS-n"\
"a. 1928. Western Newspaper Union.l

&c, 1928. Western Newspaper Onioii''
8.-Origin of the Unit Rule
COMPARABLE to the two-thirds
~ rule in its traditional binding
effect on Democratic conventions
through most of the history OF that
party has been the unit rule, requlr-
ing delegations to vote solidly by
states even though only majority
of a state have instructions or in
cIinations to vote that way.
But the Democrats, although they
applied this rule in their first nat
tional convention in 1914, did not
originate it. They borrowed the
idea frOM their early powerful
rivals, the Wings.
1t was in a Lutheran church IN
Harrisburg, Pa, in December, 1889,
that the Wings held their first ma
tiOnal convention. Probably no
house of worship has been the scene
of more willy and adrOit maneuver-
ings than went on at this cOnven-
ton for the purpose of defeating
the nomination of Henry Clay.
ThurlOw Weed, skillful New
York political boss, is credited with
having been chiefly responsible for
euchering Clay out of this nom
nation by securing adoption of the
unit rule.
Weed records that on reaching
Harrisburg eve found a decided
plurality in favor of Mr.. Clay" but
that. 'in the opinion of the dele
gates from Pennsylvania and New
York, Mr.. Clay could not carry
either of those states, and without
them could not be elected"
So a strategic plan was put into
effect by which, through initiative
of a member of the Massachusetts
delegation, a rule was adopted di-
recting each state delegation t.
take informal ballots on its choice
for President till it recorded a state
majority for some one candidate
That done, a report of the result
was to be made to the convention
and the vote of the majority Of each
state delegation declared to be the
vote of the entire representation of
the state.
Thus was born the unit rule, later
taken over by the Democrats and
used as compulsory and compile
mentary to the twO-thirds rule. In
deed, it also was used by the Re
pubicans as well as Wings and
Democrats. up until 1880
The immediate effect of first use
of the unit rule by the Wings in
1899 WAS to shatter the hopes of
Henry clay and secure the nOmina
ton OF William Henry Harrison
the old military hero Of the Battle
of Tipppran0p.
Clay'S adhprents were bitterly
disappointed, onnd with no small
cause. and clay himself. while ont
wardly acqmipscina in the Harrison
nomination. in private gave violent
vent To- his feelings upon hearing
the unwplcOme news. Al the con
ventiOn John Tyler nt Virginia. one
of Clays closest friends. was re-
ported to have been SO uverrnm"
with grief at the outcome of the
ballOting that he shed tears.
These tears melted Tyler's way
into the White House. They con.
WINGED the convention that placing
such a devoted friend of Clay on
the ticket with Harrison would go
far toward salving the feelings of
the defeated Clay faction.
So Tyler was nominated for vice
president, and the death of Presi-
dent Harrison a month after his in
auguration brought Tyler to the
Presidency, where he soon demon
strated to the Wings their mistaken
Judgment of him by turning against
nearly all the policies of the part!
that had nominated him.