Evening star., 1953-04-02
Democrats at Capitol
Divide on Proposal
For '54ConVention
By Gould Lincoln

Inc proposal for a Democratic
National Convention Immediately
prior to the congressional CAM
paign of 1854, given preliminary
approval by the Executive Com
mittee Of the Democratic Ma
tional Committee yesterday, to-
day met both favorable and un-
favorable comment by Democrats
on Capitol Hill.
Senator Douglas of Illinois
said ne considered the plan ION
the whole a good idea"
1T would be valuable to hold
a national convention next year /"
ne said, ito discuss issues. for
the issues of 1854 may be differ
ent IN many respects from those
o! 1852, and the Democratic
platform OF last year may be
out of date.
1t would be unfortunate how
ever, II such a convention were
uSeo to discuss and to promote
candidates. for the Democratic
presidential nomination of 1856. !"
Skeptics Explain Opposition.
Other Democrats in Congress
were more Skeptical. Several
grounds for opposition were ad-
vanced.
l. Such convention, if it
undertook to write a party plat
form or even restate Democratic
principles" might have the ef-
feet OF driving again a wedge
between the Democrats of the
south and those of the North
and West.
2. 1t would be difficult to f.
nance such a neutrality-suspicious.
larly if it is to be on the scale
OF the Democratic National
Conventions in presidential years,
3. Individual members of Con-
gress-and some of the congress
slonal leaders-believe that the
Democratic Party must stand on
the record made by the party
IN Congress rather than on any
platform that might be drafted
IN convention.
Called Ridiculous.
One Democratic Senator from
the South. who declined to be
quoted. said he considered the
prosposal for a national con-
vention next year, at which a
party platform of sorts would
be written and an attack upon
the Republicans outlined, as
ridiculous" He pointed out
that the Democratic National
Convention of 1852, dominated
by the New Deal-Fair Deal wing
Of the party, had sought to bind
the delegates of the Southern
States to vote for the party
nominees for President and Vice
President and to support the
party platform.
Some of the Southern States
declined to take the OATH" and
the convention eventually had
to back down on this effort at
dictatorship" the Senator said.
Even so. some of the Democratic
States of the South declined to
go along with the Democratic
presidential candidate and the
party platform. Texas, Virginia.
Florida and Tennessee giving
their electoral votes to Presi-
dent Eisenhower. II E M
I'VE are not going to be bullied
into supporting any platform or
statement of policies with which
we disagree, said this Senator.
II can see no good that would
come from a national convention
next year. 1t would be a costly
affair, for a lot of talk"
Douglas Wouldn't Dodge.
Senator Douglas, replying to
the suggestion that a national
convention would again empha-
size the differences between the
Northern and Southern Demo-
Gratis, especially on civil rights
and FEPC, said:
Those issues between the
Northern and Southern Demo-
Gratis are always there. 1 do
not think that lodging them and
seeking to conceal the fact Of
their existence is the right way
to handle the situation"
Paul M. Butler of South Bend.
Ind, member of the Executive
Committee at Large, was author
of the plan for biennial Demo-
cratic national conventions,