Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-07-02
Details OF Ballotig Democratic Convention Since p
BY G.. GOULD LINCOLN.


NEW YORK. July 2.-The dele
gates to the Democratic national
convention. after two days of bal
loting-the net result of which has
been to indicate that w. q. McAdoo
cannot be nominated-today are
looking about desperately for some
firm land upon which to leap. They
| fear to find themselves upon quick
sand if they leap too soon and to the
! wrong candidate.
Like the Senate of the United
States, the only way Democratic
national convention can do business
| is by unanimous consent and through
physical exhaustion. This is due to
the two-thirds rule, which compels
| a nominee to receive two-thirds OF
the vote of the convention, and 10
| the unit rule under which many OF
, the state delegations vote solldly lor
| the candidate desired by majority.
Both rules are in full operation at
the present convention
The unit rule was attacked in the
convention yesterday, but was up
held each time by the pTesidins Oh
fcer Senator Walsh of Montana
The unit rule, however, does not
prevent a majority OF the del1
in specified delegation from chahs
ing their vote for any canoiuate NY
may desire This happened When the
Missouri delegation broke away from
McAdoo and went to John W. Davis
of West Virginia. An effort TO upset
the unit rule in the Kentucky deie-
cation failed under the rulns OF the
chairman Some of the delegates de-
sired to jump from McAdoo to Under
structed by their Individual districts
for Underwood. But it was held that
they were bound by the unit rule
adopted by the state convention.
One of the earliest arrivals at the
Garden today was an aged negro,
wearing on his hat a band saying
"Mcu do" He limped painfully up
the steps on a pair of clutches. sym
bolical of the condition in which the
McAdoo candidacy now finds itself,
perhaps.
One outstanding feature of this
convention has been the really earn
est and wholehearted support with
which the followers of Gov. AL Smith
of New York have rallied to their
idol. The McAdoo people came here
on the defensive In the back OF their
heads all the time was the shadow OF
f. l. Doheny, now indicted in the oil
fraud case, whose attorney Mr.. Nc
Adoo had been.
Employment as attorney is serious
" handiCapping two Of the leading
contestants for the Democratic nomi-
nation-McAdoos engagement by Do
heny and the employment of John w.
Davis of West Virginia by the house
of Morgan. Lawyers who have the
presidential bee in their bonnets will
have to be very careful hereafter
what clients they take.
William Jennings Bryan, who is
1aa
Davis, is also leading the fight for
McAdoo. 1t is difficult to see how he
can reconcile his position on the two
| candidates. 1t may be that he might
| that Mr.. Davis might win. Col. Bryan
| has enunciated a new doctrine re-
garding the presidency.
In his opinion, man who aspires
to the presidency of the United
public and not to private business
| Col. Bryan himself has not hooked
| up with private business, except his
own, as publisher and lecturer, Tor
| the last thirty years or so, 1t is
| noticeable. too, that when he was
asked if he were himself a candidate
| for the nomination he replied:
| Il am not candidate ana could
| not be a candidate while Mr.. McAdoo
| is in the field
But what after Mr. McAdoo has
been eliminated?
| Delegates were discussing TO-DAY
| Bryan's powers as the Warwick of
| the party-the man who should say
| who should and should not be nomi-
mated. Mr.. Bryan, it was recalled,
| failed to halt the nomination OF Alton
3. Parker of New York. He failed
four years ago to prevent the nomi-
| nation of Gov. James NJ Cox of Ohio.
| whom he bitterly opposed as a wet.
Mr.. Bryan was successful. however,
| in 1912 in preventing the nomina-
=; Of
attained a majority of the vote OF
| the Baltimore convention, by taxing
the floor in opposition to clark ana
in favor of Wilson Now MT; Br ryan
is attacking Davis, apparently with
considerable success.
Directly opposite one another, with
only the center aisle or the conVen-
ton hall between them, sit FRANK
lin y. Roosevelt, leading the fight for
Gov Smith, and Tom Taggert of In
diana. who is keeping Senator Raj
ston of Indiana up his sleeve as the
real dark horse Mr.. Taggart does
not intend to trot his man out until 1t
has been clearly demonstrated that an
impasse has been reached between
McAdoo and Smith. This may not
come until tomorrow.
The guests of the convention are ap-
parently as tired of the fruitless bal
loting as the delegates themselves.
Ballot after ballot was taken today
with literally thousands of vacant
seats in the hall. The spectators nave
wearied of the preliminar1es. they
are anxious only to see the wind-up
The applause and cheering has dwin-
died to almost nothing.
w. G. McAdoo, anxious TO be in
closer touch with the convention and
his managers, has moved for the con-
yention hours to the Madison Hotel,
lust across the street from the Car
den Here, he is in constant touch
with his Iieutenants and able to give
orders in the conduct of the fight for
nomination.
Daniel C. Roper. one of the McAdoo
managers, and also a member or the
District of Columbia delegation, to-
day advanced this theory:
THE balloting in the convention
has demonstrated that the race IS
between two candidates-W. G
McAdoo and Gov. Smith. The conven-
ton will elect one of these. 1t has
been demonstrated that none of the
so-called dark horses or compromise
candidates has sufficient strength to
win the nomination. That oeing me
opinion nominate a wet and
Catholic 1t means the nomination
in the end of McAdoo-"
One man at least has won the re-
spect and admiration of the conven-
ton during the trying hours of its
hectic sessions-Chairman Walsh.
senator Walsh would be a real con-
tender for the presidential nominal
ton. and very popular choice
among the Democrats, but for one
thing, the fact that he is Catholic
Some of the delegates seem to feel
that even this will prove no bar to
his final selection. For many ballots,
Senator Walsh received but one vote.
In more recent ballots he has. re-
ceiyed eight and one-half.
Senator Walsh has presided over
the convention with extreme fairness.