Evening star., 1920-01-04
DEMOCRATIC CHIEFS
/ RESENT ACTIVITIES
'OF BRYAN'S FRIENDS
Attempt to "Pack" Jackson
Day Dinner Against Him
Alleged.
ADMINISTRATION MEN
WANTED HIM TO SPEAK
Nebraskan Held Innocent: May
Make Announcement National
Committee Plans.
BY ". o. MESSENGER.

Bryan's friends to spread the report
that the democratic national commit
tee has sought to pack" the Jackson
day dinner with administration sup
porters and restrict the prominent
guests to men inmical to Mr..
Bryan are causing resentment in ad-
ministration and national committee
circles 1t is not believed here that
the propaganda has the sanction OF
Mr.. Bryan. but is the work of over
Jealous lieutenants intent upon max
ing trouble and seemingly place MI
Bryan in the role of martyr.
1t is stated authoritatively that the
only request made of Chairman Gum
mings by any one intimately close 10
the administration was that Mr.
BRYAN should surely be invited 10
sneak at the dinner. Mr.. Bryan him
self knows this to be true. II is de-
clared.
Bryan Announcement Looked For.
1t is thought not unlikely that Mr..
Bryan will find it expedient ana IN
the interest of fair play to make an
announcement repudiating the sus-
gestion that he has been the victim
of attempted discrimination upon an
occasion so notably democratic as the
Jackson day dinner, made more con-
spicuous this year by the fact that IL
is being held under the auspices or
the democratic national committee,
which during the interim of cam
paigns is representative Of the whole
democratic party and not the instru-
ment of any man or faction
Some democrats here think that the
significance of the Jackson day din
ner with respect to its bearing on
the fortunes of candidates has been
overplayed; that, in fact. the object
of the national committee in taking
over the arrangements was to put the
soft pedal on personal ambitions
Committee to Meet January s.
The forthcoming meeting of the ma
tional committee is attracting atten-
ton. Chairman Cummings is already
here. and other bigwigs of the party
organization will be dropping in early
| this week. The committee will meet
at the Shoreham Hotel Thursday.
January s, at o'cloGk----Chairman
Cummings will make report OF mis-
stewardship since the last meeting.
| and will have a gratifying tale to tell
Of the educational work and propa-
ganda of the national committee in
! the interim.
Selection of time and place for hold
ing the national convention will be
the main business in hand. The con-
test among cities will rest with Chi
cago. Kansas City and San Francisco.
St. Louis, having dropped out OF the
running. will back Kansas City. David
r. Francis of st. Louis will be here to
speak for Kansas City. Financial as
surances will have deciding weight in
the choice of the city, 1t is thought.
The committee. in executive session.
will ask the boomers to produce"
and will decide according to the show
ing made.
"Two-Thirds" Rule to Come Up.
1t is expected that the famous two
thirds rule, the standing rule of the
! party, which requires two-thirds to
| nominate the presidential ticket. will
come in for unofficial discussion, al
though the point will be made that
| the committee has no authority in the
premises. the subject being solely
within the jurisdiction of the con-
vention's delegates. National Com
mitteeman A. f. Mullen of Nebraska
is the chief advocate for abolition OF
the two-thirds rule.
The two-thirds rule had its incep-
tion in 1882, at the democratic con-
vention held in Baltimore. when the
committee on rules reported the fol-
| lowing resolution:
That each state be entitled. in the
nomination to be made of candi-
date for the vice presidency, TO num-
ber of votes equal to the number TO
which they will be entitled in the
election colleges. under the new ap-
portionment. in voting for President
and Vice President: and that two
thirds of the whole number of the
votes in the convention shall be nee
essary to constitute ii choice"
Andrew Jackson was renominated
for President without opposition and
Martin Van Buren for Vice President.
In the succeeding election Van Buren,
was unanimously nominated for PreSi-
dent, and the two-thirdS rule was in
voked to nominate Richard NJ John
son of Kentucky for Vice President
The democrats met again at Balti-
more in "1S44. and the first day and
half of the session We're devoted TO
wranSling over the two-thirds rule;
but it was adopted, and has applied
ever since, although frequent attempts
have been made to abrogate II.
Unit Rule May BE Discussed.
Another tradition of the democratic
party which may come in for discus
sion by the national committee is
the once time-honored but lately
preached unit rule" the rule by
which state delegations to national
conventions cast the vote of the dele
cation as a whole in conformity with
the will of a majority of the dele
gates. That rule ran along with the
two thirds rule. In the convention
of 1912, which nominated Mr.. Wilson.
a dent was made in it, in order TO
allow the Ohio delegation to divide its
vote.
for the presidential nomination, had
carried the state over Gov. wilson
by about 10000. and. in accordance
with custom under the unit rule, ONO
would have cast its whole vote for
Harmon. But some pro-Wilson dele
gates had been chosen, and, further
more. Ohio had a law providing for
the election of delegates by districts
A minority report to the rules was
brought in by Representative Henry OF
Texas, exempting from the unit rule
the delegations of such states as had
by statute provided for the selection
of delegates and lad not subjected
them to the authority of the state
committee or convention of the party
The minority report was adopted and
on the first ballot for nomination oil
President Ohio cast ten votes TOR
Wilson, thirty-five for Harmon and oriU
for Champ Clark instead Of giving the
whole vote to Harmon.
1t is the province OF the national
committee in calling a national coIr-
veention to prescribe how delegates
shall be chosen subject to state
laws, and 1t is assumed that in the
call to be issued at this meeting or
the national committee the precedent
of 1912 will be followed and states
will be allowed to split their votes II
I,r 10