New-York tribune., 1883-12-10
REPUBLICAN DELEGATES.
SENATOR FRYE'S PLAN OF REPRESENTA-
TlON.
WHAT 1T WAS DESIGNED FOR, AND THE PROSPECTS
OF ITS ADOPTION.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.l

WASUIN NGTON, Dec. o-When the hePutoho""
National Committee voted by 23 to 10, in January
last that there should be change in the ratio OF
representation in the National Convention, and
adonted an order based upon the old system of four
deegates-at-large for each State and two delegates
for each district it supposed that the subject
bod been disposed of finally, at least so far as the
next convention was concerned. But an earnest
cIo,t il 10 BE made at the committees meeting on
Wednesday next 10 reconsider this action, ana 10
nrovde ratio of representation that shall be salts
| factory to the masses of Republican voters IN the
North
The plan which Senator Frye will submit ana
| which has already been published, Is regarded
with favor by a number of the members of the COM
| m,ttee who are in the city. 1t seems to them to
meet almost all the objections advanced to the
| plans discussed at the January meeting. The plan
| proposcl / by John A. Martin, of Kansas, now the
secretary of the committee to give oil the adj
dtloual representation to the States-an idea not IN
| harmony with the spirit of the times. The plan
| supported by Secretary Chandler aud Senator Frye
added TO the present number of delegates
| three delegates-at-large for each Republican
| Senator and three district delegates for each
Republican Congressman. making a convention OF
| nearly 800 delegates. The strongest argument
used gainst this plan by those who wished 10 re-
| tain the old system of delegates and preserve the
|
| worked uucaually. A district which cast 10000
| Republican votes and elected a Republican Con-
yrcssman wonld have three additional delegates a
| district which cast 1000 Republican votes ana
yet failed to elect Republican Congressman would
have no additional representation. The great size
of the proposed convention was also made an OBJ
lection.
HOW SENATOR FRYE's PLAN WOULD WORK.
Senator Frye expressed the opinion after the de-
feat of this plan. and of all the plans,
that if ono could have been proposed
which was not open TO the hrst
| named of these objections. it could have been
carried. lie believes ho has now found it. 1t is to
give 10 each State four delegates -at-large as at
present bat to reduce the number of regular dis
trict delegates from two TO one, ard then to give
each Congressional District additional delegate
for each 10000 Republican votes cast for Presi-
dential electors and another additional delegate
! foT each majority fraction of 10000 votes. This
system il is III rcd, would be more exact and pre-
| sent fewer inequalities than the other district
would receive Tt representation in accordance with
! the vote it cast, aud its share of power In the
| party councils woud not depend on its
| having succeeded in beating the Democratic
| candidate This system of representation would
| not result in a convention much larger than at
present Estimating the distribution OF the dele
gates Oh the vote cast for electors in 1850 there
would he only fifty delegates moro than in the con-
veption Of 1850. Under the new apportionments
the total Increase would be about eighty, making
ca uventlon If 900. The only apparent obstacle to
the successful application Of the plan is in Pennsyl-
yania where the Legislature has failed TO redistrict
the State; ; but this may still be done al the new
session before the time comes 70 elect delegates.
Willie there would be little increase in the total
membership Of the convention, the redistribution
10 rily pha
basis of the districts as they existed in 1880, the
Southern States, including Delaware. would have
only 245 delegates instead Of 306, and would thus
form only % per cent Of the entire convention, in
stead Of 50 per cent as under the present system.
Rhode Island would be the only Northern State
that would lose 1t would have two delegates less
than at present OF the Southern States, Delaware,
Florida, Maryland Missouri, North Carolina and
West Virginia would lose nothing. The total loss
of the other Southern States would be 3d. The
total gain of the Northern States would be
III. Georgia, instead OF having almost
exactly the same vote as Massachusetts,, would
drop to 15 while Massachusetts, would rise to 81.
Mississippi which, by the Cd system, would have
inst as large a vote as ew-Jersey-1S-would drop
to 10, while New-Jersey would rise to 81 New
York would have IS, Pennsylvania 76 Ohio 90,
Illinois SO. Indiana IL votes. In short the great
Republican and doubtful States could nominate the
candidate and it wOnld not be possible for the
Southern States to do it without the help of the
Territories and few States in the North.
Senator Frye thinks his plan entirely
Just to the Republican party iii the South,
because he proposes 10 base the additional
representation upon the vote for Presidential elect
ors-the one least affected by Democratic frauds.
The Bourbons count out members of Congress and
State and county officers but they usually
of the electoral vote Of the State and there is less
fraud in counting the vote electors. The hard
ship to the party in the South would not bo great
in any case each district has delegate in the
convention without regard 10 the vote it casts.
SENATOR FRYE HOPEFUL OF SUCCESS.
1t is impossible, of course, to say what DISPOSE
tion the committee will make Of the proposed plan.
! Senator Frye says he expects to put the case
squarely and fairly to Pie Southern men them
selves, and that enough of them will the JUS
tice of the idea to secure its adoption.
John NJ Forbes, of Massachusetts is deeply inter
ested in the PLAN Secretary Chandler says he has
not made up his mind yet about it. Representatives
of the faction which defeated the Chandler plan |
last January talk guardedy and suggest that the
party must be careful not to abandon" the |
Southern constituencies.
d. b. Henderson, Secretary of the Executive Com |
mittee of the National Committee says that while |
ho has not been able to study the proposition care
fully OH hasty glance it strikes him fayorably
Senator Frye says that he has been told that his
plan is in the interest of Blaine, whom he has not
seen for year. and who, 80 far as he knows is not
a candidate. When he saidh favored Saratoga for
the convention, he was told by some that that
would not do for IL would be in Arthurs interest |
Mr. Frye says ne likes President Arthur first |
rate" and is quite likely to vote for him for
anybody else.
Senator Miller, of New-York, says he knows Of no
movement being made TO take tho convention 10 |
Saratoga The hOtel-keepers there seem to regard
conventions as an interference with their ordinary
business except when held before OF after the sea-
son.
The contest between Baltimore Philadelphia, |
Cincinnati indianapolis and Chicago will evil |
IDENTIFY be a keen one. An effort has been made in
behalf OF Chautauqua.