Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1924-01-24
People Have Little to
Say Nominating Pres.
UNIT RULE MUST DIE TO RE
STORE FRANCHISE TO THE
PEOPLE OF REPUBLIC
BY EDWARD PERCY HOWARD

! BY EDWARD PERCY HOWARD
While the political bosses are whist
ling cheerful airs and seemingly are
CT 1sefree, secretly they are whistling
for courage, for they know to a man
that the end of dictatorial rule IS at
hand.
The entire country is aroused and
back of the movement to abolish the
o-thirds rule and to wipe out the
unit Eule which jointly, for years,
have rendered the expressed voice
of the people so still and small that
it has rarely been heard at all when
the crucial moment sIrrived to nomi>
nate a Presidential candidate.
Like every fundamental reform, the
movement for the killing of the two
thirds G'ule sprang from the country.
The publishers of country newspapers
st to man have pointed out the
iniquity of the existing political sys-
tenn, and action has followed quickly
on the heels of intelligent public un-
derstanding.
When the Democratic National Com
mittee met here in Washington last
week the atmosphere was sur-charged
with the spirit of revolt against the
boss system. Many members of the
committee were bent on making the
abolition of the two-thirds rule and
the unit rule an issue so that such
recommendation might be presented
in the form of resolutions to the Ma
tional Democratic Convention in New
York in June. In this crisis, however,
cooler judgment prevailed. The Com
mittee did not act, but that did not
mean abatement in the determination
to- make the charge. Indeed, suppress
sion Of action only served to make
determination stronger.
The only known reason why the is
sue was not pressed was that such a
move would have appeared as favor
ing the aspirations of certain candi
dates. Those who would have benefit
| ed, possibly thought to make a fight
on the issue would have indicated
weakness and fear of action in con-
vention under the existing system of
control. Those who felt they stood in
| higher favor with the bosses, natural
ly were averse to PRESSING for AZ
Il
change.
1t is not by any means certain, how
ever, that the issue will not be rails
ed on the floor of the convention,
though party leaders seem to feel
such course would be unwise. One
can never tell what will happen, how
ever, once a national convention gets
| into action An apt remark from IGsil
liant orator might set the convention
aflame in an instant and upset the
political apple cart so completely that
| in the scramble the bosses would be
brV~ied in the melee Those who rem
ember the dramatic moment when
| William Jennings Bryan set the coun
/ try wild by warning the people against
.scrucifying the nation on a cross of
gold" will realize how small thing
often will start stampede.
Perhaps the most outspoken of
those who favor an open fight in con-
vention is Representative James F. BY
rnes, of South Carolina, one of the
party LADDERS in the lower house.
There is no sound reason why the
| two-thirds rule shouldn't be abolished
said Mr.. Byrnes. "The only reason /
] have ever heard advanced why it
should endure is the fact that it was
adopted in the day of Jackson. Much
has happened in our national and pol
itical life since that time and the Dem
ocratic party should be party of pro-
gress. Also a party bearing that name
4 shovld be democratic in fact and abide
by the will of a majority. They say
i the South is for the rule because it
gives that section the veto power in
national conventions. | do not believe
this. The party followers of the South
/
are willing to trust their friends of
the North. shall urge the abrogation
of the rule from the floor of the con-
vention"
In private conversation many Demo-
cratic leaders stand for abrogation of
the rule. Homer S. Cummings, of Con-
necticut former national chairman, re-
Elected the average sentiment as fol-
lows:
Il feel the rule should be changed
but, it should be changed at a time
when no candidates are involved and
when the change would neither help
nor hurt any seeking presidential
nomination"