Evening star., 1932-07-05
Rule Defended
And Assailed as Future Guide

Decision TO retain the two-thirds rule
in the 1882 Democratic convention turns
public attention to the historic char
acter of the rule, and has aroused q
national debate on its provisions Its
supporters argue that abolishment would
necessitate the removal of the unit rule
and that the provision is necessary fol-
the protection Of each of the branches
of the party.
Without the two-thirds rule and
with the unit rule maintained" says the
Fort Worth Star-Telegram independent
Dehnocratic), "a candidate might win
the nomination on a minority vote y
The New Orleans Times-Picayune
(Democratic) maintains that the rule
has prevented in considerable and
saving measure the complete dominance
of Democratic conventions and the Sc
lection OF Democratic candidates by
heavily populated States, North and
East, that send huge delegations to the
convention-yet almost invariably be-
stow their electoral votes upon the Re
publican candidates" The Scranton
Times (Democratic) raises the same OBJ
lection to change in the rule. The
Yakima Daily Republic (Republican)
advises that the century-old requir elnap t
has both tradition and reason on It's
side" and points out that every poll
tician is bound to admit that it has
enormous potential values to him. The
Topeka Daily Capital (Republican) be-
lieves that "the fact that it has never
been abrogated, though it has been an
issue in numerous national conventions,
gives it much prestige among Demo-
Gratis"
THE divergent elements that go to
make up the Democratic party" ac-
cording to the Roanoke World-News
(Democratic), have always considered
the two-thirds rule as in a measure a
protection. The party is strong in the
South. where it controls a number of
States; in the West. where it must al
ways fight the Republicans for State
control, and in some Eastern metro
politan areas. where it has been for
many years strongly organized 1t is
argued that united support Of the party
voters depends on each of these three
sections enjoying a veto power in the
convention through the two-thirds rule. 3"
x 4 X
"Only by keeping the rule intact can
the Democratic South WELD its rightful
influence in the party's deliberations, "
in the opinion of the Birmingham Age
Herald CDernocratic), which adds that
lit gives the other sections the same
power" The Columbia IS. c. Record
contends: always there is a tendency
for the party to fly apart. 1t split into
two groups, despite the two-thirds rule,
in 1860 and in 1896, but the two-thirds
rule has been a device for holding the
conflicting elements together by fore
ing the nomination of candidates more
or less agreeable to both interests. 1t
gives either group the power of veto in
normal years, and this power Of veto
is of some especial Importance to the
Southern States"
Similar arguments are made by the
Houston Chronicle (Democratic), while
the Abilene Reporter independent
Democratic) remarks: The chief value
of the rule is that it keeps designing
politicians fror- packing the convention
with hand-picked delegates. 1t is COM
paratively easy to achieve majority,
but stretching it to a good two-thirds
is something else again" The Okla
homa City Oklahoman independently,
however advises that at some future
time the party should bury the rule
SO deep that it never will be heard of