Evening star., 1924-07-07
DEMOCRATS BREAK
ENDURANCE RECORD
Third Week of Convention Is
Something Old Leaders
Never Experienced.
WOMEN MOST CONSTANT
McAdoo Lines to Be Held Until
Christmas, They Say, and
Men Follow Suit.
WOMEN MOST CONSTANT
BY ROBERT r. SMALL,

national convention running into it's
which few of the old timers alive
today ever expected to see. Demo-
cratic gatherings often have gone
into the second week, but to lap over
into the third was d distinction re-
served for the snarl of 1924 at
Madison Square Garden.
This unprecedented state of affairs,
as the delegates found it Monday
morning, has had a bewildering effect
upon nearly every one connected
with the convention.
The assembly has gone beyond the
charted course of it's predecessors
gone into unknown seas of political
expedience or political futility, and
thus far no captain or commander
has appeared strong enough to take
the bridge and bring the storm tossed
craft of the democracy safely into port.
1t was perfectly apparent today as
the sessions were resumed that no
way out of the difficulty was in view
Gibbs McAdoo. if he continues to
pursue that course, can absolutely
prevent any other candidates from
winning the nomination. Mr.. Nc
Adoo's delegates are a loyal lot. They
have proved far more earnest and
steadfast than even the closest ad-
visers of the Californian had dared
to hope.
Reports that the McAdoo delegates
would not stick" were cure M
everywhere before the conve ntion be-
gan. This alleged luke-warmness of
the McAdoo followers was the hope
of the Smith adherents as well as
the long string of dark horses. But
it proved a vain hope, indeed, for the
further they have gone the more
stubborn the McAdoo voters have be-
come. There is set to their jaw
which discourages any effort at dick
ering on the floor.
The McAdoo people, especially the
women, have taken on the spirit of
waving flags and banners and chant
ing that they are willing to stay
here until Christmas to stand by Nc
Adoo. While the women have been
anew, the McAdoo men have been
shouting, Hold the line"
So long as this spirit prevails and
so long as Mr.. McAdoo declines to
release his delegates there would
seem to be no way of making a NOM
democracy. What new-fangled
ideas may solve the problem no one
can foresee. But it has been well
said that the way out of the diff
Guilty is not the changing of the
rules, but the rise to power of some
leader, some personality.
There has been much talk that If
the favorite sons or the trailing can
didates would retire from the field.
the issue could be resolved as be-
tween Mr.. McAdoo and Gov. Smith,
but an analysis of the voting as it
ended on Saturday failed to substan-
tiate these suggestions.
To most observers it has been ap-
parent from the first that neither
Mr.. McAdoo nor Gov. Smith could
win without the switch of votes from
one camp to the other.
On the last three ballots Saturday
Mr.. McAdoo received 513 votes. Gov.
Smith averaged around 36S. There
were 216 votes scattered among fa-
vorite sons and dark horses. If Mr..
McAdoo had received all ofsthe dark
horse vote he would have had but
729 and would have been two votes
shy of the necessary two-thirds of
the 1897 delegates present or ac-
counted for. OF course, he would
not have received all of these votes
if the trailers had retired. Many of
Smith and left the deadlock more
fast and more bitter than ever.
The suggestion that the convention
be adjourned to some other city and
at some future date, with a time for
cooling off in between, was seriously
considered by the leaders today.
Some one has figured it out that the
show should be taken on tour, doing
one night stands through the east
and central west. 1t is realized that
the transportation costs will be en-
tirely too great to extend the tour
all the way to the Pacific coast.
Ever If the tour idea is abandoned.
something may be done in the way of
charging admission to the remaining
sessions at Madison Square Garden,
provided, of course, that any one can
be found who would be willing at
this stage of the game to pay to get
ir. Something has got to be done for
the relief of poor Tex Rickard, who
is losing $1,000 a day every day the
show continues in his garden. Maybe
the convention could give a benefit
session for Tex" This idea would go
big if Mr.. McAdoo and Gov. Smith
could be put on for a fast three
rounds.
The women of the convention, who
are blamed for the deadlock by some
of the men who have been seeking
compromise, say it is nothing unusual
for them to stick by their convictions.
They say women always have been
and always will be more constant
than men.
From the outlook that greeted the
delegates this bright Monday morn
ing it appeared that about as much
time was to be consumed in discuss
ing ways and means of nominating a
candidate this third week of the con-
vention as ger orally is required to
the work of a Republican
Copyright. 1921
Shorthand only. typine only. secre,arial. a.a