Evening star., 1936-05-31
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

A handy manual" for those attending
the Democratic National Convention has
been prepared by Representative Clar-
ence Cannon. parlfamentarian for the
convention, at the instance Of James A.
Farley, the national chairman. Mr..
Cannon has served as parliamentarian
of the national conventions since 1920.
He was former parliamentarian of the
House of Representatives, appointed by
Speaker Champ Clark, and is author Of
a number of works on parliamentary
procedure.
The Democratic National Committee
is the permanent agency authorized to
act in behalf of the party during in
terval between the conventions and,
therefore, subordinate to its control and
direction. The national committee was
organized in 1848 as the outgrowth of a
central committee" of similar character
appointed in 1874 to promote the elec-
ton of Polk and Dallas" Prior to the
organization Of the national committee
conventions were called by the Demo-
cratic members Of the New Hampshire
Legislature.
Each national convention, like each
National CongreSS-according to a de-
cision in the 1884 convention-proceeds
de novo, and convention is not bound
by rules or resolutions of previous con-
ventions and may not so bind succeeding
conventions. As a matter of practice,
however. the national conventions have
for many years adopted with little vari-
alton the rules and procedure of their
predecessors
The Democratic National Convention
is composed of ], 100 accredited delegates,
besides alternates. These are chosen
every four years and selected on a basis
Of four delegates at large from each
State, two delegates from each congress
Sional district and varying number of
delegates from the Territories, districts
and insular possessions. The ratio of
representation for the States-fixing the
number of votes in the convention-was
adopted in 1852-at twice the number
of Senators and Representatives in Con-
greSS. and the number from other civil
divisions Is arbitrarily fixed by the
national committee under authorization
OF the convention. These delegates
from Territories and possessions were
admitted In 1896.
AS a matter of practice, the number
OF votes in the convention does not cor
respond with the number of delegates
ordinarily in attendance, as the States
usually send eight delegates at large,
with half vote each, and, through the
seating of contesting delegations and
other contingencies, district delegates
also are sometimes accredited with frac-
tional votes. However, q strict observ-
nf tha Is~ - -.
vention Is called excludes fractional rep
resentation from districts and limits
delegates at large to a minimum of half
vote. BY the same rule one alternate
Is provided for each delegate.
II r
The antithesis between the now great
y-rfdiculed Townsend plan and the
social security act, beginning to feed the
hungry and give work to the able, is
interestingly emphasized by Representa-
tive Maury Maverick of Texas, who has
gift for apt expression:
You cannot eat the front page.
The Townsend plan may make the
front page, but you cannot eat the front
page-the social security act is already
delivering the goods"
A $50 bird in hand Is worth 5000 bird
In bush.
I'm 80 States 600 900 old people are re-
ceiving pensions running UP to $50 a
month. which is better than an old per-
son subscribing money for mere hope
and getting nothing. A $50 bird in the
hand that you can eat is worth far more
than $500 bird in the bush that you
cannot even catch"
THE act yokes together three wild
horses-Federal, State and county gov
ernments. Plenty Of power should come
out OF team like that, but We must
make sure that the harness is sound"
THE United States Government, with
its States backed by the people of the
United States. can certainly do more
than any individual, whatever his name
may be-Smith, Jones or Townsend"
Over the State of Texas, now celebrat-
ing its centennial have flown six flags
Of Spain, France, Mexico, the Republic
Of Texas, the Confederate States Of
America and the United States of Amer
lea. Fred G. Chabot, well-known Texas
historian, also points out that this num-
ber might be counted higher, for, he
says, "The Freedonian Republic Of Ed
wards was in Texas, as was the republic
declared by James Long, when the
colorful Lafitte reigned the buccaneer
camp on Galveston Island.
Representative Charles A. Hallock,
Republican, Of Indiana has done some
figuring to show that President Roose-
velt has issued 1,400 executive orders,
and that the New Deal has created la
new executive agencies.