Evening star., 1936-05-23
By J. L. Sherard.
- 9TH President Roosevelt and
Democratic Chairman James
A. Farley have expressed them
selves in favor of aholishinp

~ OIH PreSlOenC Roosevelt ana
= Democratic Chairman James
A. Farley have expressed them
- selves in favor of abolishing
the century-old two-thirds rule, and
it seems probable that this expedient
Of party policy, which has more than
once changed the current of Demo-
cratic politics and national affairs,
will go into permanent discard at the
Philadelphia convention.
The rule dates back to 1882. The
Democratic party met at Baltimore
in that year, in its first national con-
vention, to name party candidates.
Before 1882 it had been the custom of
the two major parties to select candi-
dates by party caucus and State legis-
lative bodies meeting in party groups
independently of one another but all
driving toward the same general OBJ
jective.
Andrew Jackson, in 1882, had al
ready been put forward for a second
term by these independent groups, and,
besides the formality of ratifying the
choice already made, the only impor-
tant business the convention had,
aside from the adoption of a platform.
was the naming of running mate for
Jackson.
The two-thirds rule was the product
of political exigency. If there had
been no break between Old Hickory
and John c. Calhoun there would have
been no two-thirds rule Calhoun had
been elected Vice President in 1928,
when his personal and political rela-
tions with his chief were of cordial
nature, but now, after the break,
which was due largely to the nullifica-
ton movement fathered by the South
Carolina statesman, jackson and his
men set out to get Calhoun's political
scalp. They got 1t, and thereby shelved
Calhoun and projected his political
career into the first stages of its per-
manent decline.
I IKE Marc Antony, Jackson was a
plain, blunt man. The work he
had to do In order to get rid of CAL
houn was better done by his new lieu
tenant in power, Martin Van Buren,.
who had been Governor of New York
and also Secretary Of State under
Jackson. Van Buren was rated as a
past master in the cunning devices of
partisan politics, a reputation which
seems to have been well earned. 1t
was his fertile and resourceful brain
that evolved the two-thirds rule and
Saddled 1t as a permanent liability on
the back of the Democratic donkey.
When the convention met Jackson's
crowd had not been able to size up
the strength of the opposition. The
Southern States were enthusiastically
loyal to Calhoun-and enthusiasm
goes q long way to exaggerate num-
bers. 1t was to make sure of the elm
nation of Calhoun that Van Buren,
went to the extreme of having the
convention adopt so undemocratic a
method of selecting nominees.
Van Buren, had ample ground to be
angry toward Calhoun. He had been
nominated by President jackson as
Minister to Great Britain and had
gone on to his post of duty in London,
feeling, as he had right to feel. that
confirmation by the Senate would be
. mere formality. 1t was then that
Calhoun, seeing an opportunity to re-
venge himself on Jackson, committed
an act Of political sniping wholly un-
worthy Of his reputation. He organ
lied fight on Van Buren and so ar
ranged the division of votes that when