Evening star., 1926-05-25

In the number and vigor of its
champions the present movement to
discard the historic two.thirds rule in
Democratic national conventions has
assumed most formidab BILE proportions.
Abolition of the two.thrds rule
has ceased to be a cause for division
between the ma jor factions of the
party" in the opinion OF the Knox.
willie Sentinel. '"The friends Of Mr.
McAdoo, who came within reach of a
ma tority on the sixty ninth ballot at
Madison Square Garden in 1924 plead
ed for an agreement to abolish the
rule. but the friends of Gov. Smith
as warmly opposed it. Both sides
are now represented as favorable to
the abolition Of the rule in 1928. In
view Of the situation. the prospects
would seem to be promising for re-
turn to the fundamental principles of
JeffersOnian Democracy in the con-
duct of the next Democratic national
convention"
In opposition to this conclusion is
that of the Little Rock Arkansas
Democrat DemOcratic), which argues
"lt is admitted that the two-thirds
rule. in a broad sense. is an incon-
gruity in a party whose principles
are Jeffersonian. However. that is
only one side of the argument. The
rule also makes 1t more difficult for
q handful of bosses to put over q
ca ndidate by a bare ma jOrity. Sena-
tor Robinson is correct when he says
there is much to he said on both sides
Of the question:
THE two.thirds CUSTOM" according
TO the Nashville Banner Gndepend-
ent). has really brought little or no
harm to the party although the
Banner comedies that much may he
said in favor OF the majority plan"
and cites the fact that "the record
OF Republican victories in contests
for the presidency is not an argument
against majority rule in conventions"
However, this paper believes that,
taken by and large, 1t Is not SO much
the majority or the two.thirds rule
or the unit or non-unit rule for the
control of delegates as it is the stand
ing of the party making the nomina
tions and the political and personal
character of the nominees"
The general spirit and discipline of
the party is what is important" as
viewed by the New York World dnde
pendent Democratic). IF it is aroused
by q great issue, or If 1t is dominated
by an outstanding statesman, as De
mocracy was by Cleveland from 1884
to 1892, and by Wilson from 1912 to
1920, the convention will register its
will with quick precision. If it is di-
vided as the gold and silver Demo
Gratis were divided in 1896 and the
progressive and conservative Repub-
licans in 1912. no perfection of rules
can save it from factional strife and
bitterness. What count more than the
party's rules are its issues and it's
leadership"
I'VE hope this effort to rid the Dem.
ocratic party of its old man Of the
sea- will succeed" declares the Chat
tanooga News Democratic). Thomas
.Jefferson's cardinal political formula
was that the majority rule. II is alb
surd that this be prevented in the
nominating conventions of the party
which Jefferson founded The Provi.
dence Journal independently says mo
other party holds to the two.third
rule, and an organization with the
name and traditions of the Demo-
cratic party Is peculiarly Illogical In
adhering to it, The Christian Sci
ence Monitor independently likewise
points out that the two.thirds rule
might more properly be termed a one.
third rule. for ii has frequently been
possible for one-third of the accredited
delegates to 'thwart the will and null
lify the desires of more than a ma
jority Of the delegates"
IF the bitter fight Of 1924 is to be
renewed" the Bristol Herald.Courier
independent Democratic) believes. "it
will make little difference whether the
nomination is made under the two
thirds rule or majority rule. The
nominee will be defeated before the
campaign begins. But the two-thirds
rules should he abolished. There may
have been times when 1t worked to