Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-06-21
DEMOCRATIC FIGHT OVER KLAN
ISSUE and TWO THlAlS RULE
PROMISE CONVENTION FIREWORKS

New York, June 2o-with their
lesser disagreements almost forgot
ten, the chieftains of the Democratic
party are preparing fo' two mor1en-
tous political battles in the opening
phase of the national convention
which begins Tuesday in Madison
Square Garden.
One of them will result from the
stiffening rivalry between William G.
McAdoo and Alfred E. Smith for the
nomination for the presidency. The
other is fast develc PIN, around the
proposal to openly condemn the Ku
klux Khan in the party platform.
To these may be added a third
struggle that will make Political his
tory-a sharp and bttei skirmish
over retention of the lont' standing
rule requiring a two lird vote to
nominate.
Should McAdoo and S NTH both be
forced out of the running after a
prolonged deadlock, ther, will come
another spirited fight ov.r selection
of a compromise candida.e , but for
the moment only the parti ans of the
favorite sons and dark h ,rses are
looking that far into the future.
The McAdoo men are straining ev-
cry resource to augment their forces
to point that will insure q nomina-
ton, but they also are cementing to-
gether a reserve that will stand IN the
last, II necessary, against the selec-
ton OF any other whose policies are
mt to their liking.
Similarly the supporters of Cover
nor Smith, realizing that McAdoo
will have the largest vote among the
many to enter the running on the
first ballot, are working to align a
bloc of delegates large enough and
cohesive enough to exercise a definite
veto against selection of the former
treasury secretary as the standard
bearer of his party.
10 these two movements all of the
maneuverings of the dozen or so of
other active aspirants are submeryr.I
and they appear likely to remain A.
until the balloting is we'll under way,
Then if the McAdoo- Smith duel re.
suits in a draw, the other candidates
may get the ear of the great body OF
delegates.
Outward appearance today showed
little change in the lineup of the
delegates that are consolidating theil
respective forces about McAdoo ant
smith. The McAdoo managers helt
to their claim of a majority Of more
of the 1,09S delegates on the frs
ballot, with a steady increase there
after. Those who spoke for Cover.
nor Smith were less definite, but 4
generally was conceded that the gov
ernor would run a good second. or
the early roll calls. The supporter.
OF Senator Underwood, John w
Davis, James, James H. Cox, Senator
Ralston and others all protested tt
see their respective candidates gain
ing in potential strength as the line.
between McAdoo and Smith grew
tighter.
Talk of an anti-Klan plank was
even more tangible so far as actua
voting strength was concerned, bu
as more and more of the party lead.
ers arrived on the scene it became
increasingly apparent that a deep.
seated disagreement was in the
making. The group of platform.
makers at work on a tentative draf,
of the party declarations have tried
out many alternative plans on the
subject without finding one that. i.
satisfactory to the main body. The
only apparent result has been agree.
ment among a wide circle of the
leaders that some sort of denun.
citation of Khan policies, either direct
or yelled, should be included in the
platform.
George E. Brennan of Illinois
recognized as one of the most pow
erful of the group of men who will
influence the decision of the conven-
ton. declared in a statement toda,
that the Khan must be specifically
named and condemned in the plat
FORM"
Some of those high in the part,
counsel were predicting tonight that
the fight would be settled finally or
the floor of the convention itself
after debate as fiery and as full
of political dynamite as that over
the free silver issue in the Chicago
convention of 1896.
Although some minor disagree.
ments remain, the representative
group that has been at work on the
tentative platform draft has found
way to agreement on virtually all
questions except the Khan. The
platform as it now stands. subject OF
course to repeated revisions as to
phraseology before it's adoption
gives major prominence to the oil
scandal and corruption in public
office. and reaffirms in general terms
only the foreign policy of the party
insofar as it has tended to promote
international peace and cooperation
Some of those who have set in the
conference Of platform makers still
are insisting that a fiat declaration
for membership in the league of ma
tions should be included. This
group. led by Senator Glass of vir-
ginia, who presented as a model the
plank adopted by the Virginia
Democracy. declaring the United
States should discard the farce OF
unofficial representation and be-
come a member of the league of ma
lions upon terms entirely consistent