Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-03
POLITICS DAY BY DAY

Underwood headquarters in the Wood
ward building.
"He is a very enthusiastic friend of
Oscar w. Underwood, and confidently
predicted his selection as the democr ATTIC
standard bearer, as well as his eiecIion
at the November polls. Gov O'Neai
said:
During my visit to the east I have
talked with all classes Of people and
have been very much gratified to learn
nation Of Hon Oscar w. Underwood
has been steadily growing.
= Mr.. Roosevelts announcement ana
his very radical and revolutionary plat
form has accentuated the importance OF
nominating a democratic candidate VINO,
while wisely progressive, will not under
take to embark the country upon unwise.
dangerous or experimental legislation. II
is generally recognized that MI Under
wood is splendidly equipped for the office
of chief magistrate. No man in the
country has SO thorough a grasp ana
| mastery of the tariff question, which
will unquestionably be the leading issue
in the approaching presidential contest
From the Woodrow Wilson headquar-
tiers came the following last night:
Further analysis Of the history Of po-
litical conventions shows that the pug
aboo about the two-thrdS rule .and its
deadlocks and dark horses is unfOunded.
In the present instance the wish Is ap-
parently father to the thought. since the
most earnest takers about the dangers
of the two-thirds rule are the very men
who would like to see a dark horse
named
mo man who ever received a majority
of the votes in a democratic national
convention ever failed to get the neces-
| of Martin Van Buren, in 1874. Dark
| horses have been nominated by demo-
cratic conventions only three times-Polk
in 1914. Pierce in 1852 and Seymour in
%1H1 nkAn oY DO w
| ty conventions held by the democrats
since 1892 the man with the plurality at
the first has been nominated. Of course.
exception must be made in the case of
| 1860. when Douglas nomination was
made only after bolt
"The republican party has held only
fourteen conventions, and from the first
it has made nominations by a majority
vote. Yet this system has produced three
dark horses-Hayes. Garfield and Harri-
son-and four times has defeated the
candidate who led on the first ballot with
a plurality.
I'm 1860 Seward had the plurality. and
was defeated by Lincoln; in 1876 Blaine
had the plurality. and was defeated by
Hayes: in 1880 Grant had the plurality
in his fight for a third term, and was de-
feated by Garfield, while in 1883 Sherman
had the lead, and was beaten by Harri-
son.
1.-The effort to weaken the faith Of the
Wilson following by asserting that. even
if he gets majority, he cannot win the
nomination. is reduced to an absurdity
when examined in the light Of history.
Medill Mccormick, at the headquarters
| of the Roosevelt national committee. yes
terday gave out the following statement:
THE Taft organization in Illinois con-
tnues to evade the challenge of the
Roosevelt headers for preference pri-
mary in Cook county and the state. A
few weeks ago. in reply to a letter from
Col. Dewey, leader of the Roosevelt or
ganization, Mr.. Forgan, in behalf of the
Presidents supporters, declined to agree
to a preference primary, on the ground
| that Col Roosevelt could not be con-
sidered a candidate After the publica-
ton of Col. Roosevelt's reply to the gov
ernors the election officers of Cook county
agreed to hold preference primaries in
connection with the regular primaries for
the nomination of state and county Off
GERS.
Mr. Forgan now says that he will not
agree to any such primary, unless it be
provided for by the legislature This in
wolves special session of the legislature
and the passage of a preference primary
act by two-thirds majority, in order that
| it may become effective before the April
| primary. Mr.. Forgan very we'll knows
| that there are enough Lorimer republic
ans and democrats in the legislature to
prevent the passage of presidential.pref-
erence primary law by a majority large
enough to make it effective in April