Evening star., 1924-05-11
DEMOCRATIC SURGE
ALL TOWARD M'ADOO.
California Goes Ahead Collecting
Delegates, While Others Wait
for Them to Come.
MAY CONTROL MAJORITY
Smiths Friends Give Candidacy
Forward Push.
MAY CONTROL MAJORITY
BY ROBERT r. SMALL.

NEW YORK, May 10.-The pre- vail
week has been all for William Gibbs
McAdoo, yet the opponents of the
former Secretary of the Treasury sit
by apparently undisturbee. They
seem confident they can stop the Nc
Adoo tide on the convention floor
They have shrugged their shoulders
as state after state has voted to send
McAdoo delegates to the big presi-
Dental conclave and say they don't
have to worry because Mr.. McAdoo
can not get enough.
Except in a few states where ia
vorite sons have been brought for
ward. the McAdoo forces have had
little opposition. Perhaps the great
est straight-out victory won by Mr.
McAdoo was in Georgia, where the
Underwood people made determined
fight.
Mr.. McAdoo has made the only ma
tionally organized campaign for the
nomination. Senator UnderWood S
friends have confine d their efforts for
him to a limited number or states
All of the other aspirants for the
Democratic nomination have been in
kiiC ~oiii Ahhiil6 NioiSe S'e-
Smith Dragged Out.
Truth compels the assertion just
here, however, that Al Smith has
somewhat reluctantly permitted him
self TO be dragged out of the violet
bed and made into a regular bouquet
which mis- friends hope to pin to Miss
Democracys palpitating bosom. His
Roosevelt. is issuing almost daily
statements to the effect that Smith
sentiment is growing all over the
country. 80,
Which brings up the old political
adage that sentiment may grow wlid
but delegates do not. They have 10
be cultivated. That is where the
McAdoo forces have been well ad-
vised.
The organization Of the Smith
boom along semi-national lines mas
come after most of the state prl-
maries have been held. Therefore. 1t
is impossible for the governor to bid
for delegates in fields where his
cause might have won much SYM
pathy and support.
McAdoo to start Flying.
Thus Mr. McAdoo is coming to the
New York convention with far more
pledged and accoutred delegates than
any other aspirant can point to with
pride. His managers, whose morale
has picked up wonderfully these last
few days. go so far as to say that
Mr.. McAdoo may have a majority on
the first ballot.
AS a result of this claim there has
been much talk OF move by the
McAdoo forces to sbrogate the time
honored rule of Democratic conven-
tions that nominations shall be made
only by two-thirds vote. 1t was
this rule which kept Champ Clark
out of the nomination in 1912 and
permitted the star of Woodrow viii
son to rise to its day of international
glory. There was talk at that time
of abrogating the rule, but nothing
could be done.
Committee Failed to Act.
Mr. McAdoo's friends thought at
one time they would make a fight
before the Democratic national oom-
mittee to resoind the rule. They
claimed a majority Of the committee
was favorable to Mr.. McAdoo. But
when the committee met in Washing
ton in January the subject was not
brought up. Parliamentarians doubt
floor of the convention.
Senator Hiram Johnson's loss of
the Republican delegation from his
home state of California was the last
stunning blow of what has been to
him an almost never-ending series
of political reverses in his ilI-starred
attempt to turn the G. o. p away
from President Coolidge. He will 20
70 the Cleveland convention with his
South Dakota and a wandering
maverick from one or two other
states, but it is doubtful new if he
will poll as many votes as his more
radical colleague, Senator La Toilette
Copyright, 1924l