Evening star., 1956-08-18
Tennesseun
Triumphs in
Close Fight
BY JAMES Y. NEWTON and
WILLIAM HINES


STAR CONVENTION BU-
REAU, CHICAGO. Aug. 18.-In
a climax that came where the
anticlimax should have been,
the Democratic National Con-
vention of 1856 staged a horse
race complete with photo finish
yesterday to nominate Estes Ke-
fauver of Tennessee its vice
presidential candidate on the
second ballot.
Senator Kefauver, who had
worked tirelessly and futilely to
get the presidential nomination
both this year and in 1852, came
back from seemingly certain de-
feat in one of the most dramatic
ballot battles ever staged in any
political arena. Veteran OBJ
servers said the contest was
reminiscent of Wendell Wilkes
victory in the Republican con-
vention Of 1910.
1T was the most exciting thing
I ever saw" said Gould Lincoln.
The Stars political writer who
has taken in all modern day con-
ventions. Senator Kefauver
himself commented that while
attending the University of Ten
nessee he was on the track team
and he took part in many races
but never in one like this"
District Turns Tide
The tiny District of Columbia
delegation which usually is pretty
much forgotten at conventions
may have cast the votes to put
Senator Kefauver over the hump
They claim they did, anyway,
and that was the way it looked
to some unoficial tallyists.
The tide turned for the tall
Tennessean after it had seemed
certain the nomination would GO
to Senator John F. Kennedy OF
Massachusetts,. He was so close
to victory after completion of the
|second-ballot roll call that q
switch to him of one medium
sized State delesation would have
given the e38Iz votes fe6dsd q
win. The high-wAtef mark 81
the Kennedy drive, AS nearly Is
could be determined in the con-
fusion, was $685.. One ofiicial
teller. however, had the youne
Senator even closer-just nine
votes shy Of the magic 6S615
votes.
Then various State delegations
started asking for recognition
from the convention chairman
and switching Of votes was on
The first switch was Kentucky
away from Senator Gore of Ten
|nessee. one OF the original five
serious candidates, to Senator
Kennedy. Former Senator How
ard McGrath Of Rhode Island,
10 Kefauver leader, said he
thought at this point it was all
over for his man.
But then Tennessee, which
had gone for Senator Gore on
the first ballot and the second
roll call, changed to Senator Ke-
fauver. 1t halted the Kennedy
stampede. Oklahoma followed,
also changing from the junior
to the senior Senator from Ten
nessee. Minnesota. which had
been split between Senator Ke-
fauver and its own Senator
Humphrey. gave all its votes to
the Tennessean. Missouri Just
about clinched matters by CIV
ing all but one Of its 38 votes
to Senator Kefauver. It started
out for Senator Humphrey. Mich
igan already heavily Kefauver,
made it solid for him.
Kennedy Stock Rises
When the South Carolina dele
cation, which had been split sew
eral ways, cast 20 votes for Sem
ator Kennedy. his stock began
to rise again. though only mo-
mentarily. After Florida and
Illinois announced insignificant
changes, Pennsylvania gave all
"a votes to Senator Kefauver,
an increase of 10 and split split
Colorado and Iowa went solidly
for him.
1t was at this point that the
District delegation had its big
moment. They finally got chair
recognition and Senator Ke-
fauver was over the top. A dozen
or so other switches we're un-
important
The final decision Of the con-
vention - as is custom = was