Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-07-04
STEADY GAINS PUT COX
AHEAD OF OPPONENTS.
Sixteen Futile Ballots Cause Recess DESPITE
Opposition of Leaders for
OhiOan.
Bv the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
AUDITORIUM. San Francisco. July
S.-After sixteen futile ballots to f1no
presidential nominee the demo-
cratic national convention took its first
recess after having been in session eight
continuous hours. during which it
disposed of ballots at the rate OF
thirty minutes each. resuming again al
IS o'clock in the evening.
Recess was taken under protest OF
the Cox people, who were trying to
avoid it. The Palmer people and the
McAdoo people welcomed it, for 1t
gave them opportunity to confer and
strengthen their lines.
Senator Harrison of Mississippi,
one of the leaders for the Cox can
didacy. tried to hold the convention
in session, but the delegates were
tired. hungry and sick of balloting,
and to all practical purposes the con-
vention was in recess before the clerk
finished calling the roll to decide the
question. for the delegates were
piling through the doors in noisy
hubbub- long before Chairman Rob-
inson had opportunity to announce
that the recess resolution had been
carried by 619 votes in favor of it to
ASS against it.
All through the sixteen ballots Gov.
Cox had made steady gains until he
had taken the lead from McAdoo and
was heading toward a majority.
Then on the last ballot of the session
the sixteenth-John W. Davis,
American ambassador to Great
Britain, whose votes from West Vir-
ginia had been standing steady all
day, suddenly doomed up with new
strength which he drew from all
others. He figured in the center OF
the dark-horse talk.
Administration Fears Cox.
The language of the parleys be-
tween McAdoo and Palmer was in ef-
feet Now that you've stopped Nc
Adoo help US stop Cox" Administra-
ton leaders who saw the Cox boom
growing in the convention made no
secret of their fear of its proper
tionS.
Chairman Glass of the resolutions
committee, who spoke for President
Wilson in the framing of the party
platform. declared in talking with
friends that it must not be Cox" and
when asked what would happen II
COX got the majority OI Tie CoHSCA-
ton, and according to custom the
expected two-thirds vote. Glass re-
piled that Champ Clark had a ma
jority at Baltimore" How Mr.. Clark
had a majority but failed of nominal
ton is only recent political history.
Several things seemed to stand out
above the. noise and ciamor and dis
comfort OF the days balloting.
Glacial Movement Fails.
hn 70 Cf
that the McAdoo movement had not
taken on the glacial movement
which it's boomers had predicted for
it, and that the Cox people, who were
opening very discouraged a day or
two ago. picked up and made con-
slant and consistent gains which
amazed their opponents and the con-
vention.
The Palmer vote dwindled away,
much to the dismay of the Pennsylva-
mans. who Loyalty stood by the At
torney General all the way through.
The recess, while ostensibly for din
ner. really gave the opposing forces
their much needed opportunity to
find some sort of common meeting
ground Outwardly there was little
prospect of a get-together movement
between the three leaders. and the
general indications were that the sue
cessfu1 forces would be obliged to
concentrate on a dark horse
Davis Best Dark Horse.
Davis, in view of his rising vote.
had the edge on the dark-horSe posi-
ton when the convention reaSsembled.
Chairman Cummings was not entire
" out of consideration. Franklin ID.
Roosevelt, assistant secretary OF the
Navy, was being discussed among the
New York delegates as possibility
for the vice presidential nomination.
AS an administration man 1T was ar
pued that he would command admins
1ration backing for whatever candl-
date the New York delegatloh "ouIo
support 1t was also reported in con-
yention circles that Mr.. Davis was
the second choice of William G. Nc
Adoo.
McAdoo led the gains on the first
ballot of the day. but the predicted
Most of the original votes stood fast
North Carolina furnished. the first
break to McAdoo. the delegates
swinging from Senator Simmons. The
change was expected.
ON the fourth the solid Nebraska
vote for Hitchcock broke. some going
to McAdoo and Meredith and Owen.
Nevada switched her six from Cox
TO McAdoo.
The Gerard block in South Dakota
broke, most of them going to Palmer:
The fourth ballot still found McAdoo.
Palmer and Cox leading.
All three of the leaders gained
throughout the ballot. The unofficial
McAdoo gain was 15k; Palmer. 2k f;
Cox, 1.
On the fifth indiana broke to Cox
with seventeen. Iowa broke to Palm
er with twenty-siX under thc unit
rule.
McAdoo and Cox made all the gains
up to the fifth ballot. with Palmer
losing strength. The unofficial stand
ing of the three leaders on .''e fifth
ballot was McAdoo. 357; Palmer. PA;
Cox, ISL.
During the calling of the seventh
New York ca cused and broke to Cox
with 6S, gave MctGoo 16 and scat
tered the others. The delegation
swung entirely from Smith. The ac-
ton kicked up a great rdmpus, for
the change in the big state was po-
tential.
The delegates working for the COM
bination against McAdoo licked up
great demonstration in which the
standards of New Jersey. Indiana,
Mississippi, KentU~ky. Ohio and
demonstration of slide to anybody
New Jersey Breaks to Cox.
New Jersey also broke to Cox
throwing him twenty-five from thu
block that had been cast solidly fol
Edwards 1t threw the convention
hall into tumult again. He'll bea
Harding in Ohio" was the cry tina
rung through the convention hall
Three of New Jerseys votes went t.
McAdoo.
The changes on the seventh ballo
showed Cox gained one hundred ant
one-half votes. McAdoo gained ffteel
and half votes and Palmer gained
This nut Cox in second DlaCt