Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-07-02
Conference Tonight of State
Chairmen Held Only SoIu-
ton of Deadlock.
HATE between McADOO
AND SMITH CAUSES JAM
Lack of Real Boss to Yank Stub.
born Candidates Out Also Found
Source of Trouble.
BY n. o. MESSENGER
STAFF Correspondent of The Star.

BY n. o. MESSENGER
STAFF Correspondent of The Star.
NEW YORK, July 2.-Leaders to-
day began to look about for some
means of breaking the deadlock and
one definite plan came under con-
sideration.
1t was suggested, that if the bal
lotirg rides along today without
showing any really important breaks.
some leader who is neutral as be-
tween McAdoo and Smith should in
vite meeting of the chairman of all
the delegations after adjournment
and put down the proposition that
1T is time to consider the interests
of the Democratic party; who is your
second choice?"
1t was argued that by this means
some concensuS of opinion could be
obtained as to the strength of the
dark-horses and shed a light upon the
situation.
Cause OF Deadlock.
What is the cause of the deadlock
in the Democratic national convention"
There are two answers to this
question. The first is that two prin-
Dental nominate hate each other.
Each thinks he alone is the Moses of
the party and that he only can lead
the Democratic hosts out of the
wilderness. Personal pride and jeal-
ousy forbid either from yielding to
argument suggesting making his
own fortunes secondary to the party
welfare and permit a compromise
candidate to be selected, notwith-
standing it seems to be evident by this
time that neither can get two thirds
of the convention.
The second cause is that there is
no dominant boss of the party who
can tear two combatants from the
death clinch in which they are now
engaged and lead the body of the
delegates to the choice of a compro-
mise candidate. Even Boss Murphy,
had he lived, would not have been
able to do that. David B. Hill, were
he here, would have done it ere now.
Bryan Bosses Negatively.
There is only one really potent boss
on the scene, William J. Bryan. He
is not a constructive boss. He is veto
boss. He commands a following which
can say "Thou shall not" but lacking
the power to say Thou must do this"
The unit rule is also operating to
hold the deadlock fast. This is the
rule by which a majority of the dele
gates from a state can cast the en-
tire vote of the state. 1t is known
that in nearly every delegation SEN
timent is divided among several can
didates, but the minority is delivered
against it's preferences to the tender
mercies of the ma ajority and are made
mere pawns in the game.
For a short time after the conven-
tion adjourned yesterday brief hope
of a break in the deadlock was Of
fered in the announcement that the
Ohio delegation would caucus lmme-
diately 1t was thought this might
portend that Ohio was going to drop
Gov. Cox and start a movement for
some candidate in which other states
might join.
Ohio Holds for Cox.
But the Buckeye state delegates in
caucus just marched up the hill and
then down again-settled back under
the Cox banner.
The day opened with no outward
evidence of anything having hap
pened during the night since adjourn
ment which would offer a prospect Of
| breaking the deadlock. The dele
gates looked forward with Micawber-
thing might turn up" on the hrst
| ballot; they could not suggest what 1t
might be.
In the search for a compromise
candidate with whom to break the
deadlock the seekers find themselves
Handicapped. with limitations upon the
| choice. He must not be wet. he
must not be klansman, he must not
| be from the south, he must be from
| the west and, above all other con-
| siderations, he must be a genuine
progressive. These requirements rule
out one man after another as their
| names are suggested.
One name which Is being put
! forward with some insistency is that
| Of a former Secretary of Agriculture,
once a member of President Wilson, s
| cabinet. The fact that he is not
formally in nomination does not
| matter.
Progressive Demanded.
| Mr.. Bryan keeps drumming away
on his dominant note of the necessity
of nominating progressive-a Bryan
| type of progressive, to be sure. Hold
ing no expectation of getting the
nomination for himself. he is intent
| upon putting his wise on the man
who may be chosen. 1t was Mr..
Bryan who nipped in the bud the
blossoming boom for John w. DAVIS
yesterday. Like q bed of early June
peas, the Davis boom encountered
an unexpected frost
The Underwood leaders are still
| maintaining a bold front, although
they do not feel as confident as they
talk. 1t is suspected their apparent
hopefulness is based mainly on ex-
| pectation of a possible miracle OF
some support from Smith when the
break comes. There again looms the
portentuous specter of William J.
Bryan, to whom Senator Underwood