Evening star., 1940-07-07
Democrats 10 Weiqh
Delegate Allotment
Boosting South's S Vote
Three More Seots Each
Would Go to States With
Heavy Party Ballots
BY the Associated Press.

new ueleSdCc AppOrClOnment SVS-
tenn which would give the heavily
Democratic Southern States three
additional seats each in future ma
tional conventions will be considered
by a party committee in advance Of
the Chicago convention.
The tentative plan, which might
also reduce representation of some
Northern States. is modelled some
what along the lines OF the Repub-
lican system of "compensating"
States and congressional districts
that go Republican. II was drafted
by an Alabama group headed by
National Committeeman Marion
Rushton of Montgomery.
The new plan will be taken up
at Chicago next Thursday by a
National Committee subcommittee
headed by Senator Green of Rhode
Island.
This group is acting under instruc-
tions from the last Democratic Ma
tional Convention to draft a new
plan for delegate apportionment.
The South was assured that it would
receive additional delegates in re-
turn for yielding to abolition of the
two thirds rule" This rule, re-
quiring the votes of two-thirds of
the delegates to nominate a presi-
Dental candidate had enabled the
Southern States to balance the
numerical superiority of Northern
States.
The Allotment System.
Under the system which will apply
at the July Is convention, each State
has four delegates at large Tor two
for each SENATOR. and two for each
congressional district. Six each are
allotted the District of Columbia and
each of the territorial possessions.
except the Virgin Islands, which
has two.
The substitute proposed by the
Alabama group would grant one
delegate to each congressional dis
trict, one additional to each dis
trict electing a Democratic Repre-
sentative, or casting $4,000 or more
votes for the Democratic candidate
Tor the House in the last preceding
election; four at large for each
State, and three additional to States
casting majority for the party's
presidential ticket.
Women to Advise on Platform.
Meanwhile, it was announced yes
terday that the Democratic plat
form drafters would have the ad--
vice of a committee of 20 women
Mrs. Thomas F. McAllister, director
of the Women's division of the ma
tional committee, said in a radio
address that the Womens Commit
tee would meet at Chicago Satur-
day.
That committee, she said, will
draw up their recommendations as
to what they think the platform
should say about such vital ques-
tions as foreign policy and national
defense, unemployment, labor, the
farm program, social security,
health, housing, education, youth,
civil liberties"
Advocates of the bonus plan for
delegates point out that the South
was voted overwhelmingly Demo-
cratic almost continuously since the
Civil War. They assert that under
the present practice, Pennsylvania.
almost invariably Republican. casts
70 votes in the national convention.
or more than North Carolina (26)
South Carolina Q6), and Virginia
(22) combined.
Held InequitabIe.
They also argued that some dis
tricts in the North cast only a
handful of Democratic votes, vet
have the same delegate representa-
tion as districts in South Carolina
that hardly ever see a Republican
ballot.
The recent Republican convention
changed its rule and restricted dis
trict representation. The new rule
is designed to encourage leaders to
build up the party in the South.
Under it a congressional district
will have to poll at least 1000 votes
in order to get a district delegate,
otherwise none. Those polling over
10000 votes would receive an addi-
tional delegate.
Thus, If the new Democratic plan
Is approved, the South stands to
pick up Democratic delegates in the
future and to lose In Republican
representation-unless 1t changes its