(3)  Having  completed  its  organization,  determined  |  Nomi-
its  membership,  and  adopted  its  platform,  the  con-\^J|^im
vention  is  ready  to  take  up  the  business  of  supreme
interest  and  importance,  the  selection  of  its  candidate
for  President.  The  secretary  of  the  convention  calls
the  roll  of  States,  beginning  with  Alabama,  and  as
each  State  is  called  the  delegates  from  that  State  have
the  right  to  place  a  candidate  in  nomination.  In  case
a  State  which  is  reached  in  the  early  part  of  the  roU-
call  has  no  candidate  to  propose,  it  has  the  privilege
of  jdelding  its  place  to  a  State  farther  down  the  list,
like  Ohio,  in  order  to  give  some  member  of  the  Ohio
delegation  an  opportimity  to  place  in  nomination  a
candidate  from  that  State.    The  average  number  of

'  See  chapter  II.
