Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1927-02-03
DEMOCRATIC LEADERS
START POT BOILING
FOR NEXT ELECTION
ABROGATION OF TWO.THIRD
RULE CHECKED BY CAN
DIDATES BUT SMITH
PLAN HAS JOKER
By John II. Perry

BY John III. Perry
Democratic leaders and managers
of candidates for the presidential
nomination by that party, feel that
the two-third rule governing nomina-
ton is domed and will be eliminated
before the 1928 convention gets down
to business.
Such fact is god news-because the
two-third rule has never been any
thing other than destructive.
But it seems some of "the boys"
cannot give up the two-third rule idea
without playing bit of politics-or
taking advantage of the situation by
injecting a bit of STACEY which might
be used to present advantage-but
which without doubt would do much
harm in time to come as the two
third rule has done in the past.
Partisans and boosters of Gov. Al
Smith, of New York, have laid down
three major pre-cenvention lines of
attack. Approval of this strategy
has been given by number of Demo-
cratic leaders throughout the country.
The best known of these perhaps is
Charles j. Greenhouse, of Indiana,
former secretary of the Democratic
National Committee. They are:
Nation wide campaign against
the two-thirds rule and substituting
majority choice.
2-Casting for individual viva voce
vote by each delegate, rather than by
state delegation, even though bound
by unit rule.
illumination of candidates for
office and officeholders as delegates
to the national convention.
Certainly the voters want to fight
the two-third's rule and for the adop-
ton Of the majority choice. However
observe the second line of the attack.
Casting of individual viva voce vote
by each delegate, rather than by state
delegation, even tho bound by unit
rule"
Here is the Joker
Serious exception should be taken
to this or, at least, to the unlimited
rule of allowing any delegate to vote
as he sees fit, for this reason:
The great majority of the states
throughout the nation have preferen-
tial primaries. That means that the
primary vote is the choice Of that
state, and that the delegate so select
ed is instructed thereby to vote for
the states preferential primary
choice.
To allow any delegate so instructed
to violate the states instructions as
imposed by the result of the primary
would be tantamount to allowing one
of the electors, chosen to cast the
electoral vote of the state for presi-
dent, to disregard the electoral vote
of the state, and vote for whomever
his personal wishes dictated.
Incidentally, this would also open
the door to unlimited graft and cor
ruption. The state of Wisconsin
might send dozen instructed dele
gates who had, by preferential presi-
dent primaries vote, instructed its
dozen delegates to vote for McAdoo
or Smith or anyone else, and who
could, by the promise of an appoint
ment to political office, of a bride.
disregard their states instruction and
vote for whoever they pleased, and
disregard the instructions of the state
which they were representing, or
rather misrepresenting, in selling out.
When Not Instructed
OF course the unit rule could be
abolished and perhaps should be abol-
ished where the delegate has not
pledged himself expressly to GER
tain candidate in order to receive the
following and support of that candl-
date. In such instance he should be
allowed to vote for whom he pleases,
hut whenever state instructs him
TO vote for certain candidate, 1t is
nothing short of treason for him to
violate that instruction.
Also. if he has made pledges IN
convention to support a certain can
didate, and the delegates in the state
state convention who select him, Sc
lect him because of his pledge to sup
mort certain candidates for president,
then, in that event, he should not be
allowed to alter his vote when he ar
rives in the National Convention to
the Democratic nominee for
President.
AS to the third proposition: ELM
;nation of candidates for office and
officeholders as delegates to the ma
tional convention, there might be con-
siderable merit to this.
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