Evening star., 1936-06-23
BYRD LEADS, S,M|QvE
II. ON ABROGAT|ON
.Southerners Fear Move
Would Permit Control
by Minority.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
PHILADELPHIA June 23.-Dixie
die-hards opposing abrogation OF the
tyo-thirds rule at Democratic Conven-
tions declared today that If 1t Is
scrapped the unit rule should be dis
carded too.
Otherwise, they said, the day may
come when a man will be nominated
for President by mere minority OF
the delegates.
The two-thirds rule requires that
candidate must receive the votes OF
two-thirds Of the convention delegates
before he can be nominated for Presi-
dent or Vice President. The other
regulation, which is in effect in some
State delegations, says that delega-
tion must vote as unit, according
to the dictates of the majority
within it.
Byrd Hits Unit Rule.
Administration leaders express in
creasing confidence that the two
thirds rule will go by the boards. In
that case, Senator Harry F. Byrd said
he would demand that the convention
disapprove the unit rule.
Under the unit rule, he foresaw
possibility that a bare majority OF
delegates in group of big States
might bottle up for their favored can
didate the entire vote of such States,
and thus give him a majority. But
the helpless dissenters in these big
States, plus the dissenters in other
States, might constitute an actual
majority of the convention.
Senator Bryd conceded there prob
ably was little the convention could
do about the unit rule except recon-
mend that States discourage its adop-
ton. He said he believed some States
had imposed this rule by statute.
Chief opposition to repeal OF the
two-thirds rule came from the "Olo
South
There were some defections, how.
ever. For instance, Senator Robinson
of Arkansas, majority floor leader Of
the Senate, said: Il think Ill sup
port abrogation."
Virginians Against Repeal.
The Virginia group appeared to bt
solid against repeal, Mrs. R. c. Watts
national committeewoman, voicing op'
position along with Bryd and Gov
George C. Peery.
Florida and Georgia caucuses re-
suited in votes for retaining the rule
an Oregon ballot showed to fol
repeal; Delaware favored repeal
delegations from the District OF Co.
lumbia, New Mexico, Montana ane
Wyoming indicated they favored abro'
CATION, and California debated it, bu
reached no decision.
Howard Bruce, Maryland nationa
committeeman, said his delegation
might" vote to throw out the rule
while Mayor Frank Hague Of jersey
CITY said New Jersey would cast 81
votes for repeal.
Gov. Clyde Tingley, chairman o
the New Mexico delegation, said th'
two-thirds requirement was dis
tinct advantage" to small States.
While favoring repeal, Sam Battles
Oklahoma delegation head, said dele
gates in the future should be selected
on the basis of the Democratic vot'
in the previous national election In
stead of two for each Senator ane
Representative as at present.
Russell Against Abrogation.
Senator Russell Of Georgia, coleadel
with Byrd in the anti-repeal fight
which is expected to break on thu
convention floor, obtained voice vott
in his delegation for retention aftel
j. J. Spalding, veteran Of many con-
ventions, urged abolition.
In my stand against abrogation.'
Russell said, II have no desire to raist
the sectional question, but sectional
ism is not dead and the two-thirdi
rule is the only thing that really pro-
tects the Democratic solid South"
For the fourth time since his ar
rival, National Chairman James A
Farley predicted abrogation with lots
fof votes to spare.