Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-01-04
REPUBLICANS 70 RULE.

The Proposed Change in the Representa-
ton in the Next Republican National
COnvention--De delegates to be AppOrtioned
According 10 the Party Representation
in Congress--The Next Convention to Con-
sist of 1903 Members.
Especial Telegram to the Globe.
WASHINGTON, Jan. Bone result of the
two dinners that Mr.. Forbes, of Boston,
gave here few days ago is substitute
for the Chandler Mcpherson scheme of
representation in Republican national
conventions which is quite likely to be
adopted. 1t is understood to meet the APP
proval of Messrs. Chandler, Mcpherson.
Forbes and Martin, and that renders its
adoption by the national committee almost
foregone conclusion, as the gentlemen
named composed all but one of sub-com-
mittee. The Chandler McPherso plan
contemplates large increase in member
ship of the convention by giving every
state the representation it now has,
adding two delegates at large for every
Republican senator and two district dele
gates for every Republican member either
in the Forty-seventh or Forty eighth con-
gress. The difficulty in the way Of apply
ing that plan was the fact that between
the Forty seventh and Forty eighth con-
crosses there was a reapportionment of
members. Therefore, it would be hard,
oftentimes, to decide whether districs
had a member in either of the two con-
crosses named. The plan now pretty we'll
| agreed on obViates tho difficulty by ignor-
ing the Forty-seventh congress and basing
the apportionment of extra delegates
upon the number OF Republi-
cans in each house of the Forty
eighth congress. AS the elections
last fall were unfavorable to the Repub-
licsns, this limitation of additional del
| egates to the membership of the next
congress would not give the distinctly Re-
publican states that ascendency that it is
intended to give them. To remedy this it
| is proposed to allow three instead of two
additional delegates for each Republican
fsenator or representative. This is going
to give the Republican states the nomina-
! iion Of presidential candidate. In the
! ,btcaso convention it was very noticeable
:4t. Tbs strength of the .'old guard' lay
! a,,uost entirely in states that could not,
a.Uer any circumstances, contribute one
vote in the electoral college to the
election OF the candidate. Members
Of the national committee have come to
realize the fact that even in Republican
states success cannot be counted on as a
certainty. The candidate must be &C
ceptable to Republicans in Republican
states, or he cannot be chosen. Two years
ago Mr.. Conkling said anybody meaning
any Republican-could carry Michigan,
but Democrat has just carried it for the
governorsnip, and leading Republicans
recognize that a Democrat will carry it
for the presidency unless the Republicans
of Michigan are duly considered in the
selection of candidate. In the
Chicago convention Georgia had ex-
actly as much to say in determining
who should b& the Republican candidate
for the presidency as Michigan did. In a
convention organized as now proposed
Michigan would cast forty three votes, as
she will have IN the next congress two
Republican senators and five representa-
tives and Georgia will cast twenty two.
Had this rule been in force when the con-
vention was held in Chicago, Mr.. Blaine
would have been nominated for the presi-
| dency il good deal less than thirty six
ballots. The whole thing is summed up
| in the statement chat in the opinion of
the subcommittee Of the national COM
mittee having this matter in charge, the
tail has wagged the dog long enough. The
proposed rule is, there shall be two dele
gates at large for each senator and two
district delegates for each representative
or territorial delegate, and three extra del
! eg.,tes for each representative senator or
representative in congress existing at the
; ttine Of the convention. The delegates at
I !a3A - are to be elected by state con-
veufion called on not less than fifteen
days published notice, and held not less
| than twenty five nor more than forty-fve
| days before the national convention. This
last provision is aimed at premature cam
paigns like those in Pennsylvania
and New York in 1880,
| where the Grant men elected all
their delegates to the national convention,
before people generally were aware that
anything was going on, the national con-
vention was then so remote. The district
delegates are to be elected in similar dis
trict conventions, as they may be selected
by the district representatives at state
conventions. Assuming that the next con-
gress will contain thirty eight Republican
senators and 123 Republican members of
the house, the convention of 1884 will con-
sist of 1903 members, of whom $50 will
be distributed as now, and 483
will be extra delegates, allotted TO
states and districts where there are Re-
publican majorities. Instead of having
forty -four delegates Illinois would have
eighty three, provided she mas two Repub-
lican senators after the 4th of next March.
New York Will have delegation of III in
stead of seventy Even Kansas will
send delegation of forty-fve, for as her
congressional delegation is entirely Re