The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-07-01
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SLIPS Do OCCUR
That is the Way RickeySn-
es Up the Situa-
ton. (
70 DAVIS
Delegates Say He is not Well
Enough Known in the
Country.
By n. N. RlCkEY.

(Snecial Dispatch to West Vtrglnlan.
SAN FRANCISCO, July Twenty
| four hours before Harding was De
clared The nominee Of the Chicago
| convention there probably were mol
! lhalf a dozen people IN the United
( States who thought he had 9 chance
| OF being nominated. Eight years age
at Baltimore, after Champ CLARK hac
secured a majority vote It was gen
erally thought that It was only aques.
ti6n Of a short time until he would
nave the necessary twothirds and be
nominated. Wilson's coup was as
surprising as 1t was dramatic and up
sci all Democratic tradition and
/ precedent. From Andrew JaeEsonS
day the twothird rule has Obtained
at; Democratic conventions but until
| 1912 no candidate who had succeeded
in getting q majority had failed 70
get the twofhlrds Twenty. four yeaft
sg0sst Chtcagost tke:: perSag iyha s1plld
itveutwfoir hours before the event
would have been considered 100 crazy
to be at large.
These are the three exceptions dur
Ing the last quarter century % The
rule that both parties nominate the
expected candidate. It is about Q
seventy five-twenty five proposition
sayenty.fiye for the expected and
twenty-five for the unexpected.
The expected at this convention
within forty-eight hours Of the bal
loting is McAdoo-and yet he would
be a bold man who would say thai
the possibilities Of the unexpected dc
not exist.
It does not require q very great
strain on the imagination to visualize
a Democratic ticket this year 50 differ
ent from any that has been cunsid
cred within the possibilities, that ever
Harding's nomination will not have
been more surprising.
The anti.administration leaders ano
the managers Of the candidates other
than McAdoo are striving desperately
to pledge more than o third Of the
delegates to vote for anybody but Nc
Adoo first, last and all the time They
are claiming success, statement from
one headquarters putting the last
ditch opposition to McAdoo at $50
votes or nearly a hundred more than
necessary.
The strength Of the McAdoo posi-.
ton Is that up to now the opposition
has not been able TO get beyond the
negative stage. Without a doubt
there are a lot Of delegates who are
not keen to have McAdoo nominated
There may be considerable more than
third of the total in this class, bu;
after all Is said and done the conven'
ton must nominate somebody and
YOU can't defeat somebody with no
body. The McAdoo people are basing
their hopes very largely upon the
inability OF the opposition to agree
upon and stick to a candidate As
suming that because OF Palmef's aG'
mitted weakness as . candidate and
Cox's unfortunate situation because
Of the hostility OF the drys neither o:
them can hold the line against Nc
Adoo. The only other answer is
dark horse and when you speak Of
dark horses the McAdoo people laugh
merrily and say that there Is not one
in the lot who has any chance against
their hero.
"How about Davis Of West vir.
ginia," you suggest? Nobody knows
him." they answer. well Marshall,
then you persist. Hes a hunorist,'
they say, mot in the presidential
class"
Carter Glass and Owen are elimi.
mated because they are from the South
and Meredith Is put In the unknown
class along with Davis.
And yet you cannot help thinking Of
Harding and Chicago. Wilson and Bal
timore. Bryan and Chicago. And also
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