Citizenship Part 7

At Large--Ed. W. Chenault Lexington, Ky.

1st District--W. L. Prince Benton, Ky.

2nd District--Virgil Y. Moore Madisonville, Ky.

3rd District--Clayton C. Curd Greenville, Ky.

4th District--D. O. Burke Bradfordville, Ky.

5th District--J. Matt Chilton Louisville, Ky.

6th District--G. A. Seiler Covington, Ky.

7th District--Clarence Miller Irvine, Ky.

8th District--H. V. Bastin Lancaster, Ky.

9th District--F. A. Field Ashland, Ky.

10th District--Sam Collins Whitesburg, Ky.

11th District--Chas. Finley Williamsburg, Ky.

COUNTY COMMITTEE.

The county committee consists of one man or woman from each elective district in the county, and the city committee one from each ward or election district in the city.

COUNTY CONVENTION.

The voters of the county of the party they represent meet at the court house at the county seat and elect a temporary chairman and the delegates to represent the party at the State convention.

If the people of the county favor a certain man for President they may instruct their delegates for this man in the State convention.

The fight at the convention is usually for chairman, who when elected usually appoints a committee to draw resolutions and names the delegates in the resolutions, which are reported back to the convention for action.

STATE CONVENTION.

The call for State convention is issued by the State Central Committee of the party, and a copy of the call is sent to the chairman of each local committee. The convention is called to order by the chairman of the State Committee.

The secretary of the State Central Committee reads the call of the convention.

The convention is opened with prayer.

Motions are made that the chair appoint a committee on credentials, on permanent organization, and on resolutions.

A temporary chairman and secretary are elected.

The report of the committee on credentials is read, giving the number of delegates present, and rendering a decision concerning contested delegations.

The report of the committee on organization is usually adopted at once and names the permanent officers of the convention, which include a permanent chairman, secretary, a.s.sistant secretaries, vice chairman and sergeant-at-arms.

The chairman of the convention is generally a prominent party leader, and when he takes his seat he delivers a speech upon the issues of the campaign.

The platform is read by the chairman of the committee on resolutions and usually accepted without amendments. Then the convention takes up the nomination of candidates. After the nominations are made the vote is then taken by call of the counties by the secretary. When the candidates receive the number necessary to elect, generally a majority of all the votes cast, some one usually moves that his nomination be made unanimous. They elect all the officers in the same way.

CHAPTER VII.

NATIONAL CONVENTION.

The National Convention is called to order about noon on the day appointed in the official call, by the chairman of the national committee.

The convention is opened with prayer.

The call is read, after which the national committee names a list of temporary officers for the convention, temporary chairman, secretary, clerks, sergeant-at-arms and stenographers.

The temporary chairman takes the chair and makes a formal speech on the political situation.

A resolution is adopted making the rules of the preceding convention the rules of the convention until otherwise ordered.

Motions are made for the appointment of committees on credentials, permanent organization, rules and resolutions, each consisting of one member from each state and territory.

Resolutions concerning contested seats are presented to the convention and referred without debate to the committee on credentials. (Every state is allowed double as many delegates as it has Senators and Representatives in Congress. The four men corresponding to the representation of the Senate are delegates at large, the others are district delegates, which number twenty-two district delegates and four delegates at large, making twenty-six delegates to the National Convention from Kentucky.)

This ends the first session of the convention.

When the convention a.s.sembles for the second session, the first business is the report of the credential committee.

In deciding contested seats, the committee on credentials gives each side a chance to present its claims, and then decides between them, generally in favor of the regular delegates, those endorsed by the state and the district committee.

Two full contesting delegations from the same state, sometimes seats are given to both, each delegate being ent.i.tled to one-half vote.

After the credential committee arrives at a decision concerning contested seats, its report including a list arranged by the states of all delegates ent.i.tled to seats is usually accepted by the convention with very little debate.

Then the committee on organization make their report, which consists of a list of permanent officers of the convention--previously arranged to some extent by the national committee. (This report is usually arranged beforehand and therefore adopted without much trouble, if any.) A committee is appointed to escort the permanent chairman to the platform, who usually delivers a speech on the issues of the coming campaign.

The chair calls for the committee on rules first, for their report.

Two rules of great importance in a Democratic Convention are: First--A rule requiring for the nomination of candidates two-thirds of the whole number of votes in the convention. The Republican requires only a majority.

Second Rule--The so-called unit rule under which a majority of each state delegation is allowed to cast the entire vote to which the state is ent.i.tled even against the protest of a minority of the delegation.

These two rules are strictly adhered to in the Democratic party only.