Evening star., 1924-06-26
SMITH SEEN LOSING.
BY ANT|-KLAN FIGHT.
Convention Won't Denounce
Order and Put Him on
Platform, Is Prophecy.
UNDERWOOD HELD GAMER
McAdoo Must Accept Strong Dec
laration Against Ku Klux to
Save Self, Says Vile.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.
NEW YORK, June 26.-Two terrific
storms broke over Manhattan Island
on Wednesday, afternoon. Both Of
them cleared the air with magical
swiftness. One. which came first was
the ku kluX Khan cloudburst in
Madison Square Garden. It's devastat-
ing violence made certain issues in
the Democratic convention stand out
thenceforward with crystal clarity
1t showed that the convention is bel
1Serently determined to force the
k1an out into the open. where it can
be discussed, and then. as far as the
Democratic party is concerned. de-
molished. No cloudburst, atmospher
or political. ever cleaned things up
more thoroughly.
The other storm was purely mete-
geological in character Inspired bv
the lesser gods in Madison Square
Garden, Jupiter Pluvius swung into
action Immediately after the conven-
ton had adjourned for the day. Then
Sweltering, suffoCating New York was
beQueathed thunderstorm and a del
uSe of rain which turned the me-
tropolis instantly from equatorial
into semi arctic temperature. BY
nfghtfall men and women were more
comfortable than at any other time
this week
Predicts Blow at kIan
With little risk of being confound-
ed by subsequent events even in this
Kaleidoscope situation, the following
results can be set down as having
been accomplished by the sky-clean-
ing storm in the convention hall:
THE assurance that an outright
anu-klan platform plank will be
adopted with wild enthusiasm if and
when it is submitted to the conven-
tion by the committee on resolutions
,. The delivery of a body-blo to
the tie MsAd9o CA Aasui,;r movement unless, seeing
walls, the Californian bows to the in
evitable and accepts anti-kianism,
horse, foot and dragons.
5. The unexpected elevation of
Senator Oscar Underwood of Ala
bama into the front rank of dark
4. The certain elimination of Gov
AL Smith from the presidential race
on the ground that it will be utterly
impra acticable to write an nti-klan
Catholic candidate on it.
3. The creation of doubt of Sen
ator Ralston's availability because
Indiana, the strongest khan state in
the north. could hardly be given the
presidential nomination with plat
form that excommunicates the klan.
speech May Be Historic.
No convention old hand now is
New York recalls an episode which,
unsupported by other developments,
caused such a chain of results Thus,
F'orney Johnson's speech of nomina-
49, toi in
to become historic. Neither John
son nor the Alabama senator in
their fondest anticipations expected
such consequences Everybody knew
that the convention is filled with
anti -Klan sentiment. But few author
tiles thought Madison Square Garden
could be charged so tremendously
with forked lightning as Under
woods anti-k1an manifesto charged II.
Men and women who lived through
that fifteen minutes of frenzied,
spontaneous demonstration will not
soon forget it. 1t was the real thing
1t was miles removed from the stage
manager, organized sort or hullaballoo
that ensued a couple Of hours later
in honor of McAdoo's presentation
to the convention
The first impulse among politicians
and the convention public generally
explosion makes Senator Underwood
the logical candidate for President.
That was and remains merely a first
blush impression. The Alabaman's
about that His name last night was
on every lip. 1t is almost as uni
versally mentioned today
Underwood Seen Weakened.
But for the same reason that anti
klaniSm in the platform eliminates
Smith and jeopardizes Ralston, it also
initiates against Underwood This is
convention is manifestly bent upon
smashing the klan, hip and thigh,
and tagging, ticketing and labelling
the invisible empire.
That is as far, however, as the
wisest Democrat leader, and especial
ly the anti-klan leaders, think the
party ought to go. 1t would be
crowding the mourners, they say, not
only to write an anti-klan platform
in New York, but also to nominate
some conspiciously anu-klan candi-
date for President to stand upon that
platform. Thus. Smith vanishes from
the picture, and, with him. if the
argument be sound, goes Underwood,
too.
Take Ralston. Not the least ele-
ment of strength claimed by the
Hoosier senator's friends. like Tom
Taggart is that his nomination would
insure the Democracy the pivotal
state of Indiana in November. But
"Ouiu IL De d lUU per cent insurance
policy, if Ralston headed a ticket
placed in the field under the banner
OF militant anti-klanism.
Khan Strong In Indiana.
The Klan is better organized. Do.
litically, in Ralston's state than any
where else in the country. Ralston
might come nearer winning Indiana
than any other Democrat on an anti
klan platform. but even Honest
Sans" popularity among the Hoosiers
would be subjected TO a dangerous
strain If he asked them to send him
to the White House pledged to war to
the knife on the Klan.
And thus and therefore the dark
horse brigade bounds into the fore
front. Its leading figure is the man
this observer has seen in that posi-
tion from the outset-John w. Davis
of West Virginia. If the available
candidates right to the nomination is
to be measured by the yardstick of
the Klan, Davis qualities. He is not
or an anti-klansman. He is a Demo-
crat He has not asked to be nomi-
mated He has merely said he was
ready to be drafted. If he is drafted.
he will be drafted on the conventions
terms.
If those terms require a nominee on
an anti-Klan platform, there is moth
ing in Davis past to make 1T impos-
sible or fmpracticable for him to bear
the standard. The trend toward him
is as plain as a pikestan in New
York: and it has been all week. The
Davis band wagon will be the easiest
begins even to move In delegation
after delepa tion there is notorious