Now in the nominating convention each State is allowed
twice as many delegates as it has electoral votes. The dele-
gates are chosen by local conventions in their several States,
viz.j two for each congressional district by the party con-
vention of that district, and four for the whole State (called
delegates-at-large) by the State convention. As each con-
vention is composed of delegates from primaries, it is the
composition of the primaries which determines that of the
local conventions, and the composition of the local conven-
tions which determines that of the national. To every dele-
gate there is added a person called his " alternate."
Respecting the freedom of the delegate to vote for whom he
will, there have been differences both of doctrine and of
practice. Sometimes the local or State convention instructs
how to vote, but often these instructions are broken.
