New-York tribune., 1920-06-30
Threat Made
OF Defeat i'm
Missouri
Tammany Leaders Also
Fear Arbitrary Tactics
May Cost Election of
Governor and Senator
Situation Revives
Third Term Talk
Suspicion Felt That Pro-
longed Deadlock Will
Make Wilson Nominee
By Carter Field

1s40MO w NhSOIk 1\OIl1l1lNV
By Carter Field
SAN FRANCISCO, June 90
Hopelessly outnumbered, supporters
of Senator James A. Reed were
ground beneath the Administration
steam roller to-day. The vote in the
Credentials Committee, about 3
o'clock this morning, was 80 to 0
against giving the Missouri Senator
a seat. SO crushed were the friends
of Reed that when the committee re-
port was being railroaded through
the convention this afternoon there
was not enough fight left for them
to insist on a roll call.
What was Interpreted as frank
threat that Missouri would go for
Harding this fall and elect a Repub-
lican Senator was hurled at the con-
vention by Joseph B. Shannon, of
Kansas City, who is now the only
delegate from the 5th Missouri Dis
trict.
Shannon's Protest Stihed
Shannon sprang to his feet when
the motion was maze by California
Administration man, Hugo K Ash
er secretary of tho Credentials Com
mittee, that the report of the COM
mittee be adopted
81 want to make a protest. he
began, and then hcdlam ensued.
"Send jim Reed back to Ger
many." shrieked a voice from the
Pennsylvania delegation.
'Platform!" "Platform," screamed
others, anxious to hear how Kansas
City would take the blow
After considerable turbulence Shan
non mounted the rostrum. although
he could scracely speak clear SEN
tence not interrupted by cheers, Kisses.
catcalls and screams for him to go
right back TO Missouri and stay there
Il want to make formal objection"
Shannon said, after repeated appeals
from Chairman Cummings for the CON
vention to give Shannon a hearing,
Ito any committee, any state conven-
tion or the national convention coming
into the 18th Missouri District and tell
ing US whom we have TO elect to rep
resent US. The 5th District is the
banner Democratic district Of the
state. Two years ago, when the Presi-
pN 70 oc 10
gress, our district responded to the
tune of $4,000 majority. while the rest
of the state went Republican by $4,000
majority and elected Republican
United States Senator. This conven-
tion and the state convention par
ticularly say TO us that we cannot elect
a man as delegate simply because he
disagreed with some one on a oues-
tion which was not even thought OF
four years ago when the Democratic
National Convention was held.
Promises to Report to People
Il am going back to Missouri
at this point there was a tremendous
outcry for him to go at once and to
"send Reed back to Germany"
"And report to our people that the
fused to seat the man unanimously
elected by the banner Democratic dis
trict of the state" Shannon added.
Then he bowed and left the platform,
and the cheers and Kisses made a dem
onstration lasting several minutes.
Shannon was cheered noticeably by the
Massachusetts. New York and Illinois
delegates, while the most intense re
sentiment against Reed seemed to come
from the Pennsylvania delegates.
The Tammany men were in bad
hIl at ha
just been beaten by the Rules Com
mittee, which refused to permit Tam
many to control the Empire State dele
cation. voting "a TO IL against con-
tinuing the unit rule.
New York voted for Reed in the
Credentials Committee, the other
eight states voting TO permit the 5th
Missouri District to select its own dele
gate being New Jersey. Florida, Massa-
and the District of Columbia.
The smashing of the unit rule, which
has been almost foregone conclusion
right along, as told in The Tribune,
although II seemed to come as a sur
prise to the Tammany crowd. has two
important effects. In the first place
it weakens the element fighting for a
moist plank and against dry plank
by permitting the New York drys TO
WV oNH SouflCLlOES. IN Ine
second place it adds at least twelve,
and probably nearer twenty. McAdoo
votes which otherwise might have been
held in the anti -McAdoo combination.
The decision on the unit rule will NOT
apply to all states, but il virtually re-
stores the ruling on the Ohio case in
1912, when it was held that delegates
elected by districts in primaries could
not be held under the unit rule.
Missouri Believed Lost
The New York situation is not as
serious for the Democratic party as
'hat IN missouri, where many Demo
crats feel that the national convens;nn
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