Evening star., 1924-03-09
DEMOCRATS FACE HARD:
TASK PICKING CANDIDATE
Many Ballots May Be Necessary for Selec'
ton of Presidential Nominee as
''Favorites" Are Found Unavailable.

ever, that he has too many enemies |
among the democrats.
Gov. Al Smith of New York is op-
posed in some quarters because he Is
a Catholic and because he is a wet"
Four other governors of states have
been mentioned also-Gov. Silzer of
New Jersey, Gov. Richie of Mary
Bryan of Nebraska. The first two
are wet" Gov. Davis is not nation
ally known and Gov. Bryan would
naturally be considered to bear the
William Jennings Bryan label.
Senatorial Candidates.
The Senate has its list of candi-
dates in addition to Mr.. Underwood.
There are Senator Samuel L. Ralston
of Indiana, Senator Royal S. Copeland
of New York, Senator Joseph T. Rob-
inson of Arkansas, the democratic
leader of the Senate: Senator Ed
wards of New Jersey and Senator
Carter Glass of Virginia, former Sec
retary of the Treasury.
Other democrats who are being
considered as Presidential possibili-
ties include John Barton Payne of
Chicago. former Secretary Of the
Interior; Josephus Daniels of North
Carolina, former Secretary Of the
Navy, Cordell Hull of Tennessee,
chairman of the democratic national
committee; Homer S. Cummings OF
Connecticut, former chairman of the
democratic national committee.
1t is conceivable, of course, that
democrat who has not so far been
mentioned will be selected by the ma
tional convention. Back in 1896. Will
liam Jennings Bryan, by a remark
able oratorical feat, stampeded the
convention and won the nomination.
But conventions are more difficult to
stampede nowadays.
Uninstructed Delegates.
Because of the uncertainty, some of
the democratic leaders are urging
that the states send uninstructed
delegations to the convention, where
the field may be canvassed carefully
and where the party chieftains may
unite on the best man available"
Senator Pat Harrison Of Mississippi
is one of those who has urged his
and others are following suit. This
is getting back to the convention
idea and away from the Presidential
preferential primary plan, so strenu-
ously advocated in recent years.
When the republicans held their
national convention in 1920, the three
men who went into the convention
with the greatest number Of dele
gates pledged and the greatest pres
tige we're eliminated-Wood. johnson
and Lowden. 1t looks as if the demo-
Gratis would repeat this process Of
eliminating the leaders when they
meet. But they must finally select
some one-just as the republicans did
through a compromise.
After the preliminary skir1nishing
at Madison Square Garden next June,
it is declared by his supporters, Sena-
tor Ralston Of Indiana will be found
growing in strength until he finally
is nominated. The Indiana democrats
are reported to be very serious about
this. Further, they say, Mr.. Ralston
can carry the state against any re-
publican who may be nominated.
He was governor of the state from
1913 to 1917 and during his admin
istration lifted Indiana out Of debt.
making a fine record as governor. The
they say, can win with
Ralston, with Copeland of New York
as the vice presidential nominee"
Ralston is not making a cam
paign for the nomination, which is
both dignified and polite.
since he can make no preconventton
enemies by such a course.
Doctor for President.
Senator Copeland is being given
serious attention also by the New
York contingent. Why not give the
New Yorker first place, they say, and
pick, perhaps, Meredith of iowa, for
mer Secretary of Agriculture as
running mate for him? Senator Cope
land was for years professor at the
of Michigan, and then he
was health commissioner Of New
York. 1t would be a novelty to have
an MD. as Chief Executive, and no
one can charge that he has been
mixed up with big business.
Senator Ralston resembles in ap-
pearance Grover Cleveland and Chief
Justice Taft. He is sixty-six years
old, and would be seventy-one years
old before he retired from the White
House, should he be nominated and
elected.
The rules Of the democratic con-
vention provide that two-thirds OF the
delegates voting must agree upon a
candidate before he can be nominat-
ed. Unless there is decided change
in the situation, with one man de-
veloping great strength, many a bal
lot will be necessary before a selec-
tion is made.