At the Democratic National Convention (TIME, July 7), the 40th, the 50th, the 60th, the 70th ballot passed. All records were broken. In 1860, the Democratic Convention at Charleston had balloted 57 times before splitting over the slavery issue, after which the southern delegates withdrew and the northern wing nominated Douglas on the second ballot. In 1840, the Whig Convention at Harrisburg had taken "many, many" ballots — nobody counted them—before nominating W. H. Harrison. But even if the number of ballots at these Conventions had been as great, the endurance record would have been less, for in the earlier days there were fewer states. At the Harrisburg Convention, for example, 22 states voted, as compared with 48 states and 6 "territories"— at Manhattan. Moreover, at Manhattan, reckoning was prolonged, since many states had more delegates than votes; so many delegates had only fractional votes.† The entire Georgia delegation had only a half vote for each delegate; fortunately, it voted in unit. Missouri had some delegates with whole votes, some with two-thirds, some with half, some with one-third of a vote. Connecticut even had tenths.
Over this great jamboree of balloting presided Senator Thomas J. Walsh of Montana, Chairman and Ballotmaster. The proceeding throughout the entire balloting was the same:
Mr. Walsh: "The Secretary will call the roll of states for the nth ballot."
"Secretary: "Alabama, 24!"
The leader of the Alabama delegation rose, with a triumphant modulation, with linked sweetness long-drawled out reiterated: "A-la-bam-ah—twenty-foah votes foah Un-da-wood!"
Secretary: "Alabama—24 votes for Underwood. Arizona, six!"
Arizona leader: "Arizona—one vote for John W. Davis, one-and-a-half votes for Underwood, three-and-a-half votes for William Gibbs McAdoo."
And so on, until Canal Zone answered: "Canal Zone casts six votes for McAdooooo!"
Then the band would begin to play. The Secretaries would hastily compute totals. The Chairman's gavel would rap a few times, reverberating through the microphones. The band would break off abruptly or hurry through a few last bars.
From the platform, Mr. Walsh or another would recite:
"Result of the nth ballot: total number of votes cast, 1,098; necessary for a choice, 732. Totals for this ballot: McAdoo 488½ Smith 336½ Davis of West Virginia 72½ Underwood 46½ Baker 57; Glass 26; Governor Bryan 3; Robinson 21; Ritchie 16½ Saulsbury 6; Owen 2; Walsh of Montana 1; Will Rogers 1; M. A. Coolidge ½ (or perhaps the trailers at the end might be Senator Copeland, Josephus Daniels, the Mayor of New Orleans, of Chicago or of Montpelier). No one having received the required number of votes, the Secretary will call the roll for the nth ballot."
Automatically, and because there was nothing else to do, the Convention went on balloting. When any state changed its vote to McAdoo or to Smith, there was a burst of enthusiasm followed by a parade of state standards around the aisles. When the state flopped back to one of the favorite sons, there was a burst of cheering.