t a declaration of
principles, or to decide upon a party policy. It is common for two or
more of these purposes to come before the same convention.

CALLING CONVENTIONS.--In the year of the presidential election, the
national committee calls a national convention, naming the time and
place, and the representation of each State. The State committee calls
a State convention to send delegates to the national convention; and,
if a State election is approaching, it may direct that the convention
shall also select candidates for State offices. In response to this
call, the county committees order county conventions in all the
counties of the State to send delegates to the State convention, and
perhaps to select candidates for county offices. In some States the
township committees order township conventions in all townships for the
purpose of sending delegates to the county conventions, and perhaps to
name candidates for township offices.

It will be seen that the calling of the various conventions connected
directly or indirectly with the selection of candidates for President
and Vice President proceeds from the highest downward. The same order
is observed in other conventions, the call always beginning with the
highest committee concerned and proceeding to the lowest.

LOCAL AND STATE CONVENTIONS.--The order of holding a system of
conventions, however, proceeds from the lowest to the highest. The
township holds a convention and sends delegates to the county
convention. The county convention sends delegates to the State
convention, and the State convention sends delegates to the national
convention.

DELEGATES CHOSEN BY PRIMARIES.--In many states the delegates to all
conventions are elected by the members of the party at primary
elections. In some states even the delegates to the national
convention are chosen in this manner.

NATIONAL CONVENTION.--A national convention is an important assemblage.
It contains many distinguished men, and exerts great influence on the
history of the country. A national convention usually consists of more
than a thousand delegates. In a Democratic convention, for instance,
there are four delegates from each State, two from each congressional
district, and a few from the Territories.

In the selection of delegates to the national convention, the State
convention often selects four, representing the two United States
senators, and the members of the convention from each congressio