The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1895-12-06
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1895,
REPRESENTATION IN CONVEN-
TON.

At the meeting of the Republican
national committee the 10th OF next
month, it is said the question OF
change in the matter of representa-
tion will doubtless be brought up, but
what the committee will do about it
is not clear. Last winter Joe Man
ley. secretary of the committee, sent
out circular to Republican leaders
all over the country, in (which he en-
bodied the resolutions offered by Mr..
Scott. of West Virginia, in the COR
yention three years ago, proposing
that the call for the call for the con-
yention be issued upon new basis,
giving each Estate two delegates al
large, one for each congressional d's-
trict, and one for each 1000 Republi-
can votes cast for the Republican
ticket in 1892. The present basis is
four delegates at large and two from
each congressional district Mr..
Manley is said to have received re-
sponseS from his circular from all
over the country and Sthat they are
largely in favor of the new plan. In
considering this plan, should it be
adopted, the Chicago Inter Ocean says
that ''if the committee should feel
warranted in adopting the new plan
and calling the next convention on
that basis it would make decided
difference in the vote of the states.
New England would gain twenty
votes by the change; the North Mid
die states, New York, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois,
Michigan, and Wisconsin, would gain
2l9 votes; the South Middle states,
Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia,
Kentucky, and Missouri, would gain
thirty-nine votes; the Western states,
Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska,
and the two Dakotas, would gain
fOrty-eight votes, the Rocky Noun
bain states, Montana, Idaho, Wy
0ming, Colorado, and Nevada, would
Bose five votes. and the Pacific states,
California, Oregon, and Washington,
would gain eight votes. The South
ern states would lose siXty-six votes.
1.-The new plan would increase the
voice Of the large states and make
combinations among them more pow
erful than ever before. New York
would have 126 delegates instead of
y; Pennsylvania, 81 instead of Ga;
Ohio, so instead of As; Illinois, 50 in
stead of As; Indiana, 81 instead of 80;
Iowa, As instead of &c; Missouri, 4S in
stead of "a; Michigan, 40 Instead of
%, and Wisconsin 80 instead of "a.
The great gains would be in the Mid
die West, and the great losses in the
South. But the new plan would not
Gut off any state or congressional dis
trict from representation, for wheth-
er they have Republican organizations
Or not each district will be entitled to
one delegate. The increased repres-
entation will be a premium upon in
creased Republican vote, There is
no opportunity for the proposed
plans operating in favor or against
Presidential candidates already in
the field except that it will make the
Middle West stronger-in fact, al
most give it control of the cOnven-
tion. There would be 1866 delegates
IN the convention under the new
basis and the states of New York,
New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio,
Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wis
eonsin would have SOL delegates,
while $50 would be a majority. BY
adding the vote of either Kentucky,
Missouri, or Iowa to this combination
it would control"
The only comments the Inter Ocean
makes upon this plan are the follow
ing:
1t not clear that the committee has any
power to change the representation, though it
IS said that the present plan was adopted in
committee and the question never carried into
the convention. Neither is it clear that this is
good time to change the representation and
discourage the Republicans in Southern states
when they are beginning to have hopes of
breaking the solid South. Some of the South
arn states that would lose in representation
have made an excellent showing for Republi
canism in the last two years. and the commit
tee should be careful how it discourages Re-
publican activity in those states.
Yet in spite of these comments it
thinks it is manifestly unfair that
states that have had and do not now
have any Republican organization
should be allowed an equal represen-
tation of some other state which
casts large Republican vote and
gives its electoral vote to that party.