Smyrna times., 1944-04-20
DEMOCRATS SET
PARLEY DATE
May 18th Chosen for State
Delegate Convention; Sup
port Roosevelt
PRIMARY DATE MAY 13

PRIMARY DATE MAY 13
Recommending that the Della
ware delegation to the Democratic
National Convention be instructed
to support President Roosevelt for
reelection, the Democratic State
Committee has set Tuesday, May
16, as the date for its state dele
gate convention and selected u. S.
Senator James M. Tunnel as the
keynoter. The resolution advoeat-
ing support of President Roosevelt,
which was presented by James M.
Reese, Wilmington, set forth that
'it is the sense of this committee
that the further successful prosecu-
tion of the war in cooperation with
our Allies and the cause of human
ity demands the continuation of
the leadership of this greatest of
war Presidents"
Recommend Roosevelt
The resolution recommended to
the coming state convention 'fav-
orable consideration of a resolution
providing that each of the dele
gates and the alternates be in
structed to vote for Franklin Del
ano Roosevelt as the Democratic
candidate for President" The reso-
luton stressed that ''the high de-
gree of success which has been
by our people in their war
effort is largely due to the inspir-
ing leadership of our great Presi-
dent" Recommendation of the
state committee and Senator Tun-
nell to give the states two addi-
tional delegates to Wilmington
was approved by the committee.
Now allowed eight delegates in
stead of the previous six because
the state went Democratic in 1910,
rural New Castle
County, Kent County, and Sussex
will each have two dele
gates.
To Elect New Committee
The little convention" will be
held in Dover to elect national dele
gates and alternates, a national
committeeman and committeewo-
man, and new state committee.
Supporting suggestion of w. S.
Potter, former Lieut.. Gov. Edward
w. Cooch moved for the fixing of
noon of May 16 for the convention
and May 13 for the primaries, and
the motion was carried. The chair
man named a committee to ar
range for a place for the holding of
the convention. The committee
comprises ]. Gordon Smith, Har-
chairman; Howard E.
Lynch, Jr., Dover, Prothonotary w.
Marion Stevenson, Frederick, and
Rep. Fred A. Bailey, Harrington.
Resolutions lamenting the death of
former Gov. Richard M. McMullen,
presented by State Senator Harris
B. Mcdowell, Jr., were adopted.
Tunnel to be Keynoter
Senator Tunnel was chosen key
noter ito answer whatever Senator
c. Douglass Buck may have to say
as the keynoter of the Republican
convention on Wednesday," Mr..
Potter, after speaking of the 1912
election as extremely disappoint-
ing but one from which we can
benefit now," expressed belief that
the official actions of Senator Buck
and U. S. Rep. Earle D. Wiley will
be fruitful for the Democrats. He
commented that their actions do
not have the approval of a great
of the people of the state.
Mr.. Potter also hit the failure of
the recent special session of the
state legislature to provide for mil
itary absentee registration as well
as absentee voting. Because of this
failure, he said, thousands of Della
ware men in the armed forces, in
cluding the 198th, who were not
when they left this coun-
try, will not be able to vote under
the new law.
Legislature Discussed
He also charged that a Demo-
cratic bill to provide absentee mill
tary registration was not even
opened to discussion on the floor,
adding that "some Republican
lawyer told them it was unconsti-
tutional." He said they simply
did not want it now another DEM
ocratic bill providing tax exemp-
Continued on Page Three)