Evening star., 1926-09-16
TWO-TH|RDS rule
/ ABOLITION IS SEEN
Iowa Democratic Leaders
Announce National Poll
Shows Majority for Plan.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
CHICAGO, September 16.-Success
of the movement within the Demo
cratic party to abolish the two-thirds
rule for national nominations was pre-
dicted yesterday by the national com
mittee members of Iowa, who have
been leaders in the campaign since
its inception early this year.
Clyde l.. Herring of Des Moines and
Mrs. Madge O'Neill of Columbus juno
ton, the Iowa members. issued state
ment showing that as members Of the
national committee have pledged them
selves for the adoption Of majority
rule in all future conventions, and pre-
dieting that an overwhelming majority
of the convention vote of 1928 would
be behind the movement. on the basis
Of this figure.
Since the agitation for the non -adop-
ton of the two-thirds rule began in
the Iowa committee last January, the
statement said it had been indorsed by
such national party leaders as John
w Davis, the 1924 standard-bearer;
William G. McAddo, Norman f. Mack.
New York national committeeman;
Charles A Greathouse of Indiana, sec
retary of the national committee, and
Senator Thomas j. Walsh of Montana,
chairman of the 1924 convention.
The Iowa committee members began
q canvass after the Democratic State
committee had instructed them to
work for majority rule. Responses
were obtained from the national COM
mittee members of virtually every
State.
The proportion favoring non-adop-
fion of the two-thirds rule in 1923 is
overwhelming. the statement said.
'Out of 81. who definitely gave their
opinions, As favored the majority rule
and only were willing to see this
child of hate. the two-thirds rule, Il
true relic Of political harbarism. con-
tinue to bind the hands of Thomas JEFF
ferson's party.
"On the basis of State representa-
tion in 1928, that instrument of boss
control would have only 120 favorable
votes out of a total of / ,093 in the
convention"
The statement then lists a large
number of party leaders and Demo
cratic State organizations which have
Endorsed the majority rule movement
and names the following States from
which the favorable responses have
been received from one or both men,
bers of the national committee: Alas
ka,. Arkansas. California, Connecticut.
Delaware, District of Columbia, F'lori-
da. Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa. Ken
lucky, Maine. Massachusetts. Michi-
gan. Minnesota. Montana, Nebraska,
Nevada. New Mexico, New York,
North Carolina, North Dakota. Ohio,
Oregon. Pennsylvania, Rhode Island,
South Dakota, Texas, Utah. Vermont.
Virginia Washington, Wisconsin.
Wyoming, Philippine Islands and
Canal Zone.
The total vote of these States in
Democratic national convention. as
Sumine the same basis of representa-
tiOn as in 1924 would be 7SS." the
statement continued.
The nine negative votes came. one
from Indiana, where Mr.. Greathouse
is vigorously for ajority rule: two
from Mississippi, where Senator Har-
riSon has likewise pronounced for ma
5ority rule: one from Pennsylvania,
two from South Carolina. one from
Tennessee, although the state com
mittee of the State has instructed its
national committee representatives.
that it favOrS majority rules, and two
from Washington.
I'VE feel a profound satisfaction at
the evidence disclosed of the almost
overwhelming determination on the
part of the Democratic party to adopt
majority rules, in our opinion. a ncc-
eSSary precedent to the election sue
cess of our party