Democrats Brace For State Parley

CHICAGO - Michigan's Iveary Democratie party leaders are bracing themselves tonight to go to Grand Rapids Friday and face more than 1,400 state convention delegates just itching for a fighting replay of the national convention. In the Aug. 6 primary election, state convention delegates who oppose the Vietnam war and who supported Sen. Eugene J. McCarthy won an estimated 45 per cent of the state convention seats. They will be led by forme State Democratie Chairman i ton A. Ferency and other dent Democrats who did not attend the Chicago convention and who are dissatisfied with most of the decisions at Chicago - including national ticket and platform. Result may be a bad split in - - - - - :he Michigan Democratie party but leaders just don't see any way out of the party fight. "It's too late now to save party harmony," declared Flint Mayor Floyd McCree, a national convention delégate. "The party is split and some of us are very unhappy with the way the top leadership ran the Chicago convention. They were intolerant of dissent." Many of the 1,400 delegates to the Grand Rapids State Convention will be new to the scène. The party's old-guard leadership will be weary and touchy as result of the long, crowded hours in Chicago's odoriferous stockyards amphitheater. Also shaping up is a strong battle from the state party's "Black Caucus" of Negro Democrats who want a bigger voice in party direction and policy. The existing leadership sought to plácate tire Negroes at Chicago, and ïncoming Negro National Committeeman Coleman A. Young, a state senator from Detroit, was elected new national committeeman on recommendation of outgoing Committeeman Neil Staebler. But the Negro Democrats are feeling new political muscle, and will seek even more than they have already been given. Thus the state Democratie party faces a possible three-way split: into pro-Humphrey, antiwar, and black factors. Leaders like Staebler, National Committeewoman Mildredl Jeffrey and U.S. Sen. Philip A. Hart are seeking to stave off such a damaging three-way feud. None of the old-guard leaders even wanted to hold the state convention right on the heels of the national convention, but state law requires that it be held before Sept. 1, and they have no choice. More than one at Chicago isl saying privately to reporters] "This could be a very bad. yearl for Democrats, in Michigan and maybe the country. The party is split in other states, too, but we have to battle it out in Michigan starting tomorrow." The convention will be held in Grand Rapids Civic Auditorium Saturday. Leaders are expected to hold private conferences Friday night in the Pantlind Hotel, convention headquarters. Formal purpose of the convention will be to nominate a candidate for Supreme Court justice, two members of the state board of education, and two members each of the Wayne, Michigan and Michigan State Úniversity boards of control.