The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-06-23
STORM CLOUDS
GATHER ABOVE
'FR|SCO'S HALL
Dry Act Fight Will Be Carried
to Floor is Prediction-Bie
Chiefs Rolling in for Con-
ventlon.
DARK HORSES NEICHINC
(By Associated Press)

SAN FRANCISCO, Calf, June 23-
Rumblings of Democratic discord over
| the prohibition issue became hourly
more omlnous today as delegates and
party chiefs arrived in increasing num-
bers for the national convention.
| Hope that the gathering storm might
spend itself behind the closed doors of
| the platform committee virtually was
abandoned by the leaders and they pre-
pared to face an outbreak of tempestu-
Gus debate on the floor of the con-
vention itself
Such development it was agreed
everywhere, would hold many dramatic
possibilities, including a further COM
plication of the uncertain outlook as
to the presidential nomination.
! Already the overshadowing issue in
pre-convention conferences the ques-
tlon of a platform declaration against
the present bone dry law almost
took the whole stage for itself today
as the gathering delegates heard of
Postmaster General Burleson's an
nouncement for a modification Of the
Volstead act.
May Speak For White House
! By many accustomed TO regard the
postmaster general as a political
spokesman for the white house, the
development was accepted as a warn
ing of which way the wind of admin
istration influence would blow
Others among the party leaders re-
! fused TO take that view. but no one
here assumed to know with certainty
how far the sentiments of President
/ Wilson might be in accord with those
of Mr.. Burleson.
/ The latter who announced his stand
yesterday at San Antonio, Tex. will
not reach San Francisco until late in
! the week.
| What everyone here does know, how
ever, is that both sides of the contro-
versy are cementing their lines and
bringing their heaviest artillery for a
| finish fight.
After many conferences in an effort
, to lay a basis for harmony, Homer s.
| Cummings, the national chairman said
today it seemed to be a fair bet
that the question would be taken to
! the convention floor for a settlement
! regardless Of what decision was made
in the platform committee.
| Closely intertWined with the pro-
! hibition question is the problem of
selecting a nominee in accord with
! the platform a. finally agreed on and
among many of the practical politi-
clans there is a feeling that the two
| decisions must be settled virtually at
one stroke.
SO the pleas OF candidates manag-
ers are falling on deaf ears for the
present while the leaders get their
! bearings on the more immediate Ques-
ton of bone dry or a beer platform
League of Nations in Eclipse.
The league of nations disagreement,
along with several other disputed plat
form issues. has followed the question
! of candidates into temporary eclipse
Among most of the leaders it is agreed
/ that whatever trouble develops over
/ the treaty will be only a drop in the
bucket compared to the prohibition
fight.
Leaders of the bone dry forces were
confident today that they would com
mand a good majority in the platform
committee, where each state has only
one member. and could keep out of
the committee report any declaration
for change in the present law
With this view most of the opposing
managers privately agreed, but they
declared that when an appeal was TAX
en- TO the convention itself the vote
would tell a much different story.
The large states. il was pointed out
while having only one vote apiece in
the committee. will have much great
er voice in the whole body of dele
gates who make up the final court Of
appeals. And most of the largest dele
cations are counted on for support by
the advocates of beer plank
Must Vote as Units.
complicating feature of conven-
tion floor fight would be the unit rule
under which many state delegations
are instructed to vote as a body. II
was suggested today however. that
there might be a general agreement
TO let each delegate be counted accord
ing TO his own convictions when the
prohibition issue came to its final
showdown. On that basis both sides
were predicting victory and many of
those in a position to know were de-
claring the outcome would be close.
Some of the oldest leaders declared.
in fact that the division might be
close enough to make argument and
oratory on the convention floor the de-
Gliding factor. In any case, such an
open fight would be likely. it is pre-
dicted, to furnish many thrilling
turns.
William J. Bryan would be expected
TO head the bone drys. and he prob
ably would find pitted against him
strategists and orators of the first
rank.
w. Bourke Cochran, of New York.
was mentioned as one of those who
might be asked TO match wits and
eloquence with the Nebraskan IN the
convention debate.
Will Fight Treaty Also
Although Mr.. Bryan is expected to
make fight also against the admin
istration treaty plank the general be-
lief of his friends here is that he will
reserve his greatest effort for the pro-
hlbition problem. He is expected to
reach San Francisco late in the week.
though the treaty fireworks may start
with the arrival late today of Senato
Carter Glass, of Virginia, who is cred
tied with holding President Wilson's
committee to write the administration
q oerlra Of,