Democrats See United Effort Against Republicans in 1976

KANSAS CITY, Mo .-Most Democratic groups, with the exception of conservative labor, appeared convinced yesterday that a compromise on affirmative action rules adopted Saturday would help the party mount a concerted attack on the Republican party in 1976.

"We have brought the national Democratic party back to political life," Robert S. Strauss, Democratic National Chairman, said yesterday.

In the closing session of the party's first mid-term national convention, Strauss said, "Together, we have shown that the Democratic party is ready to govern America again."

Richard G. Hatcher, mayor of Gary, Ind. and one of the leaders of the Black Political Caucus, said yesterday that blacks "won an important fight on a significant issue in party affairs."

"We got rid of truly objectionable language in the affirmative action rules and got the sentences we wanted in the party charter," said Hatcher in an interview on the convention floor. "Black people can live with this; they can progress with this."

Baltimore City Councilwoman Barbara Mikulski yesterday said majority agreement on the language of the affirmative action rules indicated that "all Democrats can stand together against Jerry Ford" in the 1976 presidential race.

"America needs an alternative to the man now in the White House," Mikulski said. "All Jerry Ford does is rearrange chairs on the Titanic."

The affirmative action rules adopted by an overwhelming majority of delegates Saturday requires all state parties to "encourage full participation by minority groups, American Indians, women and youth."

The rules say that this goal "shall not be accomplished either directly or indirectly" by the imposition of mandatory quotas at any level of party affairs.

One controversial provision of the rules says state parties that have implemented and monitored affirmative action programs cannot be challenged solely on the basis of delegate composition or primary results.

This provision, written during a last- minute meeting of party leaders and minority group caucuses Saturday afternoon, caused a flurry of protests from some southern delegates and backers of conservative labor.

Protesters led by California AFL-CIO executive John Henning argued they were left out of the negotiations that led to the introduction of this provision before the full convention that night. They accused Chairman Strauss of over-reacting to rumors about possible walkouts by blacks over affirmative action rules in an earlier draft.

One of the earlier rules would have shifted the burden of proof in delegate challenges from the state parties to the challengers. Blacks, women and youth caucuses objected to this proposal, arguing that traditionally under-represented groups would have more difficulty challenging their exclusion from the delegations.

Emergency Meeting

Sources close to the Democratic National Committee said yesterday that a coalition of state governors, led by Minnesota Gov. Wendell Anderson, called for an emergency meeting of national committee leaders and members of the black, women's and youth caucuses at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

The party elements met in Chairman Strauss's trailer parked inside the convention hall, sources said.

Strauss reportedly resisted any proposals to rewrite the rule on delegate challenges to appease the various caucuses. On Friday, Strauss told reporters he would "use whatever persuasive powers the party chairman may have" to keep the original provision in the party charter.

He denied late Saturday that he attended the emergency meeting because of fears of threatened walkouts. "It's damn foolishness to say we [the party leaders] copped out because of the threats," Strauss said.

Frances "Sissy" Farenthold, a leader of the National Women's Political Caucus, said in an interview yesterday that party leaders showed visible signs of worry during the Saturday meeting with the caucuses.

But she emphasized that the meeting was not a "last-ditch" effort. "It wasn't any back room kind of thing," Farenthold said. "All party groups had a part in the negotiations and liberal labor was very active."

The re-written provision on delegate selection irked AFL-CIO's Henning, who delivered an angry, impassioned speech condemning party leaders for making last-minute changes without consulting labor leaders.

Henning remained bitter about the affirmative action rules yesterday. "He [Strauss] has excluded labor from the Democratic party," he said. "His policy is suicide for the Democratic party."

Strauss yesterday said he remains confident labor will remain loyal to the party. "The party needs people like [George] Meany and John Henning very badly," Strauss said. "As for their future support, I'll hope for it; I'll beg for it."

Indiana Mayor Hatcher said yesterday, "There are some who leave here very bitter and very unhappy. But I think the over whelming majority of Democrats at Kansas City will feel that they have forged an honest accommodation with each other and within this party."

"It is an accommodation that most elements of the party would be able to live with," Hatcher said.

The convention session yesterday was anti-climactic since the only order of business was a series of speeches by party notables about eight panel discussions conducted Friday on national issues.

Most delegates yesterday wandered throughout the convention floor to talk with friends or to celebrate a perceived reunification of party elements. Other delegates either slept late or left for the Kansas City-Oakland Raiders football game