The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-04-26
SENTIMENT OF STATE
STRONG FOR JOHNSON
Claim Now Made That Bryan
Has Practically All the Penn
sylvania Delegates - May
Try to Have the Two
Thirds Rule Abol-
ished.
Times Dispatch Bureau,
MnMSnN nMAlli n {,

ltically speaking, was the ILL
nois Democratic convention
Thursday which instructed for
Mr.. Bryan. Mr.. Bryans friends
Claimed in the convention. however, af-
ter the resolution had been adopted,
that the instructions were not strong
enough. and an effort was made to have
them amended so as to bind the Illinois
delegates to vote for Bryan as long
a his name was before the convention.
This effort failed and the Illinois Big
Four will go to Denver pledged only to
use "all honorable means" to procure
Mr. Bryan's nomination.
This is quite different from what is
termed "ironclad' instructions. and the
opponents of Mr. Bryan's nomination
delegation may we'll be regarded as
likely to be weaned away from Mr..
Bryan
A Washington man who has just
epent considerable time IN Illinois, the
most of 1t at Chicago, expresses the
opinion that the sentiment of the lead
ers of that State, great and small, is
for Johnson. In conversation with The
i Times Dispatch correspondent he went
further. and offered to wager that the
vote of the Illinois delegation, fifty
four strong would be cast for the Min
clesota candidate.
Looks Like Bryan in PENNEY.
Pennsylvania may afford n political
surprise long before the Denver con-
vention The positive statement was
made to The Times-Dispatch CORE
spondent to-day that sixty-two Bryan
delegates had been chosen IN that
state Pennsylvania Is entitled to SIN
ty- eight delegates.
1t would really appear as though the
claim which has been made by the
Bryan men all along that Pennsylvania
would send to Denver delegation in
5structed for their candidate would be
made good.
The Bryan advocates still claim that
there is no reasonable doubt of his NOM
ination on the first ballot. 1t is true, !
however. that the prospect of Mr.. Bry-
ans nomination is not as strong as 1t
was month ago, or even less. Sew
eral Southern States are thought to be
likely to send anti Bryan or uninstsuct-
ed delegations to Denver. Several New
England States and New Jersey and
MARYLAND either will not instruct or
will instruct against Mr.. Bryan
The T'wo-Thirds Rule.
good deal has been said about the
probability, Or at least the possibility,
of an effort being made by the adVo-
Gates of Mr.. Bryan at the Denver con
vention to abolish the two-thirds rule
which has obtained in Democratic pres
idential conventions for seventy-slN
Eears-over three quarters of a century.
There would not be the slightest doubt
of the nomination of Mr. Bryan were
the convention to amend the rules SO
as to require only a bare majority TO
nominate.
A statement was made to The Times
Dispatch correspondent to-day by a 4
man who is very close to Mr.. Bryan and
rs actively engaged in the management
of the Bryan campaign that there was |
mot the slightest intention on the part
of the Bryan people to make an effort
to abolish the two-thirds rule.
THE rule, whether wise or otherwise.
Is so thoroughly established that to
attempt to do away with 1t would be
very unwise," he said. I'VE will NOM
mate M. Bryan under the two thirds
rule, and. we will do 1t on the hrse
ballot
How the Rule Has Worked.
Only twice in the history of the Dem
ocratic party has the two-thirds rule |
prevented the nomination of a candi-
+ date who had the support of the ma
jority of the delegates. In the Dem
ocratic convention of 1874. at Balti- !
more. Van. Buren, received lac votes,
while the combined vote Of all the
other candidates was but 100. Stil1,
Van Buren, lacked thirtytwo votes of
giving him two-thirds of It's. On the
ni7th ballot James *. Polk was NOM
4 mated It is significant that the NOM
ination was made unanimous before the
result of the ballot was announced In
1860, n the Democratic convention al
Charleston, stephen A. Douglas led
on the first ballot with 1857 votes
which was a majority This vote in
creased slightly on different ballots,
until on the twentythird he received
1921 But Douglas never received the
necessary two thirds, and the convention
adjourned to Baltimore without making
nomination. AT Baltimore Douglas
got the two-th!rds necessary, but there
was bolt, and the second convention
nominated john c. Breckenridge.
While the rule requiring that the
nominee shall receive two-thirds of
the votes is not strictly Democratic,
1t is recognized that the custom goes
far towards assuring that the choice,
of the convention shall be the man
most nearly acceptable TO all factions.
There is not much likelihood that any
attempt will be made TO abrogate II.
Claims of the Taftitcs.
The following statement was issued
by authority OF the Taft bureau in
this city this afternoons
Although forty Right delegates TO