Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-07-02
PENNA. DELEGATION
LEANS TO M'ADOO
Majority Ready to Align for
"Crown Prince" When Palmer
Throws Up Sponge
DEADLOCK SEEMS REMOTE
By' n StaH Correspondent

San Francisco, July 2.--As the sit
nation stands with the Pennsylvania
delegation today Attorney General
Palmer has to remain candidate ior
President or lose control of a majority
OF his seventy six votes.
The minute he releases them from
their caucus pledges to his candidacy
this majority will hop into line for
McAdoo. The state leader will not
be able to swing the delegation to any
other candidate in block. Notice to
this effect was virtually served on the
attorney general late last night as u
result of lot of sectional caucuses.
There were meetings of groups ofdele-
gates in informal sessions to discuss
the outlook and arrive at some decision
concerning what would be best for the
interests Of the Pennsylvania Democ-
racy. The Philadelphia delegates got
men in another, the men from the
northern tier in still another, and so
on until almost the whole delegation had
been sounded.
This was done by the action of the
delegates themselves, and not as re-
suit of a call by State and Delegation
Chairman Bruce Sterling. Tho result
showed how surprisingly strong McAdoo
was with the Pennsylvanians it con-
frmed the forecast sent in these
dispatches yesterday. 1t must have
given the attorney general food for
deep thought and is certain to have
q reflection In his course. of action after
the early complimentary balloting.
Once it is seen that Palmer cannot
attract additional strength. the break
will come. The attorney general is in
a curious position. AS one Of the lead :
ing members of the Wilson admins
tration he will find it awkward to op =
pose any course dictated from the White
House beyond standing as a candidate
for the nomination himself, which, of
course, he has an unquestioned right
to do. That is where he is on delicate
ground. Report generally credits Palmer
with membership in or Mt least an un :
derstanding with the anti McAdoo coali- =
tion, which includes the old line bosses
like Murphy, of Tammany Taggart. of
Indiana; Brennan. of Illinois. and Cox,
Of Ohio.
Word was carried to the group
caucuses that this coalition. including
the votes of Pennsylvania. controlled at
least AGO votes. quite enough to hold
up the McAdoo avalanche if they could
be held together. But there's the
pinch. With so many members of the
Keystone crowd champing ~ flop into
maintaining a deadlock over many bal
lots seems remote.
Palmer is not going to antagonize the
administration. He has not done so
at any time during his campaign. and
II the word to jump comes from Wash :
ington, it is easy to see where wise
'policy would force him to land. No
body can criticize him for holding his
delegates to their pledges to him per
sonally as long as he is able. But
trying to shift that solid block of
seventy six, the second highest state
delegation in the convention, would be
quite a different story.
The Pennsylvanians are standing pat
regarding the platform squabble.
Vance Mccormick. the PENNSYLVANIA
representative, while personally a
!, strong prohibitionist. is said to be re :
fecting the views of Palmer and the
majority action of the caucus in pre-
ferring a nOncommittal liquor plank.
This is what Bryan has termed the
''dodger" attitude. but it Is the only
one which can be maintained strategi.
cally with a dozen dripping wet dele
gates and lot of damp ones. to say
nothing of few parched ones.