Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-06-17

conventions shall be based Vol the
vote in each district for the Republi-
can electoral vote at the preceding
Presidential election, provided that
each district shall nave at least one
delegate and each state shall have four
delegates at large. The rate for dis
trict representation in the convention
OF 1900 shall be one delegate for each
1000 Republican votes polled. TINS year.
for the party electoral ticket. with an
additional delegate for a fraction tx
ceeding a half thousand. In the case
of a state entitled to more thar one
member OF Congress and has not been
divided into congressional districts It's
representation shall be ascertained by
dividing the electoral vote for the IN
tire state by 1000.
Hereafter each national convention
shall fix the ratio of representation for
the succeeding national convention.
The effort to secure proportional reso-
buttons in Republican national conVen-
ti6ns is not a new one. 1t has been
made several times heretofore in the
summer of 1892. Senator N. II. Scott
of West Virginia, submitted a resolu-
ton to the national convention provid-
ing for representation in the ~ventiO
of 1896. on the basis of the vote polled
For the Republican electoral ticket in
1892. The committee decided that ii
had no authority to change the method
OF appointing delegates and the con-
y.ntion of this year was accordingly
construed in the old way.
Allowing four delegates at large to
each state and two delegates to each
ssional district without regard
to the Republican vote polled there. In
the following table. which was com
piled by Congressman Acheson Of
Pennsylvania. it is desired To show
that the representation OF the several
states and congressional districts will
be in the convention of 1sro If 1t is
based upon the Republican vote there
in as proposed in the above resolution.
The figures taken are those Of 1894
rather than those OF 1892, as il Is
thought that the vote. this year. IS
rlore likely to approximate the vote of
1894 than that of 1892.
i, is likely that many districts will
poll Il larger Republican vote. this
year. than they did In 1894. ana hat
their representation viii therefore ex-
coed that given IN the table. II the
nts'tllSU ne ilIdtF Ilit tff i'ifsih Wv
total number of delegates be too large
that can easily be me by increasing The
ratio Of representation. making 1t 5000.
10. 600 or 1000 as the convention may
determine. Mr.. Acheson's table Is as
fellows:
Under the proposed basis of repre-
sentation the state Of Maine would
gain two delegates. The ta,es that
-f - - - I
8: Arkansas. 6: Florida. .: Georgia. II:
Idaho. ]: Louisiana, G; Massachusetts,,
2: Mississippi. :: Nevada. 1; North
Carolina. 3: South Carolina. Z: Tennes-
see. 4: Texas. 9: Virginia. S. Wyoming. |
i. IS delegates in all. or which n
would he the least TO the states which
have never yet given the Republican
party an elector and added To the
states upon which the party must de-
pend for victory at the polls.
It Is useless to deny that the feeling |
in favor of this basis for representa-
ton in future Republican national con-
ventions is largely stimulated by the
utterly mercenary and unreliable
character Of many Of the delegates
from the Southern states. Why these
men who have apparently no real 10y
atty to the party who go to conven-
tons "on the make and who are not
in position to do any effective work to
secure II victory. should ge permitted to
exercise an undue n unjust power
in selecting the Republican candidate
and Determining the Republican
policies is a question to which the pre-
sent basis of re~presention has no salts
factor answer If there is n good rea-
son why n Republican in Mississippi
or Louisiana or Texas should have
eight or 10 times the power in the
national council of the party that can
be exercised by Republicans in Maine
or Pennsylvania. Iowa and other states
that have stood loyalty by the party
and fought and won its battles from
the day of its birth it has yet to be
made manifest.
1t is high TIM the Republican party
should place its representation upon
the just and equal basis of Republi-
can strength where they exist. At the
table with some of the Maine men,
last evening. sat a delegate from Texas
who confessed that he had been q
member of the Republican party just
two months. 1t is a very ordinary
sight here to see colored delegates
wearing the badges of different cam
didates on different days.
The change is sure to come. Their
seems to be no good reason why the
matter should not be disposed of by
the present %cnvention.
1t is said here. today. that Gov. Nor
tom is willing to take the second place
ul'on the ticket. and if this is the
case. his chances of securing the place
appears to be better than those of any
other man who has yet been men
toned in this connection. Friends of
GOV. Hastings of Pennsylvania. are
ende3voring to start a movement in his
behalf. and the boom of II. Clay Evans
has assumed very respectable proper
tions
c. 3. BURLEIGH.