Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1920-07-15
MISSOURI AND NEW YORK

what is the dlnerence between
Missouri and New York? According
to traditional democratic principles
there should, politically, be none.
"All men are created equal" There
fore all aggregations of men, called
states, should be equal, in political
rights. So at least they should be,
and would be, in a democratic con-
vention. But in an /, w. w. con-
vention? oh, that's another story!
And so we reach the answer to our
conundrum. The difference is, that
the Missouri Organization" can
have what it wants and the New
York Organization" can't.
1t was this way: The Missouri or
ganization wanted Senator Reed
shut out of the convention. True,
the strongest democratic district in
the state had twice elected him as
its delegate, by unanimous vote.
There was no contesting candidate,
no complaint against the regularity
| of, the election. o. 1t was conceded
! that he was the choice of the dis
trict. But the state committee did
not want him admitted, and that was
all there was about ii. The COM
mittee on credentials decided that
| whatever the state committe said
was law, any mere distric. TO the
contrary Notwithstanding, and the
convention Overwhelmingly ratified
| the decision of the committee. So
democratic United States senator
| from Missouri was denied seat in
democratic national convention.
Then came New York's innings.
The New York organization wanted
the unit rule maintained, 50 tEet all
delegates from that state would vote
for the same candidate, at least un-
til formally released. True, a min
ority of the district delegates object
ed and wanted the rule abrogated, so
that they could vote for Tom, Dick
or Harry if they pleased. But the
state committee stood resolutelv for
the maintenance of the unit rule, in
accordance with ancient practice.
| The principle was precisely the same
as that in the Missouri case, namely,
the supremacy of the state commit
tee over any district organization.
But the convention overwhelmingly
decided that whatever the state
committee said was not law, and
that the individual districts should
have their own way in spite of 1t.
| Which shows that a steam roller
can be run in either direction with
equal facility and effectiveness.
Queer, is 1t? Not bit. OF
course, il was inconsistent But
| consistency is a virtue OF small
minds-pygmy minds, insects, con-
temptible cutters, and the like.
Great minds can reverse themselves
at will; especially when there is
| milk in the cocoanut or a Senegam-
bian concealed in the adjacent wood
| pile. The nub of this particular
matter was that the Lord Of the con-
vention didn't want Senator Reed in
! the convention, and did want the
| New York unit rule smashed; and
that was all there was about it, You
see, Senator Red was in favor of Am
! erica first, against the league of ma
| tions, and might have said things in
the convention which would be en-
barrassng to the rubber stamp COW
| enanters; so he just had to be shut
out. And the majority OF the New
York delegates were against the ad-
ADMINISTRATION and so, II the unit
rule had been maintained, the en-
| tire vote of that state would be cast
| against the administration candi-
date. while IL a go-as-you-please rule
prevailed. few of the delegates. es-
pecially the federal office holders.
might be dragooned into voting for
the administration favorite; so the
unit rule just had to be smashed.
So that's the difference between
missouri and New York. In the one
the dog ways the tail, and in the
ether the tail wags the dog; just as
i, W. w. may happen TO want it.
Simple? Why, in the words OF the
old patter song, "It's just as trans
parent as GLASS;"