Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-07-08
PARTY SCH|S|M SEEN
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
IN DEADLOCK S WAKE.
Two Conventions, One Man,
ing Smith and the 9th
er McAdoo, Forecast
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Especial Leased Wire to The Journal.)
lCnnrri0ht 1924

| Especial Leased wire 10 LIE JOuEnui'j
Copyright, 1924
MADISON SQUARE GARDEN,
New York, July 1.-Two conventions
each nominating a candidate-Mc-
| Adoo and Smith-just as the Repub-
! lican party has split with Coolidge
and La Toilette, may be the outcome
! of the deadlock of the Democrats
| here.
The conference committee appoint
ed to labor over Sunday accomplish
ed virtually nothing. Two proposals,
the one representing the method by
which McAdoo hopes to win and
the other representing the strategy
of the anti-McAdoo forces and pa
ticularly the Smith group, were the
outcome.
When these proposals were read
to the convention, it was obvious
that the delegates did not approve,
whereupon Bruce Kremer, of Mon
tana. a McAdoo leader, suggested
that the rules be suspended and that
a new meeting Of the rules commit
tee be held to revise the rules. The
| purpose of it was to secure an aboli-
| ton Of the two-thirds rule and nomi'
nate by a majority vote. The anti
McAdoo delegates recognized the
scheme and it was beaten by
chorus of noes without even roll
! call. I
The convention then started to
vote on the seventy-eighth ballot
amid the groans of many delegates
who saw only a monotonous resump-
ton Of the futile BALLOT last
week.
Little Change III Standing
We little change in the standing
of the leading candidates was re-
rded over the weekend. The
hours were spent in useless confer
zee. The efforts to eliminate both
| McAdoo and Smith came from the
favorite sons. Governor Smith was
| represented as being ready to with
draw though this has been denied
by le his managers. His posi-
ton is that McAdoo must withdraw
frs be beaten. The McAdoo
forces showed themselves obdurate
on the question of withdrawal. The
former secretary of the treasury
told his delegates he would be
traitor if he withdrew after the
splendid fight made by his support
ers.
While the conference proposals
got nowhere, there is no doubt that
both schemes had in them the means
of breaking the deadlock. The sug-
gestion of the anti-McAdoo men, for
instance, called for the releasing of
all delegates who were instructed
No other candidate except McAdoo
would be seriously affected by this,
as he has nearly 400 instructed dele
gates while no other man has more
than fifty or sixty. The humor of
this device was the subject of a bit
VI sd CdSIh ny NIL. L II. LAWS, VI
San Antonio, Texas, who rose in his
seat as the morning session began
and asked the permanent chairman,
Mr.. Walsh, if it was true that D. F.
Houston, former secretary of the
treasury, who hasn't received a vote
in this convention, had agreed to re-
lease the delegates he had under in
struction. This represents the feel
J0Jo
want no plan which merely weakens
their strength and promises no cor
responding opportunity of victory.
McAdOO Plan Offered
The McAdoo counter proposal was
somewhat of a surprise but it was
drafted to prevent McAdoo from be-
ing in the position of singly coAtinu-
ing the deadlock.
He proposed that both the unit rule
in state voting, and the two-thirds
rule be abolished. He has been chal-
lenged by his opponents several times
to propose that. But Mr.. McAdoo ac-
companied it with proviso that the
low man on each ballot be eliminated
!, and that absentees be voted on
proportionate basis by those still
present. The last two suggestions
defeated the whole proposal, for it
takes d tWo-thirds vote here to sus-
pend the rules. All the favorite sons
think they have a chance and they,
together with a few anti-McAdoo
men control more than one-third of
the votes, so no motion could be
passed and the balloting had to be
resumed
The determination of the McAdoo
forces is as great as it was on the
| day the first ballot was taken. They
insist they are fighting for a prin-
ciple and that their opponents come
| from states which never go Demo
cratic in the general elections. Ger
| tainly neither McAdoo nor Smith has
been persuaded that their chance of
victory is gone. Possibly they never
( will. And two conventions might well
take place if things are to be car
ried to their logical conclusions.
IT w n 1IO