The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-01-18
THE CONVENTION IN 1884.
Meeting of the Republican National
Committee.
A SUCCESSOR TO SECRETARY DORSEY
CHOSEN
The Plan Of Representation Adopted by
the Committee.

ed. ''' "e0opt-
Mr.. Geo. w. Hooker of Vermont was then
consin and John A. Martin of Kansas bv Mr.
Fierce OF Rhode Island.
Mr' hooker, however, declined the nomin-
atlon, and then on motion of Mr.. Chandler
M M. Martin Of Kansas was unanimously cleo
TED the secretary.
On motion of Senator Logan the thanks of
tne committee were unanimously rendered to
Geo. geo "; Hooker, assistant secretary, for the
aple ana efnclent manner in which he had dis
charged the duties of that Office
1he chairman then called for the report of
sne special committee appointed year ago to
present plan for the choice of delegates TO
the next Rational Republican convention.
Mr.. VIM. e. Chandler, chairman Of the
special committee, stated that at the meeting
oI last night II had been decided to submit to
the full committee TODAY a uumbey of n,.onosi-
tions 70 pc voted on seriatim. They were
printed in the National Republican this morn
ing. he discussed them at some length, He
DelleVed 1t better to run the risk of having
convention of 400 delegates than to reduce
the number The trouble was not in the
number of delegates but in the thousands with
which delegates had been surrounded in ali
the National conventions from 1860 to 1880.
lie favored the idea of making the Forty-
seventh Congress the basis of representation
and OF having the district delegates chosen at
conventions within each district If not they
should be chosen by subdivisions of State con-
Ventions. He was of the decided opinion that
all conventions should be held at least thirty
days before the National convention and with
in sixty days.
Mr.. Mitchell of Oregon inquired what plan
was suggested for contesting elections of dele
gates.
Mr. Chandler said that that matter should
be left to the Republicans of the States and
districts. lie did not believe it we'll to antici-
pate contests.
Mr.. Gary of Maryland inquired who vera to
determine whether the district delegates were
to be elected in the district conventions or in
the State conventions?
Mr.. Chandler replied that that would be left
for the determination Of the Republicans of the
th;s dlisrsos 8as subject which (he though
Mr.. Washburn of Minnesota thonght tba.o
would be less dltleulty if this committee wou1d
lay Gown the rule and mark clearly and nm
nllStakaDly What wos expected Of every State
and district, instead of leaving ~
loose ends. AZ
Mr.. Chandler-How would you do it in the
absence Of knowledge as to the manner of
organization?
Mr.. Washburn-If it cannot be done it shows
scheme.
Mr.. Gary-We should leave no opinion at
all, but lay down clearly what is TO be done,
Mr.. Chandler-I think it would be danger
Gus and impolitic for US to say who shall repre-
sent the Republicans of a State or district.
The only safe way is to leave the matter
where it is.
Mr.. Martin Of Kansas, q member of the sub-
committee, stated the views which he enter
tanned, as shown in the plan proposed By him.
Senator Logan moved as substitute for all
the new propositions, that the basis Of repre-
sentation shall remain us it has heretofore
been. This plan, he said, was based ON the
theory that the people are represented the
theory on which Presidents were elected,1 ex-
cept that Territories were included There
was no principle in the idea of having dele
gates chosen in proportion lto the number of
Republicans in "a district. There might be
some advantage ia it, but no principle 1t
would be like the tide which GIBBS and flows.
There would be no stability in it, The State
OF New York would not at one time have half
as many Republican delegates as it would
have at another. 1t was to him a perfectly
astounding proposition. Els hozeSt opinion
was thai if the principles of the resolution
adopted at the last National Convention vera
carried out, the basis of representation would
not be changed. 1t simply meant equalization
according to the distTscts of the United States
Nobody was going to be hurt by allowing the
old system to stand, and somebody would be
hurt if it were changed; somebody would be
disiranehised to that extent and heart burn
ings and i'll feeling would be rcreated. Every
district, whether it could or could not elect a
Republican Presidential ,elector, was entitled
to be represented at the National Republican
Convention. In conclusion, he modified his
motion, making it; That the basis OF represen-
tation shall be TWO delegates for each Senator
two delegates for each Representative in Com
gress, two delegates for each Territory, and
two delegates for the District Of Columbia
Mr.. Enos of Wisconsin moved to amend the
substitute by striking out the words 1.-TWO dele
gates for each Senator" His proposition was
simply to have district representation fresh
from the people. According to one Of the
plans proposed there would be 400 delegates
with 1400 alternates, a body of 2800 men. No
ordinary hall would hold SO many. According
to his own proposition there would be about
666 delegates and as many alternates. This
number he thought certainly large enough
He regarded his own proposition as the genu-
inc, true, democratic, republican scheme to get
the real expression CT the people.
MIR. Lacy of Michigan proposed body con-
sisting of four delegates at large from each
State, two from each Congressional district,
and an additional district delegate for each
Congressional district in which the last Repub-
lican candidate for President received a plu-
rality of tho votes cast within the counties
composing such district; also, two delegates
from each Territory and from the District of
Columbia. He explained his views, stating
that his proposition made no allowence on &C.
count Of Republican Senators. He calculated
that it would result in about thousand dele
gates to the National Convention.
The debate showed q wide divergence of
opinion as to the basis of representation, in the
National convention and several members
argued in favor Of additional representation
for Republican States and districts
The amendments to Mr.. Logan's substitute
were however finally Withdrawn. After
further discussion Mr.. Martin OF Kansas offer
ed the resolution that there shall be additional
representation in the next convention based
either on the Republican vote for President or
on the Republican members of Congress.
ffaP pOnSilppaila a vva fa xaO
on Mr.. Logan's substitute, resulting yeas %,
nays 10, so the present plan of representation
was retained.
Recess was then taken till 7.30
AT the evening session the first six propos-
tions having been disposed of by the adoption
Of the substitute the seventh was taken up as
follows:
Shall state delegates be elected at popular dele
gate state conyention?'
This was decided afirmatively, and also
made to apply to territories and the District of
Columbia
The eighth proposition was amended to read
as follows and thus agreed to;
'Resolved, That Republicans of the various Con-
gresiona districts shall have the option of choosing
their delegates at separate conventions held within
the districts or by subdivision of State conventions
but all district delegates selected shall be accredited
by officers OF such district conventions
The ninth proposition was.
"state conventions shall be held not less than 80
nor more than go days before the National conven-
tion'
Agreed TO without discussion.
The tenth proposition was altered SO as to
read: where separate district conventions
are called in districts they shall be held within
10 days before the State convention" This
also was agreed to, and it disposed of all mat
ters reported by the subcommittee.
Mr.. Valentine moved to recommit all the
propositions to the subcommittee with instruc-
tions to formulate method and rule. Agreed.
Mr. Chandler then offered the following re-
solution which was adopted without discussion:
Resolved, That the call of the next Republican
National convention shall be so broad aid liberal
as to invite cooperation (witheut imposing any
other test of fealy Of all citizens in favor Of
vatlng and dignifying American labor, protecting
aud extending home industries, giving free popular
education to the masses eff the people, securing
free suffrage and honest counting of ballots and eff
fectually protecting all human rights in every
section of our common country, and who are wilt
ing to support the nominees Of the convention.
A recess for half hour was taken to allow
the subcommittee to formulate the method
and rule and On re-assembling Mr.. Chandler
from the subcommittee reported the follow
ing:
The Republican National convention of 1884
shall consist of four deleoates at 1arna from