Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-06-22
STRAW MAN ADDS
CONVENTION SPICE.
TWo.Thirds Rule Fight Seen
as Attempt to Relieve
Harmony.
BY SAMUEL G. BLYTHE.

BY SAMUEL G. BLYTHE.
PHILADELPHIA. June 20 (N.A
NA).-The great problem of Farley
and his fellow laborers in the New
Deal vineyard, who are engineering
this Democratic Convention which
this week will renominate Roosevelt
and Garner, has not been the problem
of getting unanimity in the result
but, in order to avoid too obvious an
impression that it will merely be an
assemblage of thousand or so drilled
and disciplined Yes men," has been
to devise ways and means for inject
ing some spice and contest and debate
into it, to liven it up to the SEM
blance of gathering of men with
minds instead of men with masters.
So they decided to drag out again
that frayed and frazzled old political
straw man that has been kicked and
pummeled about in Democratic Ma
tional Conventions for years and
years, the two-thirds rule, and let
the delegates have another wallop at
It, The need was imperative. Here
was a convention that was arranged,
formulized and scheduled to the last
blare of the band and the final ap-
pearance of Eddie Dowling's vaude-
vile, and it needed something, any
thing, to give it at least flavor OF
pungency and pugnacity.
The hospitable citizens of Phila-
delphia had provided entertainment
lavishly, ranging from scrapple to the
browning of convention queen, but,
even so, there were great gaps to be
filed in the five-day program, gaps
that accentuated the fact that, so far
as formalities were concerned, the
convention could just as we'll have
been done by postal card vote as by
going through all its tedious oratory,
grandstanding, ballyhoo. fireworks,
and incessant repetition of the sacred
nature of the cause. and the high
nobility of the standard bearers. Or.
If precedent dictated otherwise, that
one working day of eight hours could
have cleaned it all up. with time to
spare.
Farley. whose ubiquity is vel. Known,
found himself somewhat in tha posi-
ton of his colleague, Hopkins, whose
job is to give employment to deserv-
ing Democrats. Farley knew he would
have on his hands somewhat more
than 1000 unemployed delegates and
alternates, so, in the regular and &C.
customed Washington manner, he
added another to the already long
list of alphabetical symbols emblematic
Of Democratic activities under Presi-
dent Roosevelt and called it *. D. B. >
Keep delegates busy. <
Fight Built Up.
Hence the revival of the old two
thirds rule contention. Hence the
sudden activity of the Farley press
agents in the build-up of this shop
worn rule into pressing and impera-
tive matter of great party concern
Throw it to them, which will done on
what, otherwise, would be very dull
Thursday.
Give the South chance to rise and
demand that no impious hand of 9
Northern Democrat shall be laid upor
this hallowed and venerable policy Of
the party. Let the friends OF the late
Champ Clark recall the outrage Of
1912 at Baltimore. Let the North and
West declaim that the rule is obsolete
and gives to one section of the country
q veto power over a majority. The
proposed abrogation of the rule always
has stirred fight, and this conven-
ton needs fight needs combat. needs
something to lift it out of its suf-
locating accord It is duly and
fatiguingly unanimous in its political
aspects.
Further, 1t was decided that Herbert
Bayard Swope, delegate for New
York, shall try to start something
stirring by introducing resolution
that 1t Is the sense of this convention
that no President shall serve more
than one term, another favorite old
moot question, in the hope of melting
some lively debate. OF course, there
may be some comment that Swope 8
resolution is either four years too late,
or four years too early, all depending
on the viewpoint. but that is a minor
matter. What this convention needs,
when 1t comes to its tabulated opera
tons, is shot in the arm. There
will be plenty of noise, but why not
imoart a deliberative aspect, If pos
sible?
Rain Barrel Hollering.
However. the political serenity OF
this fine Sunday was little disturbed
by two episodes, neither one of which
will have the slightest effect on the
scheduled operations of the gather
ing, neither one Of which will cause
even the most minute delay in the
Roosevelt program, and both of which
were merely interesting exhibitions of
hollering down political rain barrel.
There arrived a long telegram
signed by such distinguished anti
Rooseveltians as ex-Gov. Alfred E.
Smith of New York; cambridge
Colby, Secretary of State under Presi-
dent Wilson, and ex-senator James
A. Reed of Missouri. calling on all the
delegates to this convention to return
to Democracy, to repudiate the New
Deal, to be men and not mice, to
throw the President out, and nomi-
nate some good Jeffersonian for
President in order that these objec-
tors, and as was claimed, many 9TH
ers Of similar mind, may have a real
Democratic place in which to hang
their political hats.
The other was the reports in the
morning papers telling Of the con-
siderate release by Jouett Shouse.
major domo of the American Liberty
League, of the members of that or
ganization from whatever vows they
took when they Joined, with the i'm
plication that If they had any po-
litical sapience whatsoever they would
vote for Landon.
G. O. p. Ignores League.
Recalling what happened to AL
Smith because of his connection with
this organization, such Landon man.
ayers as are here, and there are some,
refused to allow the league to be