Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 July 1896 — Attempts to Stampede Conventions. [ARTICLE]

Attempts to Stampede Conventions.

It is a fact that none of the most systematic efforts to “stampede”, a convention by these methods has succeeded. Usually the mine has been exploded too soon. The demonstration has been made so far in “advance" ot theballoting that its force has been wasted. Then, too, systematic preparations for “stampeding” have been met by equally systematic efforts to counteract them. Nobody is. taken by surprise, aud consequently nobody is carried off his feet. The balloting goes on precisely as if the demonsrations had not been made. As a matter of fact, the controlling power in nearly all conventions does not ll* either In the delegates, or in the political bosses who direct so many of them, or in the ten or twelve thousand people who get into the convention building. It rests in the people who are outside, but whose influence is exerted durifig every moment that the convention is in session. The final, deciding question is not. Which candidate do we most desire to nominate? but, Which candidate can we be most certain to elect? To answer that intelligently the most sagacious minds in every convention look beyond the shouting galleries, with their few thousands of personally Interested spectators, to the twelve millions of voters scattered over the land, and seek to read in advance their answer at the polls.—Century.