Show THE TWO THIRDS RULE evidence is piling up that the democratic party part is preparing for a fight fig lit to a finish in its convention of 1928 this of course will vill be hailed arith some glee by the br ethern in the republican party who remember what easy sailing the democratic convention fiasco of 1924 gave them and the best evidence that a finish acht is being prepared lies in the fact that there is now a sincere movement on foot to abolish the time hon ored two thirds rule which has long been necessary for a choice of candidates in a democratic convention conventi olL in fact this rule has been in effect since 1832 when the convention met to nominate andrew jackson for the presidency it seems now mat the followers of william G mcadoo and governor A al smith bitter rivals in 1924 are in favor of abolishing the two thirds tule rule so that a majority of the delegates can name the candidates as is the sae rule now in republican conventions this if true can only mean QZ ii m that the followers follows of william G mcadoo and d the followers of al smith who are as far apart as the poles on many issues are determined to have a real showdown of strength for the purpose of scein seeing g who is the real boss of the democratic party in 1924 mcadoo might have been nominated had the majority rule been in effect ENri evidently dently governor smiths friends believe that by 1928 he will have grown so in the party councils that he be can command a majority of the delegates delag ancs supporters of mcadoo ad remembering his strength in 1924 doubtless feel that the californian can be nominated in case of a majority hoim choice if the two thirds rule were kept in effect it is very likely that neither man could ibo be nominated and another compromise would be forced as was the case in 1924 the most significant fact therefore is that the supporters of mcadoo and smith seem to have decided that they prefer a finish fight to another compromise with the elimination of either one or the other from a commanding place in the councils of the party such a finish fight might easily wreck the party so far as the 1928 campaign is concerned but on the other hand there is no alluring prospects of victory in another long drawn out convention with a compromise candidate as the result after everybody has become tired and disgusted with the whole affair the republican party partly has its troubles too but they are not so fundamental as those which split the democrats into two hostile camps the moves made on the democratic chessboard within the next few months will be worth watching mt ching |