New Britain herald., 1924-07-01
l7TH FINDS CONN.
 LEANING TO SMITH
Florida Also Gets Into Fight Over
 the Unit Rule

Madison Square Garden, New York, July lon the seventeenth ballot in the democratic national convention today the totals for the leaders stood this way:
 MeAdoo, i3i,b' smith als,bi naNis siI Underwood isi Robinson, $,
 MeAdoo has lost six and liso-fenths; Smith gained [, Davis gained l,
 Connecticut aos-. ta smith
 Connecticut made it smith ls, Ale- Adoo, 2. a loss Of , for McAdoe, 10 smith,
 Michigan made it MeAdoo lgl.i Smith, llgi John N, Davis, I, Cox, T. Underwood, 1,
 MeAdoo lost one there; smith gained two; John N, Davis gained one
 Pennsylvania again divided with the field without making any change,
 south Dakota which had been yot- ing her 10 solidly for MeAdoo, gave one vote 10 Senator Walsh on this ballot. While the voting was going on the Mississippi people trying 10
 
 10 determination to try John ", Davis for time and see how his stock turned out. II was reported they would stay In his column two or three ballots under the unit rule by which 1t was said the Davis peo- pic were holding the delegation by tHo-ihirds Of A vote.
 Wyoming swung its six from Rob inson ot Glass on this ballot.
 Fight For Florida.
 At the end Of inc roll call the clerk went back to poll Florida where inc vote had been challenged. Mean time Tom Taggart visited the Illinois delegation and had some whispered conferences there with George Bren- nan.
 On the Florida poll the first name called was William Jennings Bryan. Bryan wasn't in his seat and his name was passed.
 There was one smith delegate in the Florida lot but the state was un- der the unit rule. Chairman Walsh called for some member of the dele gation 10 come to the platform and explain the contention that the state was under the unit rule. There were howls from the gallery for Bryan.
 John C. Cooper. Jr., of Jacksonville. took the platform 10 contend for the unit rule.
 MT. Cooper recitcd that the delega- ton had been sent pursuant 10 a pri- mary won by McAdoo. He con- C., of any delegate should have no | weight in view of the expressed | preference of the majority of the | democrats of the state.
 Former Governor Gilchrist Of | Florida spoke against the unit rule. | He contended that the same situation | prevailed in 1912 when Florida was pledged to Underwood and two claimed the right to cast their votes for Woodrow Wilson.
 There was no absolute rule in the Florida delegation. he contended, but It was a matter for the conscience of the delegate himself who was re- sponsible to his constituency. Mean lime William Jennings Bryan came In and on learning what had hap pened, rushed to the platform where Bruce Kremer. one of the McAdoo gave him an outline of what had been going on.
 Chairman Walsh gave the ruling hat he did not consider it conceiv- able that the result of the Florida 1 presidential primary could be as the McAdoo people contendod He !; .uled against the contention of the . McAdoo people; holding ''it is mat CT between the delegate and his con |; ,cience.' A similar condition existed in the { tate of Montana, he said, where one , delegate was casting continuing 'ote for Smith.