Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-04
PLAN TO BEAT BRYAN
Proposed to Apply the Unit
Rule at Denver.
GUFFEY MAKE TAKE! LEAD
Contemplates a Meeting Of the
Pennsylvanians. :.
NO ISSUE TO BE PARAMOUNT
Increasing Demand for Tickets to
the Coming Convention-Col.
Lewis Arrives on Scene.
GUFFEY MAKE TAKE! LEAD
NO ISSUE TO BE PARAMOUNT

| DENVER, Col. July 4.-Plans are be-
ing made intended to lop off the Bryan
vote in the coming democratic convention
| to such an extent as to prevent his nomi-
nation on the first ballot. If possible.
| through the application Of what is known
AS the unit rule of voting. With the
| first ballot out of the way the opponents
of Mr.. Bryan declare that all instruc-
| tons will then be off and the convention
| can proceed to nominate ticket free
| from obligations to the Nebraska leader.
| and in the true spirit of democracy in
the convention.
Just how this plan is to be worked out
! and put into operation and just what will
be its effect on the official roll call are
questions to which no definite answer
can be given even by those advocating
| the plan.
The operation of the unit rule has here
tofore been imposed by state conventions.
Some states have thus uniformly imposed
on their delegates to the democratic ma
| tional conventions the duty Of voting as
| a unit in accordance with the majority of
the delegation on any particular cues
ton, arrived al by caucus of the dele
cation before the vote. Where state con-
ventions have failed to impose the unit
| rule 1t has been held that the delegation
could not by it's own action impose the
| rule upon itself. Notwithstanding this
ruling there are those here who maintain
that should a delegation by majority &C
ton decide to vote as unit In the con-
| vention the convention would have no
authority to review that action.
Guffey's Alleged Plan.
+ If accordance with this action it was
stated today that Chairman Guffey Of
| the Pennsylvania delegation contemplated
calling a meeting Of his delegation for
- $o1y; ofja 10
ton. The Pennsylvania attitude in this
respect is. however slightly unique. as
the enforcement Of the unit rule has
heretofore always obtained upon simple
suggestion, but not under instruction by
| the state convention. The last state con-
venticn failed to make this suggestion.
and Mr.. Guffeys reported intention to put
it into effect as caucus action Is uni
form with past practices. with the ex-
ception of lacking the suggestion to do.
so by the state convention.
With Pennsylvania making the prece-
dent for state delegations to bind them
selves to vote in convention as a unit
the following states could, with the same
propriety. take the same action: Maine.
with IL votes; New Hampshire. s. Yer
mont, g; Rhole Island. 8; Connecticut. ~;
Pennsylvania, 6S: Maryland. 16: North
Carolina. %; Florida. 1O Georgia,26; Lou
isiana IS: Ohio. 46; Alaska, g. and Porto
Rico. 6. New York, with 7S uninstructed
delegates, votes under the unit rule, as
does New Jersey, with "a.
Difficult to Figure Result.
Even with the inclusion of all these
delegations under the unit rule 1t is still
difficult to figure out just what gain
y anti-Bry an forces would be made.
The delegations in some Of these states
are all instructed for Bryan. In others
majority are instructed for him. In
still others 1t is stated that majority
Is uninstructed. In this connection it is
urged that the application of the unit
rule in states where some delegates are
instructed for Bryan and others not
might make it possible for delegates in
structed for Bryan but personally against
him to change their votes in caucus and
throw the entire vote of the state against
him.
With the machinery of the convention
in the hands of the Bryan forces, it is
stated by his friends that it will be i'm
possible to carry out this plan should
there be objection to it. Notice that it
was being considered. however, had the
result Of starting the Bryan leaders to
figuring. and should it. in their opinion.
develop that the result would be a gain
instead of a loss to the Lincoln leader
it might be decided to make no inter-
ference. In this event precaution would
be taken to make sure that those states
where Bryan would make gains by the
plan should hold the necessary caucus
on the question. as well as those where
losses to him might occur.
The suggestion that instructions are
fulfilled and may be abandoned after
| the first ballot is also declared by Mr..
Bryans adherents to be theory and not
fact Instructions which have been
given the delegates to vote for Bryan.
they contend. mean continued voting
for him until a nomination is made. The
BRYAN people regard the conception of
the plan to be rather the evidence of
forlorn hope or effort than as an OPP
posing movement fraught with danger
to their success in the convention.
No Paramount Issue.
There will be no announcement for
paramount issue in the campaign, sill
yer was made in 1896 and the independ-
ence of the Philippines in 1900, but the in
tention is to include several planks In
group SO as to give them all equal promi-
nence This is in accord with Mr.. Bryan
idea that there should be a general pro-
nouncement against favOritism to certain
classes. This he considers the tendency of
the republican party, and believing that 1t
is manifest in the unfair operation of the
tariff, in the encouragement of trusts and
in undue friendlineSS to railroad and other
corporations. he takes the position that to
single out either and to label 1t as pre-
eminent would be to minimize other ques-
lutiOns will be a broad declaration for
equal rights for all and special privileges
to none, and it is believed that this end
can be obtained by declaring for reforms
in the administration of government in
many directions.
Demand for Tickets.
Seldom has there been such rivalry in
the matter of securing tickets for ma
tional convention as will characterize the
coming one. and never has there been
more feeling on the subject than there is
| liable to be at this time. The convention
| hall is larger than many other convention
halls. but the trouble grows out of the
unusual demand. The convention rates
| on the railroads are having the effect of
| bringing exceptional number of peo-
pie from eastern states, all of whom
make the plea that they should be accom-
modated after coming so far while on the
| other hand the residents of Colorado and
| other neighboring states have let it be
known that they will be here IN large
numbers. They will make the claim that
| as the far west has never before had d
| convention located in its midst they
should be given preference.
| After supplying the superb new conven-
| ton hall and subscribing 100000 to OBJ
| tain the meeting. Denver is to receive
only about 100 season tickets. with the
result that many who had counted upon
| heir first national convention have