Year: 1876

THE CANDIDDTEs-THE Two-THIRDs


RULE, &c.


From the Correspondence OF the " orld.


Nearly all the States except Della
ware, which have elected delegates
during the past week, have selected
Tilden delegations. He, therefore,
not only still leads in the contest, but
very decidedly leads his principle COM
petitor, Governor Hendricks. The
contest now stands between these two
with Bayard, Parker Hancock all inv
ercasing in general popularity. If it
only required majority vote to nomi-
nate there would be no doubt as to
the result. But it is not likely that
there will lie any change in the two
thirds rule, and all calculations must
be made with an eye to the results of
that rule in full operation. The friends
of Governor Hendricks profess to be
more confident, and claim additional
gains during the past week. Their
claims, in the main, however. appear
to be of delegations which have not
been instructed for anybody at al, and
may not be based upon data which
will prove to be reliable when the
time comes. 1t is evident that admin
istrative reform will be even more
essential in the campaign for the De-
mocracy, with the present nominee
Of the Republican party, than it would
have been had either of the leading
candidates before the Cincinnati Con-
ventlon been selected as the standard
bearer: Whether the nominee he
Tilden, BaYard, Parker or some sturdy
Western man. the the questions of
economy and administrative reform
will be placed in the foreground, and
lead up to an aggressive campaign
upon Republican corruption and ex-
travagance. Predictions as 10 who
the nominee will be, and whether
either of the present leading candi,
dates or some one whose name has not
yet been prominently mentioned, will
be better worth listening to after the
delegates have arrived at st. Louis and
the wants and necessities of the cam
paign in their respective States, than
at present.


The statement has been made in
some quarters that the delegates will
have only half vote each in the con-
vention. The call for the convention
does not support this position. 1t ex.
plicitly states "that each State shall be
entitled to representation equal to
double the number of its Senators and
Representative in the Congress of the
United States" Unless, therefore, the
rules adopted by the convention pro-
vide for half vote for each delegate
there will be the same number of
votes as delegates. 1t is not probable
that the delegates will vote to adopt
rules cutting themselves down to half
vote apiece. The statement that
there will be only one-half vote each,
unquestionably has its origin In the
fact that at former national conventions
there was only one delegate from each
district, while the vote in the conven-
tion was the same as the Electoral Col
lege. The call for double delegation
is new departure With the vote for
each delegate the two+thirds vote
makes 492 necessary for nomination,
while with half vote to a delegate
246 would be ncessary for choice.
AS matters now stand it is apparent
that Governor Tilden will lead off with
a majority. The question in regard to
his success is whether he can secure
enough more to satisfy the two.thirds
rule.


Considerable prominence has been
given of late to ticket of Tilden and
Hendricks. This a advocated and sup
ported by a large number of papers in
this Stale. During the last few days
there has been much canvassing, too,
in political circles, of the name Of Con-
gresham Payne, of Ohio, for the
second place on the ticket, with Gov,
ernor Parker at the head These and
other combinations will be suggested
without number from this time until
the convention proceeds to its work.