Morning journal and courier., 1881-03-01
gournal allo Courier.
Tuesday Morning, March 1, 1881.
PREPARING FOR 1854.

Tuesday Morning, March 1, 1881.
PREPARING FOR 1854.
At the last National Republican Conven-
ton it was resolved that the National Re-
publican Committee shall, within the next
twelve months, prescribe a method or
methods for the election of delegates to the
National Convention to be held in 1884, and
announce the same to the country and issue
call for that convention in conformity
herewith And it was provided "that
nothing in such rules or methods shall be SO
construed as to prevent the said Congress
sional districts in the United States from Sc
1ecting their own delegates to the National
Convention" In conformity with this the
National Committee in July last requested
that plans and suggestions on the subject be
sent to itprior to October Is. 1880. After
wards the time for transmitting plans was
extended to February l., 1881, and later it
was decided that full meeting of theeon4-
mittee be called to consider the subject on
the 5th of March next. At the same time
Messrs. William E. Chandler, Edward
Mcpherson and George G. Gorham were ap-
pointed subcommittee to receive all sug-s
gestions that might be made from different
parts of the country, and to prepare and
submit plan at the meeting of the commit
tee. This subcommittee has, in-response to
the request of the National Committee,
which was freely circulated, received very
the country, but it has not yet fully deter
mined upon it's report to the full committee,
which meets in Washington next Saturday.
A number of these plans and suggestions
offered are published in the Washington cor
respondence of the New York Times. The
plan of William E. Chandler, of New Hamp-
shire, is as follows:
The Republican National Convention of
1884 shall consist of four delegates at large
from each State and two delegates from each
Congressional district, all to be chosen at
popular conventions in such manner as the
Republicans of each State may determine
provided that delegates from each Congress
sional district shall be the choice of the Re-
publicans of that district. The conventions
within the States for the election of delegates
to the National Convention shall be held at
least one month before the time for the meet |
ing of the National Convention. Notices of
contest may be given to the National Com
mittee, accompanied by full printed state |
ments of the grounds of contest, which shall
also be made public, and preference in the |
order of hearing and determining contests |
shall be given by the convention according
to the dates of the reception of such notices |
and statements by the National Committee.
John A. Martin, of Kansas, submits the |
following:
That the Republican National Convention |
for 1884 shall be composed as follows First, |
C4oAa hall Io 1al a.
at large; second, each Congressional district |
shall be entitled to one delegate third, in |
addition to delegates at large, each State |
shall be entitled to representation in proper |
ton to its Republican vote-that is, one dele
gate for every 12, 900 Republican votes polled |
for President in 1880, fraction of over
one-half that number.
D. Fl. Pingry, of Bloomington, Illinois, |
suggests that no person shall be eligible to |
the Office of a delegate who holds any Office |
of profit or trust under the United States
government. George W. Fisher, of Mont
gomery City, Missouri advises that delegates
at large shall be instructed by the State con-
ventions and the delegates from the Congress
sional districts shall be instructed by their
respective districts. Such instructions shall
be vital part of credentials. and all dele
gates shall be required to vote on ballot as
instructed by their respective States or dis
tricts provideds that no delegate shall be
allowed to vote on first ballot unless his Gre
dentials show for whom he shall cast his
vote. When the result of the first ballot is
known, the convention shall then proceed to
make choice of candidate from those voted
for on the first ballot and having the highest
M of tn ",
number, and after the first ballot delegates
may vote at will for either of those placed
before the convention by first ballot except
that they shall continue to vote for the same
one named in their credentials, should he be
placed before the convention by first ballot.
When one candidate receives majority of
the votes cast by the convention he shall be
declared the nominee.
A plan submitted by R. R. Jones, of
Quincy, Illinois, is as follows:
The Republican National Convention of
1884 shall consist of five delegates at large
from each State, such delegates to be chosen
by popular State Conventions, as usually
held for this and other purposes; provided
that each minority delegate shall have at
least one-ffth of the whole vote; also, that
three delegates from each Congressional dis
trict be chosen as follows: Each Congressional
Central Committee to call popular conven-
tion in the usual manner to appoint such del |
egates, who shall be selected by the cumula- |
tive minority vote provided such minor
ity votes shall amount to not less than one |
quarter of the whole vote all such conven-
tions to be held within the State or district at
least 30 days previous to the day of the |
meeting of the National Convention. Such |
district conventions may determine not to |
appoint delegates by district conventions in |
which case and also if no such district con- |
vention Is called or held, then the delegates |
from any such district to the State Conven- |
ton shall select such delegates in the manner |
hereinbefore stated; notices of contest to be |
given in accordance with the plan of William |
E. Chandler.
Joseph A. stickney of Great Falls, New
suggests that every Congressional |
district shall have one delegate and one dele
gate for every 12 900 votes cast for Garfield |
and one for fraction over 5000.
These plans and suggestions, and also the |
others offered, are of course open to criti- |
cism, but perhaps with their aid the commit
tee can construct rule which will prevent |
recurrence of some if not most of the diff
culties which have attended the organization |
of Republican National Conventions. There |
is great need of such rule, as was made
plain at the Chicago convention.