Evening star., 1924-06-25
TWO-THIRDS RULE
CHANGE Defeated
Texas, Florida and Utah Alone
Back Move for Picking Can
didates by Majority.
UNIT VOTING IS IGNORED
Nominating Speeches Will Precede
Platform Report.

by the hbeocldteu fresS-
NEW YORK. June -25.-Proposals
for sabolishing the time-honored two
thirds rule for making nominations in
Democratic conventions were killed
last night by the rules committee
when 1t turned down coldly propo-
sition submitted by Texas that ma
jority rule De substituted.
The proposition that the custom
be changed drew support from only
two other states, Florida and Utah.
The member from Texas did not urge
his motion with any degree of vigor.
and announced that 1t was submitted
only because his delegation was un-
der instructions to do so from the
Texas state convention. His delega-
ton, he said, would not bring the
question to the floor.
The committee discussed at some
length the subject of bringing in a
rule to cover the subject OF unit
votes among delegations. but finally
disposed of 1t by leaving 1t altogether
out of it's report.
The past order Of procedure was
changed to allow for nominating
speeches ahead OF the platform re-
port, the rules committee foreseelng
a long-drawn-out fight in the. plat
form committee over number or
the planks.
Objects to Change.
There was considerable objection
to departing from precedent in this
regard, especially on the part of Lew
Ellingham Of Indiana, who was elect
ed chairman, on the grounds that it
constituted a discourtesy to the plat
form committee. Mr.. Ellingham de-
clared that nominations might be put
first by the convention itself which
could suspend the rules in the event
the platform report was delayed, but
this view was overruled by those
who said they were certain the re-
port would come in late. and that the
rules committee might as we'll reoog-
nize that fact.
The procedure decided on for rec
omm endation by the rules committee
today is as follows:
Report of the credentials COM
mittee.
2-Report of the committee on
permanent organization.
3-Ratifcation of members, of the
new Democratic national com 1ittee,
except that all contests shall be left
to the new committee itself.
4-Presentation of names of can
didates for President.
5-Report of platform committee,
and action on report.
REPRESENTATION of names of can
didateS for Vice President, and bal
loting for Vice President
8-Presentation of miscellaneous
motions and resolutions.
Half Hour for Speeches.
At the suggestion of members who
expressed the fear that the oonven-
ton will be long one the commit
tee recommended that all spe eeches in
general debate be limited to thirty
minutes, and that all seconding
speeches be limited to five minutes.
A proviso was added that this rule
might be changed by unanimous con-
sent Of the convention. A proposal
to limit nominating speeches drew
little support
Although there was almost an en-
tire lack of sentiment for changing
the two thirds rule, there was conSid-
erable support for making it apply
80 that to nominate a candidate a
full two-thirds vote of all accredited
delegates would be necessary, but
this proposal was dropped when it
was argued that no body of delegates.
II they left the convention, should be
permitted thus to tie UP the procedure.
It was declared, too. that to require
a two-thirdS vote of all accredited
delegates would be A distinct depart
ure from customary parliamentary
procedure, and that such thing
might be held to be Illegal.
Although the question Of unit rule