New Britain herald., 1927-09-30

ton of 1928 will be made up as fol- lows: Four delegates-at-largs from each state Owo for each senatorl; two delegates t-large for each representatives -at-large and one delegate from each congressional district in the United States. re gardless of the party dominating the district; one district delegate from each congressional district casting 10000 or more votes for any repub- hcan nominee for congress in the last preceding congressional cleo ton; three additional dolegates-at- large from each state casting its electoral vote, or majority thereof, for the republican nominee for president in the last preceding pres idential election; and two delegates at-lar-e each for Alaska, the District of Columbia, Porto Rico, Hawaii, and the Philippine Islands. There were 1,109 delegates to the last re publican convention.
 The change in the system Of sc lectfng delegates took 76 delegates from the south in the 1924 con- rcntiou. and added i'll delegates from states which went for Hard ing in 1920 This "reform" was put into effect by the republicans after several years or campaign against the domination of the delegates from states which always went demo- cratic in presidential elections, and after several previous experiments to break the unwarranted power of these states. The republicans nominate by a majority. or course, since the 'southern delegates" in a republican convention do not repre- sent actual republican constituencies, they are really under the control of the chairman of the Republican Ma tional committee. or of the president, if he is q republican.
 Democratic system Representative
 On the other hand, the democrats provide for a more representative way of selecting their national com mNtee than do the republicans. The democrats require that the delegates to the democratic national commit tee be elected by popular vote, in the democratic primaries, while the re- puhlicans choose their committee men and committeewomen in con vention, except in states which have adopted laws requiring their selec- tions by popular vote.
 The abolition of the two-thirds rule in the democratic national con- vention would be a definite advan- tage for the presidential aspirations
 of Governor Alfred F.. Smith of New York. For one thing, he might easily get a majority Of the votes. For another, the southern delegates who fear their dry" and anti-Catho- lie constituencies, but who would welcome the nomination of Smith as the hope Of the party. might feel
 that they could vote for some dry
 Protestant and still see Smith nomi- mated. The movement to abolish the unit rule also has its significance
 upon the Smith campaign. For ex- ample, delegates from extremel dry and Catholic districts could vote against Smith, while those from less decided districts could vote for him, and Smith could be nominated
 some Stick by Old Rule
 l But not all the Smith advocates ] among the southern democrats are l for the abolition of the two-thirds l rule. For example, Albert Sidney 1 Burlcson, postmaster general under ! the Wilson administration, told { correspondent somo months ago thai | mo man who cannot get the votes i of tWo-thirds of the delegates tc i the convention should be nominat- ] cd" Yet Burleson had even then 1 definitely come out for Al Smith. i Mrs. Emily Newell Blair, vice 1 chairman Of the Democratic Nation al committee, who has made no an- nouncement Of her preferences for l the nomination, favors the two i thirds rule, saying that 1t accom- piished the same result In the demo-