National Affairs: Convention Choices

No matter how emphatically Governor Adlai Stevenson says no, many Democratic politicians refuse to believe he isn't saying maybe. With this uncertainty, the Illinois Democratic convention opened last week. After some backroom maneuvering and telephone conferences with the Governor (who was out West making some campaignlike sounds), the convention brought forth a resolution supporting Stevenson for President—if he runs. Then the convention elected 20 delegates-at-large, each with half a vote. (Fifty other delegates, each with one vote, were elected at the Illinois primary last month.)

Other convention results of the week:

¶ Michigan Democrats also stood by their favorite-son candidate, pledged the state's 40 convention votes to Governor G. Mennen Williams.

¶ In Nevada, Republicans and Democrats both named uninstructed slates. Of the twelve Republican delegates, seven publicly support Taft, only two are for Eisenhower, and three refuse to state their preference. The Democrats will send 20 delegates, each with half a vote. Of these, seven favor Russell, two are for Stevenson, one for Kerr and ten are undecided.

¶ Utah Democrats named an uninstructed slate of 20 delegates (with twelve convention votes), none of whom would commit himself.

¶ In Rhode Island, the G.O.P. convention elected a full slate of eight pro-Eisenhower delegates.

¶ Wyoming Republicans named twelve delegates: six for Taft, two for Eisenhower and four uncommitted.