The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-04-28
800 DEMOCRAT
DELEGATES
ELECTED
UNRESTRICTED Number $50,
Over one-third of Those
in Convention.

When the Democratic national
convention assemblies in New York
IN June 1t will be "uninstructed,"
according to opinions expressed to-
day by leading politicians in the
national Capital, who declare that
developments Of the past week have
made that practical certainty.
the selection OF delegates by the
states has progressed to a point
where 1t is safe to perdict that no
single candidate can obtain a two
thirds majority in the convention
until after considerable balloting has
been done, and there is ample
foundation for the assertion that
the convention may run for a week.
or even MORE before the necessary
majority to nominate can be OBJ
tanned.
One-HaH Already Picked.
Up to today there have been
chosen $50 delegates to the convep.
ton, slightly moro than one.half the
total number which is 1908. OF the
$50 delegates, 278 will go to the
: New York convention under specific
instructions from their respective
States to cast their ballots, at least
Tor a reasonable length Of time, for
q particular candidate. The rest Of
those already named, 302 in number,
almost one-third Of the entire con-
vention, are "uninStructed." These
delegates are at liberty to change
their votes frequently and without
warning. So it can readily be seen
that the uninstructed will constitute
q more potent power on the floor Of
the convention than the instructed
ones.
The delegates actually instructed
are as follows:
Observation-Disclosures, "a.
Smith-New York, 90; Wisconsin,
70; Rhode Island, 10; a total of 1913.
McAdoo--Georgia, %; Illinois, 8;
North Dakota, 10; South Dakota,
10; Wisconsin, 8; Canal Zone, 6;
total, 65.
silzer-New Jersey, %.
Governor Davis-Kansas, 20.
Robinson-Arkansas, IS.
Position Strategic.
It is pointed out that the position
Of a candidate will be greatly
strengthened. by the number Of dele
gates favorably inclined to him who
can be counted on to come to him
when it is demonstrated that their
first choices are no longer in the
running, or who will flock to his
standard when his candidacy is on
the upgrade and he appears to
have chance Of winning.
The Iowa delegation is a case in
quarters claim that the delegation
will support the Senator from Ala.
bama. That is probably true, but
It does not mean that the delega-
ton Is pledged to him or that it
will vote for him from first to
last under any and all circum-
stances. Nor can any candidate ex.
pect such support from any unin-
structed delegation.
The Underwood people are
pleased with their poll Of the dele
gates elected to the convention, and
are confident that two thirds Of
those already selected are favorably
inclined to Senator UNDERWORLD
candidacy. They also believe that
OF those still to be chosen, the
ratio of delegates favorable to I'm
derwood will be even greater. When
the movement toward Underwood
starts, they say, 1t will continue;
and when he approaches the two
thirds margin, he will go over.
Underwood Strength.
They point out that Senator I'm.
derwood now has nearly a hundred
votes that will go to him early
IN the balloting, and that he will
have many more before the con-
.yention actually meets, as many
States favorable to his candidacy
have not yet selected delegates.
Some OF these will be instructed,
put will be favorably inclined to
him.
The Underwood supporters claim
that they have not made a State
oy state fight for delegates, having
neither the FUNDS nor the organiza-
ton to do so. Moreover, they have
scrupulously refrained, for the sake
or harmony and fair play, from
contesting any States that have
native sons.