Democrats Assemble for Nomination of Party’s Presidential Candidate

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26816, 6 July 1948, Page 5

Democrats Assemble for Nomination of Party’s Presidential Candidate

Philadelphia this week will again be the scene of another American national convention—this time®the Democratic convention to nominate the Party’s Presidential candidate for the election in November: There will be 1234 delegates to the convention but thousands more supporters.

To win the party nomination, the candidate must have a majority—6l7 votes or more. More than half of the Presidential nominations have been made on the first ballot, but when competition is strong, many ballots may be required. The record was sel by the 1924 convention in New York, when Mr John W. Davis was nominated after nine days of voting in 103 ballots. Mr Davis was then defeated by the late Mr Calvin Coolidge for the Presidency. The procedure of voting is the same as that of the Republican Party, where the delegates are instructed to vote according to the results of the preliminary primary elections in each State. Weeks before the present convention it appeared to be merely a ratification meeting, with President Truman certain to win the nomination. Other candidates were mentioned, including Senator Harry Byrd, of Virginia, Senator Walter George, of Georgia, Senator Alben Barkley, of Kentucky, Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson. and even Governor James Folsom (“Kissing Jim”), of Alabama. All of these combined, however, did not have enough promised votes to upset Mr Truman. The former Confederate States of the Deep South, incensed by President Truman’s civil rights programme, were openly threatening at one stage to walk out of the convention if Mr Truman was nominated. They planned to hold a rump convention at Birmingham, Alabama, to choose their own candidate. Other Southerners, fearful that the civil rights programme would “ ruin the Southern way of life” by granting virtual equality to negroes, swore they would register their disapproval of Mr Truman bystaying away from the November poll. Voting is not compulsory. If the South is not placated, Mr Truman’s chances in the election will be further reduced. The 11 Southern States control 127 of the 531 votes in the Electoral College. The estranged South had hoped Mr Truman would not exercise his virtual prerogative of

obtaining the nomination. It is customary that the President automatically becomes his party’s candidate unless he specifically declines. Mr Truman, however, dispelled all doubts several months ago when he said he would be available, and stoutly added that he would be back in the White Hbuse next year. Like the Republican convention last month, the Democratic meeting will be

tttstttttttmutttsttmttttitmtttmttttuumt photographed, recorded, reported, televised and filmed on a vast scale. The. 2000 journalists, photographers, cartoonists, radio commentators and television operators who swarmed into Philadelphia for the Republican convention are returning for the Democratic meeting. Some reporters will be equipped with walkie-talkie radios so that they can send first-hand descriptions back to their newsrooms.