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