USA > Missouri > Encyclopedia of the history of Missouri, a compendium of history and biography for ready reference, Vol. II > Part 21
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102
.
Constitution, How Amended .- Amendments to the Constitution of Mis- souri may be made through a process pro- vided by itself. The amendments are first proposed by the General Assembly, through a majority vote of each House; they are, next, published with the laws of that session, and also published weekly in a newspaper in each county of the State, for four consecu- tive weeks, just before a general election. They are then voted on separately at the gen- eral election, and every proposed amendment receiving a majority of the votes cast be- comes part of the constitution.
111
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION, HOW CALLED.
Constitutional Convention, How
Called .- The method of calling a constitu- tional convention for revising and amending the constitution of the State, is, for the Gen- eral Assembly to submit the question to a vote of the people ; and if the popular vote is in favor of a convention, the Governor is to order an election for delegates, not less than three nor more than six months from the time of the first vote. The delegates are to be chosen by senatorial districts, two dele- gates for each Senator, the delegates to have the qualifications of a Senator. The dele- gates are to meet at a time and place fixed by the General Assembly and perform their work.
Constitutional Conventions .- Mis- souri has had, down to 1900, five con- stitutional conventions-the first in 1820, the second in 1845, the third in 1861, the fourth in 1865, and the fifth in 1875; but there have been but three different con- stitutions for the State. The proposed new constitution framed by the convention of 1845 was rejected by the people; and the State Convention of 1861, having been called to deal with disunion and matters connected therewith, did not frame a new constitution. The first State Convention of 1820 was authorized by act of Congress, and its object was to form a State constitution as prepara- tion for the admission of Missouri Territory into the Union as a State. It was composed of forty-one delegates, chosen from the fif- teen counties at that time organized, their names being as follows :
Cape Girardeau-Stephen Byrd, Joseph Evans, Richard S. Thomas, Alexander Buck- ner, James McFerron.
Cooper-Robert P. Clark, Robert Wal- lace, William Lillard.
Franklin-John G. Heath.
Howard-Nicholas S. Burkhartt, Duff Green, John Ray, Jonathan S. Findlay, Ben- jamin H. Reeves.
Jefferson-Samuel Hammond.
Lincoln-Malcolm Henry.
Montgomery-Jonathan Ramsey, James Talbott.
Madison-Nathaniel Cook.
New Madrid-Robert D. Dawson, Christo- pher G. Houts.
Pike-Stephen Cleaver.
St. Charles-Benjamin Emmons, Nathan Boone, Hiram H. Baber.
Ste. Genevieve-John D. Cook, Henry Dodge, John Scott, R. T. Brown.
St. Louis-David Barton, Edward Bates, Alexander McNair, William Rector, John C. Sullivan, Pierre Chouteau, Jr .; Bernard Pratte, Thomas F. Riddick.
Washington-John Rice Jones, Samuel Perry, John Hutchings.
Wayne-Elijah Bettis.
The convention met in St. Louis in the Mansion House, corner of Third and Vine Streets, June 12, 1820, and chose David Bar- ton, afterward United States Senator, for president, and William G. Pettus, secretary. It concluded its labors and adjourned on the 19th of July, the constitution which it framed going into effect, without being submitted to the people, and remaining in force until I865.
The next State Convention was that of 1845, which was called to correct certain in- equalities of representation under the original constitution of 1820, and to give the people a more direct control over the organs of gov- ernment. The number of members of the Lower House of the General Assembly was limited to 100, and each county was allowed to have one representative-an arrangement under which the more populous counties did not possess the weight they were entitled to. To remedy this and also to make the gov- ernment more directly responsible to the peo- ple, the convention of 1845 was called. It was composed of sixty-six delegates, chosen by districts, their names being as follows :
First District-Edwin D. Bevitt, John D. Coalter.
Second District-Ezra Hunt, James O. Broadhead.
Third District-Joshua Gentry, Thomas L. Anderson.
Fourth District-James S. Green, James L. Jones.
Fifth District-John C. Griffin, Moses H. Simonds.
Sixth District-Joseph B. Nickel, James M. Fulkerson.
Seventh District-Jonathan M. Bassett, Robert M. Stewart.
Eighth District-John E. Pitt, Daniel Branstetter, Thompson Ward, Roland Brown.
112
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTIONS.
Ninth District-William Y. Slack, Hiram Wilcoxson.
Tenth District-Claiborne F. Jackson, Lis- bon Applegate.
Eleventh District-Hancock Jackson, Elias Kincheloe.
Twelfth District-David M. Hickman, John F. Stone.
Thirteenth District-Benjamin Young, A. O. Forshey.
Fourteenth District-Robert W. Wells, James W. Morrow.
Fifteenth District-Charles Jones, Joseph B. Wells.
Sixteenth District-James Farquhar, Philip Pipkin, William B. Pannell, William M. Davis.
Seventeenth District-Thomas M. Horine, Corbin Alexander.
Eighteenth District-David Porter, Frank- lin Cannon.
Nineteenth District-Abraham Hunter, Robert Gibbony.
Twentieth District-John Buford, Theo- dore F. Tong.
Twenty-first District-Thomas B. Neaves, Burton A. James.
Twenty-second District-William C. Jones, Benjamin F. Massey.
Twenty-third District-Robert E. Acock, Samuel H. Bunch.
Twenty-fourth District-John McHenry, Aaron Finch.
Twenty-fifth District-Duke W. Simpson, Nathaniel C. Mitchell, Thompson M. Ewing, Samuel H. Woodson.
Twenty-sixth District-M. M. Marmaduke, William Shields.
Twenty - seventh District - F. W. G. Thomas, Charles M. Brooking.
Twenty - eighth District - William M. Campbell, Frederick Hyatt, Trusten Polk, Miron Leslie, Joseph Foster, Uriel Wright.
This convention assembled at Jefferson City on the 17th of November, 1845, and chose Robert W. Wells, president ; Claiborne F. Jackson, vice president, and R. Walker, secretary, and continued in session until the 14th of January, 1846, when it adjourned, having made provision for submitting the new constitution, which it had framed, to a vote of the people at the regular August election. The work of the convention excited a deep popular interest, and some features of the new constitution met with strong oppo-
sition; and, after a discussion unusually spirited, the instrument was defeated by a majority of about 9,000 votes in a total vote of 60,000.
The State Convention of 1861 was not called to form a new constitution, for, at the time, there was no popular demand for con- stitutional reform; it was called to meet the great peril of disruption of the Union and threatened civil war-matters which the Legislature could not deal with, and which had to be submitted to a body specially authorized by the people. (See "State Con- vention.")
The State Convention of 1865 was the product of the intense political and personal feeling, general disorder, and the growing demand for violent and radical measures, that marked the last year of the Civil War-a de- mand which the "Price raid," in the fall of that year, and the multiplication of guerrilla bands in the State, had made irresistible. The population at that time may be classed as Conservative Unionists, supporting the exist- ing provisional (Gamble) government; Rad- ical Unionists, demanding unconditional emancipation and unsparing proscription of disloyalists ; and Southern sympathizers who, when taking any part in State politics, usually threw their votes on the side of the more tolerant policy. The Legislature of 1863-4 had authorized a vote of the people to be taken on the question of calling a constitu- tional convention, and the vote showed a majority of 29,000 in favor of it. An election for delegates was accordingly held, and the following, sixty-six in number were chosen:
William B. Adams, Danville; A. J. Barr, Richmond; Alfred M. Bedford, Charleston ; David Bonham, Empire Prairie ; George K. Budd, St. Louis; Harvey Bunce, Boonville ; Isidor Bush, St. Louis ; Robert L. Childress, Marshfield; Henry A. Clover, St. Louis ; Rives C. Cowden, Halfway; John H. Davis, Hall's Ferry ; Samuel T. Davis, New Madrid ; Isham B. Dodson, Kirksville; William D'Oench, St. Louis; Charles D. Drake, St. Louis; John H. Ellis, Chillicothe; John Esther, Lebanon; Ellis G. Evans, Cuba; Chauncey I. Filley, St. Louis; John W. Fletcher, De Soto; Wm. H. Folmsbee, Gal- latin; Emory S. Foster, Warrensburg; Fred M. Fulkerson, Marshall; John W. Gamble, Mexico; Archibald Gilbert, Mt. Vernon; Samuel Gilbert, Weston; Abner L. Gilstrap,
113
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTIONS.
Macon City; Joel M. Grammar, Cassville ; Moses P. Green, Hannibal; Thomas B. Har- ris, Concord; David Henderson, Dent Courthouse; E. A. Holcomb, Keytesville ; John H. Holsworth, Long Branch; Willis S. Holland, Calhoun ; Benj. F. Hughes, Sedalia ; George Hussman, Hermann; Joseph F. Hume, California; Arnold Krekel, St. Charles; Wyllys King, St. Louis; Reeves Leonard, Fayette; Moses L. Linton, St. Louis; John F. McKernan, Osage City; A. M. McPherson, Altenberg; John A. Mack, Springfield; A. H. Martin, Troy; Ferdinand Meyer, St. Louis; James P. Mitchell, Prim- rose; William A. Morton, Liberty; A. G. Newgent, Kansas City; Anton P. Nixdorf, Pleasant Farm; James W. Owens, Wash- ington; Jonathan T. Rankin, Greenfield ; Dorastus Peck, Ironton ; James F. Rogers, Princeton ; Philip H. Roher, Lebanon; Gus- tavus St. Gem, Ste. Genevieve; Eli Smith, Smithton; Knight G. Smith, Princeton ; George P. Strong, St. Louis ; James T. Sut- ton, Coldwater; John R. Swearingen, Inde- pendence ; Wm. F. Switzler, Columbia; Geo. C. Thilenius, Cape Girardeau; Lewis H. Weatherby, Maysville; Jeremiah Williams, Kingston ; Eugene Williams, Memphis.
The convention met in Mercantile Library Hall, in St. Louis, on the 6th of January, 1865, and elected Arnold Krekel, president ; Charles D. Drake, vice president ; Amos P. Foster, secretary; Thomas Proctor, assistant secretary. The convention was in session for three months, adjourning sine die on the 10th of April. The constitution which it adopted, called the "Drake Constitution," for Charles D. Drake, of St. Louis, vice president, and the most active and conspicuous member of the convention, abolished slavery perempto- rily and without condition ; made a sweeping proscription, debarring from the voting fran- chise and the privilege of holding any office of honor, trust or profit under authority of the State, and of being an officer in any cor- poration established by the State, and of acting as professor or teacher in any school, and of being trustee for any church or re- ligious society-every person who had shown a trace of disloyalty by doing either of four- teen things-among them expressing a desire for the triumph of the enemies of the United States, or coming into, or going out of the State to avoid enrollment for draft into the military service. It established also an in-
quisitorial test oath, not only for office-hold- ers and voters, but for lawyers, bishops, priests, deacons, ministers, elders and other clergymen, which they were required to take before being permitted to teach, preach, or solemnize marriage-the oath being a solemn declaration that the swearer had never done either of the things proscribed in the article on suffrage. The convention also passed an "Ousting Ordinance," providing for vacating a number of State, county and municipal offices, and filling them anew by appointment by the Governor-and in providing for sub- mitting the new instrument to a vote of the people, it insured the adoption of it by mak- ing the "Suffrage" provision operative at once. The vote on the constitution was re- turned at 43,670 for ; 41,808 against-showing a majority of 1,862 in favor of it. It was pitilessly enforced through a registration system in the hands of the dominant party, and it effectually accomplished the object it was devised for-the maintenance of a minor- ity in authority and power in the State.
The Constitutional Convention of 1875 was called mainly to get rid of the "Drake Con- stitution," of 1865. That instrument con- tained many wise and well considered fea- tures, but its test oath, its proscriptions, and the "Ousting Ordinance" which accompanied it, had made it offensive to the people, and in 1870 the test oath for jurors and for voters was abolished as a means of conciliating the popular favor. But the Liberal movement, attended by the election of B. Gratz Brown for Governor, in 1870, broke the power of the party that had imposed that constitution on the people, and in 1874 the subject of calling a convention was submitted to a popular vote, and decided in favor of it, the vote being: For holding constitutional convention, III,- 299; against holding constitutional conven- tion, 111,016; majority for, 283. The major- ity was insignificant in so great a vote, and showed that the repugnance to the Consti- tution of 1865 had been nearly allayed by the elimination of its most oppressive fea- tures and the overthrow of the party that had imposed it. The election for delegates was held on the 26th of January, 1865, and resulted in the return of the following dele- gates, 68 in number: Washington Adams, Cooper County; De Witt C. Allen, Clay County ; A. M. Alexander, Monroe County ; F. M. Black, Jackson County ; Henry Boone, De
Vol. II-8
114
CONSTITUTIONAL GUARDS-CONTEMPORARY CLUB.
Kalb County ; George W. Bradfield, Laclede County ; James O. Broadhead, St. Louis County; H. C. Brockmeyer, St. Louis County; George W. Carleton, Pemiscot County ; William Chrisman, Jackson County ; Edmund V. Conway, St. Francis County ; Louis F. Cottey, Knox County; T. W. B. Crews, Franklin County; S. R. Crockett, Vernon County; L. H. Davis, Cape Gir- ardeau County ; L. J. Dryden, Warren Coun- ty; Benjamin R. Dysart, Macon County; John F. T. Edwards, Iron County ; James C. Edwards, St. Louis County ; Charles D. Eit- zen, Gasconade County; James L. Farris, Ray County; R. W. Fyan, Webster County ; Thomas T. Gantt, St. Louis County ; Louis Gottschalk, St. Louis County ; John B. Hale, Carroll County; W. Halliburton, Sullivan County ; Charles Hammond, Chariton Count- ty; N. C. Hardin, Pike County; J. A. Holli- day, Caldwell County; John Hyer, Dent County ; Waldo P. Johnson, St. Clair County ; Horace B. Johnson, Cole County; T. J. Johnston, Nodaway County ; H. C. Lackland, St. Charles County; William H. Letcher, Saline County ; A. M. Lay, Cole County ; P. Mabrey, Ripley County ; B. F. Massey, New- ton County ; James H. Maxey, Howell County ; Charles B. McAfee, Greene County ; A. V. McKee, Lincoln County; Edward Mc- Cabe, Marion County; Malcolm McKillop, Atchison County ; N. A. Mortell, St. Louis County ; Henry T. Mudd, St. Louis County ; E. A. Nickerson, Johnson County; E. H. Norton, Platte County ; Philip Pipkin, Jeffer- son County; William Priest, Platte County; Joseph Pulitzer, St. Louis County ; John Ray, Barry County ; J. H. Rider, Bollinger Coun- ty; J. R. Rippey, Schuyler County ; James C. Roberts, Buchanan County ; J. R. Ross, Mor- gan County; John W. Ross, Polk County; John F. Rucker, Boone County; Thomas Shackelford, Howard County; John H. Shanklin, Grundy County; George H. Shields, St. Louis County ; H. J. Spaunhorst, St. Louis County ; William F. Switzler, Boone County; John H. Taylor, Jasper County ; Amos R. Taylor, St. Louis County ; Albert Todd, St. Louis County; L. J. Wagner, Scotland County ; Henry C. Wallace, Lafay- ette County ; N. W. Watkins, Scott County.
The convention met at Jefferson City on the 5th of May, 1875, and chose Waldo P. Johnson, of St. Clair County, president, and N. W. Watkins, of Scott County, vice presi-
dent. It remained in session until August 2d, when it adjourned sine die. The new constitution framed by it was submitted to the people on the 3d of October, and adopted by an overwhelming vote-91,205 for, to 14,517 against-a majority of 76,688 for it. It went into effect on the 30th of November, 1875, and continues to the present time- 1900.
One of the important features of the Con- stitution of 1875 was Section 20 of Arti- cle IX, authorizing the city of St. Louis to extend its limits, and separate from the county of St. Louis.
Constitutional Guards .- A famous Democratic campaign club organized in St. Louis in the Douglas interest in the presi- dential campaign of 1860. The club was handsomely uniformed, and its parades under the command of Colonel Thornton Grimsley were notable features of a memorable politi- cal campaign.
Contemporary Club, The .- The Contemporary Club of St. Louis was organ- ized in the winter of 1898. Its purpose was to bring as speakers to St. Louis well known men and women from other cities, scholars, persons who have been prominent in public affairs or educational work of any kind, clergy, lawyers, statesmen, and teachers. It was designed that the club should be strictly undenominational in character, having no sectarian bias, but representing as far as pos- sible all attitudes of mind and all classes of earnest people. It has been a "drawing to- gether" of people holding different opinions, not with the expectation that they should in any way give up their standpoint or present affiliations, but that they should be willing to sympathetically listen to the thoughts of others with whom they might not agree.
The organization of the club is simple in character, with an executive committee of seven persons of both sexes, the chairman of which for the first year has been Mrs. W. E. Fischel. The membership is limited to 250 persons. It includes the clergy, such as Rev. Wm. Short, of the Episcopal Church; Rev. D. M. Fiske and Rev. C. S. Sargent, of the Congregational Church; Rev. James W. Lee, of the Methodist Church; Rev. F. L. Hos- mer, and Rev. John Snyder, of the Unitarian Church; Rev. R. C. Cave, of the Non-Sec-
115
CONVENTION HALL, KANSAS CITY.
tarian Church ; the Hebrew rabbis, Rev. Sam- uel Sale and Rev. Leon Harrison ; and Rev. Father Brennan, of the Roman Catholic Church. There are well known lawyers, such as General John W. Noble, Charles Nagel, F. N. Judson, General Shields, R. Graham Frost, G. A. Finkelnburg and James Blair ; business men such as Geo. E. Leighton, O. L. Whitelaw, Geo. O. Carpenter, Elias Michael, Geo. D. Barnard, J. B. Case, Hamilton Daughaday; educators such as Professor Wm. Trelease, of Shaw's Garden; Professor E. H. Sears, director of the Mary Institute ; Professor F. Louis Soldan, superintendent of the public schools; Mr. W. S. Chaplin, chan- cellor of the Washington University; Miss F. M. Bacon, principal of the Marquette School, and Mrs. L. D. Hildenbrandt, of the High School. In the list of membership are also included Dr. Wm. Taussig, Mr. Robert Moore, Mr. W. S. Curtis, Mr. F. M. Crunden, Dr. Thomas W. O'Reilly, Mr. W. A. Scud- der, Judge A. M. Thayer and many other representative citizens. The limit of member- ship has about been reached at this date, and is about equally divided between the sexes, there being about the same number of ladies and gentlemen.
The plan of the meetings has been to hold informal dinner at half-past six, then to have an address by the guest of some topic of the day, and afterward discussion by those present. The first meeting in the spring of 1898 was addressed by Rev. Washington Gladden, of Columbus, Ohio, with Mr. W. S. Chaplin as chairman for the evening. On this occasion the plan of organization was adopted. The next meeting, a month later, was' addressed by President Schurmann, of Cornell University, his subject being "Some Developments of Modern Religious Thought." The chairman for the evening was Rev. Wm. Short. The club resumed its ses- sions in the fall with an address by Honorable W. Dudley Foulk, of Indiana, on "The Ex- pansion Policy of the United States," with Mr. Geo. E. Leighton in the chair, and with a discussion led by Mr. Leighton, F. N. Jud- son and I. H. Lionberger. In February of 1899 the meeting was addressed by Bishop H. C. Potter, of New York, on "Some Civic Ideals." There is a new chairman for each meeting, chosen by the executive commit- tee. The first annual meeting was held Tues- day evening, January 17, 1899.
The Contemporary Club bids fair to be a successful movement in St. Louis, and its plans have met with the most cordial re- sponse. Nothing of the kind had existed before in the city, that is serving to bring together people of many minds in a more friendly relationship on the principle that it was possible for them to break bread to- gether and listen to each other's opinions without sacrificing any spirit of loyalty to the cause which they may represent.
W. L. SHELDON.
Convention Hall, Kansas City .- One of the most noted public halls in the United States, completed in 1899. The cen- tral location of Kansas City and its accessi- bility by railroads from all parts of the United States have made it a favorite meeting place for representative bodies of various kinds. This made necessary the construction of a building large enough to accommodate such gatherings, and on the 27th of June, 1897, the project of building a suitable hall took shape under the auspices of the Kansas City Commercial Club. A public meeting was held, at which the audience was enthused and large subscriptions were made. A com- mittee of influential citizens was appointed to which the task of raising the funds lacking, the choice of the site, and the building and equipment of the hall were entrusted. This committee divided the city into fifteen dis- tricts, with a subcommittee of three in each district. These committeemen proceeded systematically to raise funds by plans which reached everybody. They sold stock at $1 a share ; they sold buttons to shop-keepers and others at $1 each; at ten cents a vote for the most popular citizen the newspapers helped to raise the money. The button be- came the badge of a loyal Kansas Cityan, and one man would not talk business to an- other unless he wore this sign of loyalty. The merchants donated wares, which were sold at a concert or to those purchasing tickets. The concert and buttons netted $50,000. Thus, within nineteen months, by the combined efforts of men, women and children $225,000 were raised. Except their grand system of public schools, there is noth- ing of which the citizens are prouder than Convention Hall. The plat on which the structure is erected is 314 X 198 feet. The seating capacity of the hall is 15,000 persons,
116
CONVENTIONS, POLITICAL.
with standing room for 5,000 more. At a Sunday-school celebration held in 1899, 35,000 children were comfortably accommo- dated in the building. April 4, 1900, the hall was destroyed by fire, from some unknown cause. It had been designated as the place for holding the National Democratic Conven- tion, July 4th, following, and through almost superhuman effort it was rebuilt upon the original site and plans in time for occupation on that date.
Conventions, Political .- Conven- tions called for the purpose of nominating candidates for public office are the logical product of free institutions in the United States, and a recognition of the authority of the will of the people. They did not come into existence until more than thirty years after the general government was inau- gurated. At first the presidential ticket was nominated by caucus-a work of Boston origin and a corruption of Caulkers, a body of patriotic workingmen whose secret meet- ings were the first held for the purpose of considering the tyrannical measures of the mother country. The majority members of Congress met together and decided on can- didates for President and Vice President, and submitted them to the people-and the ticket thus named was voted for without question. But the practice grew into a prescriptive right ; the members of Congress came to think that they had an unquestionable pre- rogative to name the persons whom the peo- ple should vote for-and when, in 1824, the Republicans nominated William H. Craw- ford, of Georgia, for President, and Albert Gallatin, of Pennsylvania, for Vice President, when the manifest choice of the country was Andrew Jackson, the caucus system broke down, and some more popular method of nominating candidates had to be devised. The first national presidential convention was held by the Anti-Masons at Baltimore in 1832, which nominated William Wirt, of Maryland, for President, and Nathaniel El- naker, of Pennsylvania, for Vice President. Four years later the Democrats held a na- tional convention, which nominated Martin Van Buren, of New York, for President, and Richard M. Johnson, of Kentucky, for Vice President. In 1839 the Whigs held their first national convention at Harrisburg, and nom- inated General William Henry Harrison, of
Ohio, for President, and John Tyler, of Vir- ginia, for Vice President-and ever since then presidential tickets have been nominated by national conventions, and the convention composed of delegates chosen by the party voters, has become the recognized agency for nominating all candidates for State, county and other local offices who are elected by the people. The convention system is elaborate and approximately perfect, as a representative arrangement, and it prevails in all the States, and in all localities, except where the practice of selecting candidates by primary elections has been introduced. The great parties have each its own national committee, chosen once in four years, at the national convention, the delegation in each State and Territory in that body naming a member, so that the national committee of a party is composed of as many members as there are States and Territories. This com- mittee usually selects a number of its own members for an executive committee, and sometimes, also, a still smaller number of its own members for a campaign committee to conduct the active work of the presidential campaign. The national committee of a party names the day and place for holding its national convention for nominating a presi- dential ticket. There is a similar committee in each State called the State central com- mittee, authorized to name the day and place, and make other arrangements for holding State conventions. The State central com- mittee is selected at the State conventions and holds its position from one convention to another. It has a chief officer called a chairman, and a secretary, and usually an executive committee chosen from its own members. Each party has also a county central committee for calling the county nominating convention, and a congressional committee for each congressional district. In Missouri each party has its own commit- tee for each of the two Appellate Court districts-and in the cities there are commit- tees for calling conventions to nominate can- didates for municipal offices. It is the practice to allow each State a delegation in the national convention equal to double the number of its electoral votes. For example, the electoral vote of Missouri in 1896 was seventeen-one for each of the fifteen Repre- sentatives in Congress, and one for each of the two United States Senators ; and the Mis-
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.