National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-02-17
District Representation in National

ton can be secured. The best thing that
can be done will be to postpone the con-
sideration of the subject until the month
of December, 1888, six months before
the time for the meeting of a convention.
Why the party should so soon undergo
the strain of an attempt to settle the
burning question which so nearly created
a schism in its organization eight months
ago no one can explain. The resolution
of the National Convention Oil the subject
was not debated nor otherwise consid-
cred. There is little doubt that reso-
luton commanding the National Commit
tee to provide for township representa-
ton in the next convention would have
passed as easily as did the one providing
for district representation.
The truth is, the National Convention
had no authority to make laws for the
party beyond the day of its final adjourn
ment 1t had and exercised the power
| to create a National Committee, which
should provide for holding the next con-
vention. 1t had no power to direct that
committee where to locate a convention,
what test should prevail in choosing dele
gates, nor from what subdivisions of the
country they should be chosen. 1t had
no power to dictate the officers of the
committee so created, the rules by which
| it should be governed, nor the times and
places of its meetings. In short, the last
National Convention is dead, and the
party law recognizes no validity in any
| commands it issued for the government of
| its successor.
As to the National Committee itself, its
duties are limited to the calling of the
next convention and the apportionment
of delegates thereto. No committee ever
did undertake any substantial thing more
than this, and no committee will be likely
| to secure compliance with any attempted
dictation as to how the party in the sew
eral States shall choose the number of
! delegates TO which those States may be
! declared to be seyerally entitled. There
was a most disingenuous attempt made
| last spring and summer to so interpret
| the National Convention call as to make
it appear to provide for district represen-
tation. Nothing was further from the
| thoughts Of the committee. Every one
who was present at the meeting of the
National Committee land it was very
| full one) knows that the committee
merely ordered the usual call, directing
that each State should he represented
by a number of delegates equal to
twice the number of its Senators. and
Representatives in Congress. The chair
man was authorized to issue the call
accordingly. He did not himself perform
the clerical work of writing it out, but
adopted form furnished him by one of
| the executive committee. This form did
not provide for an election of two dele
gates by each district, but did call for the
election of two from each district, without
Introducing any new suggestion as to the
method of heir'electiOn. If it had read
twof0r each district it would have been
in exact accordance with precedents. The
change of the single word was of the let
ter only, and not of the spirit it was un-
intentional on the part of the writer, un-
authorized by the committee, and unob-
served by the chairman. It is mere pet
tifogging to attempt on so small basis
to claim that enforced district representa-
ton has the authority of any precedent.
The States are the units which go to
make up our national organization, and
they will continue so to be. The districts
will receive such consideration at the
hands of State organizations as the latter
shall in their wisdom believe most con-
ducive to the party strength and welfare.
No committee of the party will be allowed
to invade State convention and order
it to choose four delegates only. A COM
mittee could, if bent upon harm to the
party, 60 into the districts and say to
such Republicans as might be opposed to
the majority in the State convention:
go on, in disregard of the action of the
majority of the party in your State, and
choose ten delegates from each district.
Send them to clamor for the seats of dele
gates having the credentials of the State
convention" Let this be done in half a
dozen States and out of the brawl there
could easily come two national conven-
tons, each claiming to speak for the
party.
There is not, and never was, district
organization of the party in the United
States for any purpose whatever except
the selection Of congressional nominees.
No National Committee has any authority
to set up any such organizations. If it
should be attempted when the next Ma
tional Convention is called it would be
likely to lead to two sets of delegates from
each State in which the authority of the
State organization was defed under such
unprecedented and unwarranted recon-
mendation of the National Committee
To those who found that new rules
were demanded at Chicago last June by
the exigencies of struggle forsupremacy
within the party we say: The supporters
of precedent and party law were over
borne by a majority then, and for the
sake of the party they submitted. But
the wrong done them on that memorable
occasion cannot safely be made the basis
for future action. The expulsion of half
the delegates from Illinois and the seating
of as many bystanders in their stead was
crime against fair play and party usage,
and not a virtue to be emulated Other
similar wrongs were done. When two
women claimed the mother title to the
same child, the wise man ordered the in
fant to be cut in twain, and half to be