Semi-weekly herald., 1912-06-20

or Fifth ballot.
BALTIMORE, Md, June 19.-One
thousand and seventy-four delegates
will assemble in the Fifth Regiment
army in this city next Tuesday to
name a candidate to run as the Demo
cratic party's choice for president of
the United States.
These delegates represent the u m
ocratic voters of forty eight states,
the District Of Columbia, the district
Of Alaska and the terIitor'ai posses
sicns of Hawaii, Porto Rico and the
Philippines The number of delegates
exclusive of the territories and insular
possessions is twice the number of
United States senators and members
of the house of representatives.
Each delegate to the national con-
vention represents section of the
country peopled by approximately o.
972, 266 people according to the cen
sus of 191O), of whom at least 27,-
100000 are male adults of the voting
age.
The l ,074 delegates meet to select
man who will represent the ideas of
the Democratic voters as to neces-
sary qualifications for president of
the United States and to voice their
ideas as to general policies which
should be followed by the chief execu-
tive for the four years succeeding
March 4, 1913. The delegates will
voice these policies in series of reso-
lutions, which, taken together, is pop
ularly called a platform" They
are also to select candidate for vice
president to serve in case of the death
or inability of the president,
theoretically the choice of the nomi-
nees and the framing of the platform
are matters which the delegates take
up as quite fresh subjects, and upon
which they have varying opinions, but
practically, and as result of wide
spread discussion in the daily press
and elsewhere, there are always of
late years some well settled ideas on
the subject of candidates and issues,
and certain unanimity on many mat
ters from the outsidet. In the present
instance, however, considerably more
doubt surrounds the actions and de
cisions of the convention than has
been the case for many years. 1t is
generally admitted that the choice
of candidates and the framing of the
platform will depend in a great meas
ure upon the results of the Republican
national convention now in session in
Chicago.
The Democratic convention nomi-
mates a presidential candidate by a
two thirds vote, therefore the winner
in the convention must secure 716
votes. No candidate in the race has
anywhere near enough instructed
votes to secure the nomination on first
ballot. In the order of their strength
as indicated by the number Of dele
gates pledged to support them, the
leading candidates are Champ Clarl;
of Missouri, Woodrow Wilson of New
Jersey, Oscar w. Underwood of Ala
bama and Judson Harmon Of Ohio.
The standing Of these four candi-
dates indicates their relative strength
on the first ballot in the convention
next week. Their actual strength will
not be known, however, until after the
first ballot, when about 27O unin-
structed delegates and scattering
vote of ninety delegates for Governors
Foss Of Massachust It's, BALDWIN ol
2 Connecticut, Marshall Of Indiana anc
S Burke of North Dakota will be cast
D These four favorite sons are expcetec
S to drop out of the contest after Lh'
e first ballot, leaving The fight to 'h'
= remaining four candidates, Spaakel
s Clark, Governor Wilson, GoyernoI
/. Harmon and Representative Under
e wood. While the second ballot vii
t probably disclose .ha actual strength
y of these four candidates, it will prob
it ably require a number Of ballJts be
v. fore the leading candi 'h'a obtains tn
e two thirds vote necessary to nominate
If In the event that the convention
unable TO make a choice from anon