Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-29
Davis and the Two Thirds Rule.

DhVIs ana Cne Two AHlTuS hule.
John W Davis has announced his
adherence TO the movement to do
which candidates for President are
nominated in Democratic national
conventions. Mr.. Davis. who may he
regarded az the titular head Of the
standard bearer in 1924. does credit
heth to his intelligence and his
honesty in the position he has as
sanned. The will OF a majority is
rule. with one-third OF a nstional as
ssmbly plus one vote able to veto the
desires Of all the rest. The rule of the
MA ierity Is an ancient heritage Of
Americans
MIR. Davis has nothing to lose and
nothing TO gain personally by assum-
ing this attitude. No suggestion is
made in any quarter that he he again
aycandidate for the Democratic nomi.
nation for President, although the
party might do far worse than nomi-
nate a man OF his high character and
ability. But il he can exert success.
fully his influence to bring about the
proposed change in the method OF Sc.
tecting Democratic nominees for Pres
ident and Vice President. he will have
accomplished much good for his pa rty.
riAe, so called, must be thrown into
the discard. too. This is the rule by
which the vote OF an entire State dele
cation to the national convention may
be east solidly according to the wishes
Of majority of the State delegation.
zone delegate. one vote: the ma
tority Of votes to nominate" is the
way he succinctly puts the matter.
That is the system which the Re.
publican party has adopted for the
selection Of it's candidates for Presi.
dent and Vice President. Without
aeeking to cast reflections on any one,
II may be said with justice that the
nominees OF the Republicans under
this system have been at least as "a t..
isfactory as those chosen by the
Democrats in national convention I'M
DER the two-thirds rule.
As an academic proposition. the alb
rogation of the two-thirds rule an
pears to he gaining ground. As a.
practical proposition, whom the next
Democratic national convention rolls
around in 1929, the abrogation of the
rule may strike a deadly snag. BY
that time the candidates for the nom
nation for President and their friends
viii; be firmly intrenched for the strug.
gle. They will be unlikely to Weld to
. demand for majority rule. IL they
feel that such a change would bene.
nj ar opponent. The best that some
OF The Democratic leaders now hope
fer.i Ia that at the next national con
vention steps will he taken looking TO
change in the rules in 1892.
Slowly. but surely. it is becoming
more and more apparent that the
Democrats are to be divided again into
Smith camp and a McAdoo Camp
Both Gov. Al Smith and Mr. McAdoo
and their supporters have acouiesced
In the proposal to sbrogste the two
thirds rule. But. while Gov Smith in
sists that the unit rule must go with
the twothirds rule, Mr.. McAdoo, IL
is reported, favors the retention Of the
unit rule. This is the stumbling block
over which the movement Is likely to
split.
without the two-thirds rule, It is
unlikely that John ". Davis would
ever have been nominated at that
scul.twiStinK convention in Madison
square Garden two years ago. With
the majority rule, McAdoo might well
have been the nominee after a com,
paLrstiveIy few ballots. Had he been
so, Mr.. McAdoo would not today he a
problem. There would be far more
chance Of harmony IN the Democratic
party when It assemblies in national
convention two years hence.