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, assistant 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.
T
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 assembles 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 entitled 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 entitled 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 entitled even against the protest of a minority of the delegation. These two rules are strictly adhered to in the Democratic party only.
While waiting on the resolution committee's report, miscellaneous business is disposed of, such as the election of national committees and of committees on notification. Such committees usually consist of one delegate from each state and territory, the members being designated by the respective delegations.
About the third day the resolution committee is ready to report the platform.
This platform is a formal statement of the party's attitude upon the public questions of the day; next to the nomination of candidates it is the most important work of the convention.
The platform of any party is usually adopted as read.
Nominations for candidates are next in order, and these begin with the roll call of the states arranged alphabetically for the presentation of candidates for the presidential nomination. Several candidates are often nominated. The delegation from any state when called in its turn may pass its right of nomination to any other delegation not yet called.
Some good and influential speaker will nominate the candidate from his state, and it is usually seconded by a good speaker from some state that has not a candidate.
After roll call for nominations is completed the convention proceeds to the first ballot.
The chairman of the delegation from his state when the state is called by the secretary of the convention, arises and announces the vote of his state. Sometimes a candidate is nominated by acclamation, but usually many ballots are necessary to decide the contest.
If a candidate is not nominated on the first few ballots, a dark horse sometimes receives the nomination, but this is seldom the case.
As soon as a candidate receives the number of votes necessary to nominate, which is two-thirds of the delegates in a Democratic convention and a majority in a Republican convention, usually some one moves that the nomination be made unanimous, which is adopted with great applause.
After the nomination for President is over the convention proceeds in the same way to nominate a candidate for Vice President.
At the national convention of each party a new national committee is appointed to carry on the campaign and act until the next convention.
The platform adopted at the national convention of either party is an expression of the principles of the party.
Sometimes a plank is put in to catch voters. On some questions the plank may not be plain, but may straddle the issues.
The national platform gives the principles to which the party is committed and its attitude on important public questions.
CHAPTER VIII.
Registration.
I
In all cities where registration of the voters is required, men and women register on the same day in the ward or precinct in which they live.
For the purpose of registration the polls open from 6 o'clock a. m. to 9 o'clock p. m.
There are four election officers who have a book in which are registered the names of all the legal voters in their precinct. Two of these officers are called judges; one is a sheriff and the other is a clerk.
A person desiring to register enters the voting place and announces his or her intention to register. The judge takes the name, residence, party affiliation and citizenship, and may also inquire as to any other matter that would affect his or her right to vote at an election.
If found to be qualified, that is 21 years of age and a resident of the state for one year, a resident of the county for six months, and a resident of the precinct for sixty days, they may register unless in a class prohibited by law from exercising the right to vote.
The clerk then writes the name and address in the registration book entering also color and political affiliation. When this is done the registration is completed, and the elector is qualified to exercise the right of suffrage in all subsequent elections, special elections and primary elections for one year. The officers of the election give him or her a certificate of registration signed by all four officers of the registration, and if they lose this certificate they cannot vote at the regular election unless they get a duplicate certificate from the county clerk, which costs 50 cents.
In the different class cities there are some differences as to the method and time of registering, but in Kentucky the general registration is usually on the first Tuesday of October, in all cities and towns of the first, second, third, fourth and fifth classes. The hours for registration are from six o'clock a. m. to nine o'clock p. m.
Special registrations are held thereafter as follows: One special registration may be held by order of the city authorities, which will be conducted exactly as the first registration above referred to, and during the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday next preceding the general election day those persons who were absent or sick, or unable to attend and register on the regular registration days, may appear before the county court clerk at his office in the court house, and register, to have the same effect as if the registration had taken place in the manner above referred to, also on the day before the election and on election day, public officers of the state, and the United States government, traveling salesmen and certain ministers of religion may apply before the county court clerk in the court house and be registered if they will make oath that they were not present in their city or town during any of the previous registration days. Persons that have become eligible to vote at the general primary election, which occurs on the first Saturday in August may register two weeks before the election in the county court clerk's office as above described, provided such persons were not in the city on any of the previous regular registration days, or who were not then qualified to register and may vote in the primary election in the same manner as other qualified electors.
The primary election is conducted in the same manner as any other election.
When you register the clerk gives you a certificate of registration, which you keep to show the election officers when you go to vote, that you have registered.
Persons living in the country and small towns do not have to register.
The names of all candidates are arranged in columns, under the party device to which they belong. A voter by putting a cross mark in the circle under the rooster votes for all the Democratic nominees of his party. In the circle under the log cabin votes for the Republican nominees of his party.
This does not require a knowledge to even read, only to be able to distinguish between the pictures of a rooster and a log cabin.