For the elective offices bestowed in each State by
the whole body of its voters, such as the posts of Gov-
ernor and Lieutenant-Governor or the functions of
presidential electors, a preliminary understanding as to
the candidates could only be suitably effected in a single
meeting for the whole State. But to organize such
general meetings was by no means easy in ordinary
times, both on account of the means of communication
in those days, which made a journey to the capital of
the State a formidable and almost hazardous under-
taking, and of the difficulty of finding men of leisure
willing to leave their homes for the discharge of a
temporary duty. However, men trusted by the voters
of the State were already assembled in the capital as
members of the Legislature. Were they not in the
best position for bringing before their constituents the
names of the candidates who could command the most
votes in the State? Acting on this idea the members of
the State Legislatures laid hands on the nomination
of the candidates to the State offices. The members
of both Houses belonging to the same party met semi-
officially, generally in the legislative building itself,
made their selections, and communicated them to the
voters by means of a proclamation, which they signed
individually. Sometimes other signatures of well-
known citizens who happened to be in the capital at
that moment were added, to give more weight to the
recommendation of the legislators.

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