DEMORALISED

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 11874, 7 July 1924, Page 7

DEMORALISED

DEMOCRATIC PARTY TORN BY RELIGIOUS'ISSUE UNPRECEDENTED VIOLENCE OF PASSION SEVENTY-SEVEN BALLOTS LEAD TO NOTHING CONVENTION MEETS AGAIN TO-DAY The Democratic Party has been torn asunder by the issue of Protestantism versus Catholicism. All minor disputes at the convention have been dropped for the time being, and the delegates have taken sides on the one great issue. “Such bitterness of feeling arid such violence of pas- ■ sion as America probably has never seen before” have been aroused. Seventy-seven ballots have been held in the effort to select the party’s nominee for the Presidency, but the position remains unaltered. Mr McAdoo leads the voting in every ballot, but apparently cannot obtain the necessary minimum of votes,.

SMITH CANNOT WIN BUT WILL OU9T MoADOO AN OPEN SECRET. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association (Received July 5, 5.5 p.m.j NEW YORK, July 6. The worst deadlocked convention in American political history opened its tenth day, only to repeat the previous day’s performance. The sixty-second and sixty-third ballots showed no material changes. There was a little shrinkage here, and a slight increase there, but this waß wholly without meaning. Some spice was added to the sixtyfourth ballot when the Indiana'delega. tion, which previously had supported Ralston invariably, announced that in the interests of party unanimity he would withdraw his candidature, and the delegation thereupon cast 20'votes for MaAdoo and 10 for Smith. It is an open secret that Smith is perfectly aware of his inability to se.cure nomination, but he is, however, determined that MaAdoo shall not get it. The sixty-fourth ballot resulted:— McAdoo 448, Smith 325, Davis 61, Cox 54, Ralston 1. TO END THE IMPASSE. It appears that the leaders of the convention, .in making strenuous efforts to end the impasse, have been bombarding the minor aspirants with

requests that they clear the field for ultimate action. This had an effect, Mr Cox telegraphing instructions that his name be withdrawn, and Ohio, in the sixty-fifth ballot, casting its 48 votes for Baker.

A motion was then offered to suspend the rules and vote upon a resolution putting the convention into executive session, at which' the chief aspirants would appear. This was considered an attempt to bring about a situation in which Smith would offer ..to withdraw if McAdoo would also withdraw, and the . McAdoo supporters promptly defeated the motion.

M'ADOO ALWAYS AHEAD NO COMPROMISE ALLOWED suggestion RmrpuitED. By Telegraph.—Trees Assn —Copyright Australian, and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received July 6, 5.5 p.m.) NEW YORK, July 5. After a recess, 3000 delegates and alternates reconvened in Convention Hall on Friday with nerves frayed, and everyone prone to be irritable a p the least thing. A message from Mr McAdoo was read to, t,he cpnypptiom asking the delegates to reconsider ana permit Mr Smith to address the gathering, but the Smith faction objeoted strenuously, shouting: “He has been insulted onoe.” VOTE FOR ‘COWBOY ACTOR. Balloting was resumed, and the tally continued to show thesamp hopelessness. , The existing bitterness was momentarily dispelled at the sixty-eighth ballot, when one vote was cast for a popular cowboy actor. In the sixtyninth ballot McAdoo received 690 votes, this being bis high-water mark, and Smith 326. The Michigan delegates, after the seventieth ballot, offered a resolution calling upon McAdoo and Smith, in the interests of the party, to withdraw their names and join party councils, in choosing a compromise candidate, but the assemblage shouted the mover down, and the convention adjourned till Saturday.

FINDING A_WAY OUT ALL MOTIONS REJECTED A HOPEU39S OUTLOOK. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received July 6, 5.6 p.m.) NEW YORK, July 5. With its morale badly shattered, and all its leadership apparently without direction, the convention assembled for the eleventh day, and resumed balloting. The seventy-third ballot left the same dark hopelessness of agreement, and the convention -floor became a battleground for the period of an hour, all sides wishing to end the deadlock. A resolution was offered urging the elimination of the minor aspirants until only five major aspirants remained, but thia was voted down. IN KANSAS CITY! .

Another resolution pointed out the existence of the deadlock, and asked the convention to adjourn, and %9bonvene in Kansas City on July 21st, and resume balloting This was a rebuke to New York City, where the Smith partisans, chiefly the populace, have made their hate for McAdoo too audible. This resolution was defeated, as was also another asking for the elimination of all the minor aspirants until the two chief ones remain, the one oT these receiving the highest vote to be designated the Presidential nominee. DEMORALISATION. Questions relating to procedure and angry taunts were flung by the delegates at the chairman, Senator Walsb, <uxd were auickly suppressed. Fist

fights kept the assemblage in a con- l stant uproar, showing that the spirit of demoralisation is now ‘gripping the Democratic Party. MEETING AGAIN TO-DAY. Still in a deadlock, the. convention then adjourned till II o’clock on Monday morning. The seventy-seventh ballot resulted i; McAdoo 513, Smith 367, Davis 76}, Underwood 47}, Glass 27, Robinson 24, Ritchie 16}, Ralston '6}, Saulsbury 6, Owen 4, Bryan 4, Walsh 2, Roosevelt 1, Baker 1. PARTY TORN ASUNDEB PROTESTANT v. CATHOLICB VIOLENT PASSIONS ALIVE. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received July 6, 5.5 p.m.) NEW YORE, July-5; It was frankly admitted, when the Democrats convened on June that the religions issue would cause serious divisions. It is now the sole subject of conversation that the. xeligions issue has broken the backbone of -the Democratic Party. The whisperings have turned into angry shouts, and nobody is attempting to conceal what everyone wished to hide—-the fact that Protestantism opposed to Catholicism has tom the party into two. _ ......... NOW THE MAIN -ISSUE. - • McAdoo, representing Protestantism and Puritanism, and Mr Smith, representing Catholicism and anti-Puritan-' " ism, have stirred all the prejudices and * *• once-deeply-buried antipathies until' all ' ' the minor' factions have dropped their smaller quarrels and aligned themselves with one or other of the two greater groups. This has resulted in such bitterness of feeling and such violence of passion as America probably ’has never seen before.

BY FAIR MEANB OR FOUL SMITH MUBT BE BEATEN KU KLUX ELAN’S RESOLVE. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received July 6, 5.5 pjn.) . NEW YORK, July 5. Religious prejudice, which was being skilfully diverted from the convention, apparently cannot wholly be suppressed. The Ku Klux in an used Independence Dhy to cultivate a resurgence of bigotry through the “ktarerosj” or State conferences, in the neighbouring New Jersey and up-State district of New York. The assembly in New York proved a fiasco. The leaders had boasted..that- 50,000 members’wets en route to New York, but the faithful, .bjiu yesterday.county totalled 3 per cent, of tins number. Nevertheless, the proceedings in New Jersey, enlisting membership from two other States, attracted 20,000 Klansmen and Klanswomen, and also children comprising the personnel of the Junior Ku Kln-»; Klan. EXTREMES OF PREJUDICE. The- .meeting revealed the bitterest animosity against Mr Smith’s Presidential ' aspirations. Klan speakers openly threatened to employ fair or foul means to defeat him,, if he be nominated.

One amusement carried anti-Oatholio prejudice to the extreme, by offering indignity to an effigy <of Mr -Smith. .- - Zealous Klansmen hurled baseballs at -■ it,, upon payment of a fee of five cents. Several marriage ceremonies were later performed, and. these ..were followed by the christening of 10 children under Klan ritual. The holiday ended at midnight with the burning of fiery - - crosses, signalising..the confirmation of the Klan’s faith, and defiance of its enemies. -

THE THIRD PARTY LAFOLLETTE AS CANDIDATE BALANCE OF POWER. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. CLEVELAND, July 4. An assuraroe that Senator It. M. La Follette would accept endorsement as Presidential candidate was given at a conference of the Progressive Political Action Croup by Mr Nelson, leader of the La Follette forces in the Hpuee of Representatives to-day. Hie declared that in the campaign Senator La Follette would denounce every form of special privilege, call on the Progressives to strengthen this position in Congress, and fight for thp control of the,' pgepc«* .tha> ehaJJUde-.', termine the election of the prudent. Mr Nelson asserted tiiat Senator. La FoOefie would be the pjejct t President, or would have a decisive say’ as’lo who will be the nation’s "chief. He neld the balance of power in Congress, and would demonstrate that he holds the balance of power of the country. Senator La Follette has communicated his formal consent to run for the ~ Presidency.