Arizona republican., 1899-12-14
MIR. PAYNE'S new PLAN
For Reduction Of Delegates
From Democratic States.
Present System of Electing Members
of National Convention to Be
Changed to Representation Based
on Republican Votes.

Payne, republican national committee
man from Wisconsin is in Washington
in the interest of his resolution to be
presented to the republican national
committee providing for i reappor-
tionment of representation Il. republic
can national conventions. NJ Payne,
who was in conference with Senator
Payne last night, is enthusiastic upon
the subject of establishing a new basis
of representation, and thus far he has
heard from executive .ommittces Of
twenty-one states, to whica the FRO
position has been submitted, ana each
has signihed its endorsement. The
states heard from are nearly all north
ern. with the exception of Maryland
and West Virginia, and the outlook fo:
the general support of the plan is,
very bright.
The proposed change in representa-
tion in the national convention gives to
each state four delegates at large and,
in addition, one vote for each 10000 re-
publican votes, or fractional majority
thereof, cast at the last presidential
election, and in apportioning such
representation the votes are to be
divided as nearly equally as possible
among the congressional districts of
the state. BY such an apportionment
each delegate to the convention will
stand as the immediate representative
of so many constituencies, repre- senting
republican votes. Under the present
method of apportionment, four dele
gates at large are allowed each state
and two from each congressional dis
trict, giving a total representation
equal to double the representation of
that state in congress. and such an
apportionment is absolutely irrespec-
tive of the republican vote.
From an experience of twenty years
as a member of the national executive
committee, Mr.. Payne is convinced
that such a basis of representation at
the convention for nominating presi-
Dental candidates is unjust and con-
uting party power.
The delegates to the conventions
from. the twenty-one states heard from
by Mr.. Payne as indorsing the pro-
posed change represent 5,OS2, ,967 CT the
republican votes cast at the last pres
idential election out of a total of 7104,-
779 votes, and these states are repre-
sented by 493 delegates of S94 in the
convention. Mr. Payne insists that the
reform is of great consequence and
necessary to just representation, and
he is confident that it will be adopted
by the national committee and submit
ted to the states. In case the resolu-
ton is favored the new basis OF rep
resentation in convention would not
become effective until the convention
Of 1904.
Under the present method of ap-
portionment the state of Maryland,
which polled $50, ,959 votes for Mckinley
at the last election, has sixteen dele
gates in the national convention, or
one for every $3.50 republican votes
cast. Alabama, Arkansas, Florida,
Georgia Louisiana and Mississippi,
which combined gave Mckinley but
2OO,O76 votes, about $4,000 more than
Maryland alone. have 121 delegates in
convention upon a basis of one for
each 1874 republican votes cast.
1t is to secure a more just distribu-
ton of votes in convention among the
republicans that Mr.. Payne has pre-
pared the following resolution, which
will be submitted to the national exc
cutive committee at its coming meet
ing tomorrow.
TEXT OF THE RESOLUTION.
Whereas the present basis of rep
resentation in republican national con-
vention is unjust and unequal, and be-
lieving that this injustice should be
remedied; therefore
Resolved, That the republican ra-
tional committee recommends to the
next national convention that a new
basis of representation be established
as follows:
Each state to be entitled to four
delegates at large, and one additional
delegate for each ten thousand votes,
or majority fraction thereof, cast at
the last preceding presidential cleo
tion for republican electors; and four
delegates from each organized terri
tory and the District of Columbia; and
be it
Further resolved, That in allotting
delegates to the states as provided,
aside from delegates at large, they
shall be divided as near as practicable
among the several congressional dis
tricts of the states, the basis shall be
the same and where it is necessary
to unite one or more congressional dis
tricts for the purpose of carrying out
@e