Bismarck daily tribune., 1912-06-19
BALTIMORE IS
PREPARED FOR
Convention
Democratic Delegates VIII
Meet in Fifth Regiment
Armory at Baltimore
viii Nominate a Presidential
/ Candidate by q Two'1hirds
':s:<!I Vote
Convention Officers Already
on the Ground Making
Arrangements


Arrangements
I Special to The Tribune.
BALTIMORE, Nd, June 1S.-One
Thousand and seventy-four delegates
will assemle in the Fifth Regiment
| Armory in this city next Tuesday to
| name a candidate to run as the Dem
ocratic party's choice for President
of the United Staes.
These delegates represent the DEM
ocratic voters Of forty-eight States,
the District of Columbia, tn, District
of Alaska and the territorial posses
sions of Hawaii, Porto Rico and the
Philippines. The number Of dele
gates exclusive of the territories and
insular possession is twice the mum.
ber of United States senators and
members Of the house of representa-
tives.
Each delegate to the national con-
vention represents a section OF the
country peopled by approximately
81 ,972,266 people (according to the
census of 1870, Of whom at least
q, ,OOO, 900 are male adults of voting
age.
The 1,O74 delegates meet to select
a man who will represent the ideas
of the Democratic voters as to the
necessary qualifications for Presi-
dent of the United States and to voice
their ideas as to general policies
which should be followed by the chief
executive for the four years succeed
ing March 4, 1913. The delegates will
voice these policies in series OF
resolutions, which, taken together, is
popularly called a platform" They
are also to select candidate for Vice
President to serv" in case Of the death
or inability OF the President.
Theoretically the choice of the nom-
inees 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 we'll settled ideas on
the subject of candidates and issues,
and certain unanimity on many mat
ters from the outset. 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. It is
generally admitted that the choice OF
candidates and the framing Of the
platform will depend in great meas.
ure upon the results of the Repub-
lican national convention now in ses-
sion in Chicago.
The Democratic covention nomin.
ates a presidential candidate by q
two+thirds vote, therefore the winner
in the convention must secure ZIG
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 Clark
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 270 unin-
structed delegates and scattering
vote of ninety delegates for Governors
Foss of Massachusetts,, Baldwin of
Connecticut, Marshall of Indiana, and
Burke of North Dakota will be cast.
These four favorite sons are expected
to drop out of tle contest after the
first ballot, leaving the fight to the
remaining four candidates, Speaker
Clark, Governor Wilson, Governor
Harmon and Representative Under
wood. While the second ballot will
probably disclose the actual strength
of these four candidates, it will prob
ably require a number Of ballots, be-
fore the leading candidate obtains the
twO-t1irds vote necessary to nomin-
ate. In the event that the convention
is unable to make a choice from
among the leading candidates and a
deadlock ensues, one Of the other four
candidates may be named, or, what
is considered even more likely, a
dark horse may capture the nomi-
nation. In connection with the talk
of a dark horse the names of WILL
liam J. Bryan and Mayor Gaynor Of
New York city are most frequently
mentioned.
National Chairman Mack of Buf-
falo, Secretary Woodson of Kentucky
and the members of the committee on
arrangements are in the city and to-
morrow a meeting will be held to COM
plete the final details Of the conven-
ton arrangements. The Armory in
which the convention is to be held
stands in readiness for the gathering
Of delegates. Headquarters Of the
National Committee and Of the sever
al presidential candidates are running
full blast. The entire business Sec
tion of Baltimore is putting on gala
attire and before the end of the week