Evening star., 1932-06-26

! could be nnally cast In the QlSCarQ
would have affected the choice of The
! different States rs to who should be our
candidate in any way. Will any one
seriously contend that any State which
has instructed for Gov. Smith would
have instructed for Gov. Roosevelt had
they known that the trouble making alb
normally restricted undemocratic two
thirds rule would be broken, or that
any State instructed for Gov. Roose s2lt
would have preferred some other can
didate if he was to be selected by a
majority vote?
This argument Is too feeble to re-
quire discussion at length"
Rankin Makes Statement.
Farley's statement was followed by a
similar announcement by Representa-
tive Rankin of Mississippi, a delegate,
in which he said:
1.-THE two-thirds rule has long outlived
its usefulness. 1t is no longer worth
anything to the South On the other
hand, it wrecked the party in New York
in 1924 as well as at San Francisco in
1920. 1t came near wrecking it in Bal
timore in 1912 and would have done
so If the Republicans had not split and
run two tickets.
This convention is for Roosevelt.
The Democrats of the country are for
Roosevelt. In fact, the American peo-
pie are for him. Then why temper
With this stop Roosevelt movement by
delaying it when by doing so we would
only encourage another disastrous
Madison Square Garden affair
THE two-thirds rule is a powerful
weapon in the hands of the Wall Street
element, with which they try to die
tate the nominees and control the poll
cies of the Democratic party"
Mr.. Rankin insisted that practically
all Of the South States delegations
are for doing away with the two-thirdS
rule, except Texas and Virginia, who
have favorite son candidates.
Davis Against AbrogatiOn.
The Roosevelt opposition was cheered
by statement issued by John w. Davis,
standard bearer in 1924, who arrived
here today. Mr.. Davis strongly OPP
posed the abrogation of the two-thirds
rule at this time. He deplored such ac-
tion in the interest OF any particular
candidate for the presidential nomlna-
ion and warned that its adoption would
disrupt the party and enoanger ltS
chances in the general election.
Newton D. Baker, dark horse can
5idate in Ohio, leaped into the debate
also with a singing statement declaring
that the Democrats could not afford 10
nominate a candidate whose claim 10
the leadership might, because OF the
nroposed abrogation of the two-thlros
nile. have any taint attached 10 MS
Senator Reed of Missouri received
and made public telegram from 1or-
rner Senator John Sharp Williams OF
Mississippi, which said:
sThe two-thirds rule has been for q
century the South's defense; IL Woulo
be idiotic on her part to surrender II.
The telegram came from senator
Williams at his home in Yazoo Clty'
Party Destruction Seen
John Stewart Bryan, supporting Tor
mer Gov. Byrd of Virginia for the pres
idential nomination, sent out the 1ol-
lowing to Southern editors:
'The abrogation of the two-thlros
r1,Ie at this time and without previous
notice to the delegates, will necessarily
mean the destruction of the Democratic
party and the selling of the South INTO
perpetual servitude to the Northern ana
Western States that have been ana VIII
continue to be Republican. These con-
clusions are inevitable When we Con-
slider that the two-thirds rule mas sHlce
its inception resulted in forcing oppoS-
ing tendencies in the Democratic party
to compromise. Neither wing alone can
win and a divided and disrupted party
is lost"
Senator Pat Harrison Of Mississippi;
Roosevelt leader, sought to throw OIL
on the troubled waters. proposing a
compromise which did not appeal 10
either camp. He said:
Since the primaries were conducted
and the conventions held for the Sc
lection of delegates with the unoer-
standing in most If not all instances
that the two-thirds rule Of past Demo
cratic conventions would prevail, the
two-thirdS rule should not be apro-
gated this time except in a proved
emergencv. I feel confident unless a
change in sentiment should occur ana
intense bitterness arise that Gov. Roose-
welt will be nominated early in the
balloting If it should become clear
that a minority intends to deadlock
the convention and prevent 1t from eX-
pressing its will, then the convention
might be justified in following some ac-
ton that will prevent a repitition OF
what happened in Madison Square
Garden in 1924. In order to prevent
that the Committee on Rules in its re-
port might as last resort provide that
If q two-thirds choice has not been
made by the time certain number OF
ballots has been taken, 10 for example,
the convention shall have the right by
majority vote to choose its candidate
for President"
First Committee Issue.
Unless the drive to abolish the two
thirds rule should be laid aside, the
issue will come first before the Rules
Committee Of the convention, to be ap-
pointed Monday and to be heard by
Bruce Kremer of Montana. Kremer is
a RooseVent leader and the committee
will be dominated by Roosevelt mem
bers. 1t will bring in majority rule.
unless the fight is dropped. A minority
report will bring the question to the
floor of the convention. Farley insists
he will have more than 900 votes to put
it through, perhaps $50.
Tonight and tomorrow there will be
a constant flow of delegates into Chi
cago. and after their arrival it will be
possible to estimate the strength of the
Roosevelt people in their drive against
the two-thirds rule and the strength
of the opposition. Many State eau
cuseS will be held during tomorrow, az
which the matter will be taken up.
Twenty States are under the unit
rule" by which they are compelled to
vote their whole delegations as a unit
on all questions that come before the
convention. These States have a total
of 344 votes. The anti-Roosevelt forces
argue that it is unfair to do away with
the two-thirds rule and to leave the
unit rule in effect. The States having
adopted the unit rule. nothing can be
done in the convention, it is said, to
abrogate the unit rule.
Convention Opens Monday.
The national convention opens at
noon Monday. Evangeline Booth of the
Salvation Army will deliver the prayer
nj the first session. She does so at
the invitation Of all the ~Homan mem