Evening star., 1924-07-06
K|SBL0W
TO THE DEMOCRACY
Party in ParaIyzed Condition
Due to Bitter and Intolerant
Controversy.
LEADERSHIP is LACKING
Effect of Wrangling on the Electo-
rate Dreaded by Many Con-
vention Members.
LEADERSHIP IS LACKING
BY ROBERT T. SMALL.

NEW YORK, July 5.-The unprece-
dented deadlock of the Democratic
national convention, marked by all
crusade, has left the party in an all
but paralyzed condition. Leaders of
the party have been striving to keep
up their courage-trying to argue
that out Of all the travail and hard
labor would come new days of glory
Tor the Democracy-buta at heart they
have been sick Of soul and have
feared the effect of the quarreling
and wrangling upon the electorate of
the country, particularly the young
voters who are about to cast their
first ballot, and who have seen the
national convention plunging along
with no strong hand at the wheel.
Analysed BY Psycholo<fsts.
Many minds have found many ex-
cuses for the deadlock. The political
psychologists have analyzed the sit
uation from many points of view and
have given what seemed to them log
ical reasons for the state of affairs.
standing lack of the convention of
1924 has been the absence from the
floor of any one attaining TO the rank
of real leadership.
The Smith forces lost their master
mind when Charles F. Murphy, leader
of Tammany Hall. passed away. The
McAdoo candidacy never has been in
strong hands, and from the moment
the convention opened there was a
lack of coordination. if not down
the eastern advisers of the former
Secretary of the Treasury and his
friends and followers from his new
home in California. The dark
horse" candidacy of Senator Samuel
NJ. Ralston was supposed to be in as
tute hands-those Of Tom Taggart of
Indiana But detached from his
friend Brennan of Illinois, and miss
ing the companionship and guidance
of Murphy, Mr.. TaSgart seemed to
founder about and not know just
which direction to take.
George Brennan of Illinois, the
other supposedly strong man OF the
Democracy, appeared from the hrst to
have no control over his own dele
gates. who split on every question
able to control the votes of his own
delegations. Mr.. Brennan naturally
became a negligible factor in the con-
vention at large.
Cry for "Boss" Heard.
Often the Democrats in the past
have castigated the Republicans as
being .'bossed and ruled by the iron
hand" This Democratic convention
of 1924 began crying in the wilder
ness for a boss" for a wise leader.
two hours after it convened. but the
leadership did not come. There was
no magic in the lamp. 1t was rub
bed in vain.
The various coups, the various
smart moves made in the convention
during the earlier and the middle
stages of the balloting proved aWk-
ward and abortive. They possessed
were clumsy and generally reacted
against the movers
This deadlock will go down in his
tory as the dark days of the Democ-
racy. Over the convention has hung
the pail of the klan and anti-klan
against Catholic and Catholic against
Protestant. Protestations that the
fight was being waged without re-
ligious prejudice and as purely po-
litical issue did not assay under the
acid test of performance in voting.
ton during the very first days and
the blight of the bootless discussion
could not be swept away
Work Hampered at Every Step.
Every move made in behalf of
either one of the leading candidates
after this issue became acute was
searched for it's possible religious
significance and the work of the con-
vention seriously was hampered at
every step and turn.
There is no need to try to disguise
the fact that Mr.. William Gibbs Nc
Adoo came to be regarded by the del
egates as the apostle of the ku Klux
klan and it was openly charged that
some of the delegations instructed
for him and standing by him from
the first were dominated by the klan.
Gov. Smith. on the other hand. came
to be regarded as the candidate of
the Church of Rome. 1t is of little
avail to say that injustice rode on