Evening star., 1924-07-07
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Naryland and Virginia.
All Other States.
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McAdoo Offers a Swap.

Mr.. McAdoo yields to harmony over
lures at the New York convention.
That is to say. he yields on the unit
rule provided the opposition yields on
the two-thirds rule. Such is his answer
10 the proposals advanced by the
peace commissioners named Saturday.
on the other hand. all of the other
candidates for whom votes have been
cast in the convention have signed an
agreement releasing all delegates from
any pledge, instruction or obligation
of any nature whatsoever in so far as
their candidacy for the nomination is
concerned. This agreement, of course,
Ia contingent upon every candidate
signing it. Inasmuch as MIR. McAdoo
has refused TO sign it, save upon the
conditions mentioned, il fails to be ef-
fective.
1t is claimed by supporters of Gov.
Smith that at least 100 delegates who
wish to vote for him are blanketed in
the delegations that have been voting
Solidly for McAdoo under the unit
rule. Undoubtedly that rule has oper-
ated to McAdoo's advantage. He is
willing. however, to sacrifice that ad-
vantage for the sake of the majority
rule. His highest vote since the con-
Vention opened up to resumption OF
the balloting today has been 530-on
the sixty-ninth ballet. That is 202 less
than two-thirds of tie full convention
and 20 less than an actual ma jority of
all the votes. If. as the Smith people
claim, 100 Smith votes are covered up
under the unit rule, McAdoo grees vir.
tually to sacrifice that many votes,
bringing him down to 430 on the
basis OF rs highest mark. and advanc.
ing Smith to 46S on the basis of the
highest vote thus far cast for him-on
the seventhysixth ballot This as
sumes that there are no McAdoo votes
blanketed in the delega tons voting
solidly for Smith.
1t would seem to be rather a sport.
ing proposition on the part of the Cali
fornia candidate to scrap the unit rule
for the sake of the ma jority rule, if, as
releasing 100 votes to his chief rival
and putting the latter in the lead. On
that basis McAdoo would have to ga in
120 votes and Smith would need only
81 to reach the ma jority point. But
this, of course, would be contingent
upon the Smith claim of 100 votes now
covered in McAdoos voting delega-
tions under the unit rule.
Mr.. McAdoo cannot be called an alb.
solute obstructionist if these computa-
tions are correct. To be sure he has
proposed the abrosation Of the basic
principle of Democratic nominatin z
conventions, the traditional two-thirds
rule. But he has been fighting that for
long time. He is not inconsistent.
therefore, in proposing it now. 1t is
true that he accompa MES his proposal
with further condition that each of
the delegates present from each state
shall be entitled to cast his pro rata
Of the vote Of all the delegates from
such states as may have delegates alb
sent from the convention. and that
after each ballot the candidate receiv-
ing the lowest number of votes shall
be dropped from the roll successfully
until a nomination is made. These,
however, are immaterial considera
tions compared with the unit and two
thirds rules.
Rejection Of the McAdoo proposal is
likely. and therefore the prospect is
that the convention will! continue its
weary round of ballots, with no relief
in sight for itself or the country