New-York tribune., 1920-06-25
fou Shows VETS Would
BE Short 100 Votes
:" Earry' Proposition
o. Convention Floor
Iryan Placed ON
Resolutions Board
McAdoo Boom Continues
to Grow; Vice-President
Marshall Reaches Scene
By Carter Field

By Carter Field
SAN FRANCISCO, June pa
Charles F. Murphy and Governor Al
Smith ran into a stone wall to-dsy
when they began canvassing the ST.
uation with regard to a moist plank.
They were encouraged little BY Ma
tional Committeeman Norman e.
Mack, whose frank statement Is that
II the convention is going before the
country on a dry platform the only
logical candidate is William Jens
nings Bryan.
Var. Mack adds that no plank at
al is equivalent to a dry plank.
Smith and Murphy encountered some
enthusiasts, such as THEODORE Bell,
who have counted up $40 votes for
moist plank on the floor Of the con-
vent1on. A canvass in which tia
Tribune correspondent has consider
ably more confidence, indicates that
the vets are 100 votes shy ok a ma
jority for any plank which has even
suspicion Of moisture. Incidental.
ly, every canvasser puts down New
York as 80 wet, and that in itself is
debatabe statement.
George r. Lunn. of Schenectady. de-.
clared today that he would never con-
sent to bs counted. either wet or for
any other candidate than William a
McAdoo. under the unit rule. Lunn
contends that the decision on the un,t
rule Of the Democratic convention Of
1912 Was made when the New York
delegates were selected by a state con.
kvention.
Division on Unit Ruis
Incidentally on the question u
counting New York as ninety votes for
3 moist plank, the decision on the
issue would have to be made first hv
the Chairman Of the convention. and Il
is not thought any chairman would be-
eager to make an obviously wet de-
cisioI, especially as both the temporary
and permanent chairmen are dark
nortes, who are being frequently men
tios'ed as possibilities for the big prize.
q majority Of the Empire State deIe-
gates of course are wet, but the case
ls important because the vets alwavs
Count the 90 votes straight wet with
Put qualification, whereas there should
be several "ifs" and "provideds" In
such an estimate. Norman Mack thinks
there are not more that five or six dry
votes in the delegation, even If the
unit rule should be broken, but while
dqlpOQfinn ie nn< knr
are some New Workers here who know
tn delegation fairly we'll. and who do
not believe the dry strength 10 any
thing like that small.
Once they get away from the unit
rule, and it can be published how a
man has voted" Mr.. Lunn said. "you
may rest assured that the individual
delegates are going to vote wet or dry
according to the sentiment of their
districts, for the most prst. Ny dis
trict. went 10000 for Whitman in =
straight wet and dry fight against Al
Smith"
Murphy; Smith and Mack paid their
respects in formal call on Chairman
Cummings this afternoon. during their
canvass TO find out the possibilities Of
q moist plank.
Bryan Gains Point
Another little jol. received BY the
vets to-day was a change in the Ne
braska delegation which insures viii.
liam Jennings Bryan going or the
Resolutions Committee, which will draft
the platform and, Of course, deal with
the moist plank. 1t has been conceded
from the frst that the vets would
have no hope in the Resolutions Com
mittee and would have to depend on ap-
pealing to the floor of the convention
to reverse the committee. But every
little change is recognized as impor-
tant, so there was interest in the In
formation that the Nebraska delega-
this committee to seven against.
When the moist plank appeal Is made
to the floor, canvass showed. the Nc
braska delegation Will stand eight wet
and eight dry. This is not an indica-
tion of Bryan's strength in the delega~
tion. For instance, on governments
ownership the delegation stands II to q
against. and government ownership 10
one of Brysn's hobbies.
The occasional disauieting shoutsr
for third term for President Wilson,
among them Miss Mary E. Foye. Of
+ Pasadena one of California; delegates-
at-large, who insists that she will vote
for the President, has caused some
speculation as to whether the President
could force the convention to give him
a third term if he wanted it.
One national committeeman declared
that the President could scarcely get
a vote from the big delegations from
New York, New Jersey, Indiana. His
nois or Nebraska.
McAdoo Tide at Flood
The McAdoo tide is continuing to run
at food. after the brief ebb last Fris
day. VIXEN so many managers Of anx-
ious aspirsnts for his delegates tried
to write him off the slate altogether.
Thomas B. Love. national committee-
man from Texas. said to-day that the
forty votes of the Lone Star State dele
gates, who with those of Pennsylvania,
stood for Wilson in 1912 despite tho
rising Clark strength. would be cast
soidly for McAdoo as long as theirs
was n chance Of his nomination. "We
are going through for McAdoo." he
sa id.
Senator Fat Harrison. of Mississippi
declared on his arrival here that his
staie convention nuJ shnvp MORA m