The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-06-24
RALSTON Takes
DARK HORSE
LEAD
Hoosier Candidate Looms as
Smith Forces Virtually
Admit Defeat

Admit Defeat
D Continued from First Page)
mony and unity during the cam
paign.
u Three Controversial Issucs.
The platform fighting over y trio
OF controversial issues-the Ku
Klux Khan, the League Of Nations,
and prOhibitio bitter enough.
But the fight for the nomination
is worse. While william @. Nc.
AdOo and Governor AL Smith occupy
the center ring of this Garden cir
Gus with their private duel, Q dozen
smaller fights are In progress
throughout the arena, any one of
which may produce the man Of
destiny who will emerge from this
convention and seek to heal the
wounds that are being inflicted here.
Developments just prior to the
formal opening OF the convention
in Madison Square Garden did but
little to change the situation affect
ing a score Of candidates.
McAdOO Fighting Hard.
With his back TO the wall and
fighting, back yIciously against
charges and accusations, McAdOo
sought today to retain the lead he
has built up by months OF inten-
sive organization and preparation.
He Is assured Of some $50 votes
from the South and West In the
early baIlotlng, his exact strength
being dependent upon 1avorite son
sh0wings, and how tightly he can
keep his breaking lines together.
Smith Close Behind.
Close behind him. and making
undesirable progress, Is Governor
Smith. With the nucleus Of his
strength found in the great indus
trial centers Of the North and
mid West, New York, Massachus.
sets, Pennsylvania, Illinois, New
Jersey, Wisconsin and Minnesota,
the New York governor Is certain
of approximately 800 votes In the
early bailoting. This strength is
of the rock-ribbed and bitter-end
variety.
And trailing these pace makers
run a full score OF candidates
John w. Davis, Of West Virginia;
Samuel M, Ralston, Of Indiana;
Oscar w. Underwood, Of Alabama,
being the leaders among them,
each assured Of anywhere from
fifty to seventy-fiYe votes In the
early balloting, and each possessed
Of potential strength greatly in
excess Of these figures.
Others Further Back.
Still further back in the haze OF
distance loom the others-David +.
Houston, Of Texas and New York;
Carter Glass. oe Virginia; Joe 4.
Robinson, Of Arkansas; Charles W.
Bryan, Of Nebraalfa; Albert c.
Richie. Of Maryland; Thomas F.
Walsh, Of Montana: william 3.
Dever, Of Chicago: James N. Cox,
Of Ohio; Newton D. Baker, Of Ohio;
Jonathan NJ. Davis, OF Kansas; Ed.
win T. Meredith Of Iowa; Royal 8.
Copeland. Of New York, and others.
Etin AnybOdy's RAGS.
Out OF the weller OF claims and
counter claims, charges and counter.
charges there doomed today the un.
contestable fact that It IL still any.
body's race.
Heartened by the ferocity Of the
fight. between the leaders, McAdOo
and Smith, the hackers Of every fnv.
orite son and dark horse in the list
have laid their lines and their plans
for q long fight.
II they but stick they may win.
That ID their philosophy. They en-.
vision McAdoo and Smith fighting
50 savagely that neither viii possess
the reserve strength sufficient to
get the two-thirds majority neces.
sary TO nominate.
McAdoo II faced with a tremen-
dous task to retain his lead. His
delegates are being subjected to
constant ana unceasing assault by
the Smith forces, and In some cases
the latter have made distinct gains.
The center Of the Smith attack
has been launched against three
delegations whose votes are essen.
tial to the McAdoo cauSe-Mis.
souri,, Iowa and Ohlahoma-who
have a combined total Of 80 votes.
These States have been confidently
claimed for McAdoo under the unit
rule.
Yet so persistent has been the
Smith assault on these delegations
that the McAdoo managers have
been hard put In the last ~ hours
to retain control.
Each delegation caucussed and
in each there was fight. Smith
men and Davis men demanded the
abrogation Of the unit rule in
these delegations. In the end the
McAdoo managers emerged vic
torious, but by margins SO narrow
that 1t is problematical, according
to Smith and Davis managers how
long the Californian can retain his
control.
Some predicted three ballots, some
six and there was q general i'm.
preston that unless McAdoo can
20 over quickly, within the first
ten ballots, his strength win be
slapped in these important States,
and the delegations ny in different
directions.
McAdoo's Progress Slow.
McAdoo appears to have made
but little progress since the army
Of delegates arrived on the battle
ground, He has been forced to