The evening times., 1900-06-13

AS is but natural. great interest is being
manifested by Republican politicians, in
Washington and elsewhere, in the cc1tests
among delegates from various States tat
viii be considered By the National Cor
mittee and decided pricr to the meeting of
he Philadelphia Convention. The iEt rest
is not lessened by the fact that the de-
cisions Will not affect the prospects Of TIE
candidate for nomination.
AS has been usual, especially in recent
years. most of the contests. are brought
from Southern political latitudes, the
northern boundary Of which is Mason and
Dixon's line. There are only two originating
north of that-a contest for the seat of a
single delegate from the Twentieth Penn
sylvania district and the Goddard
contest in New York. The remainder are
distributed over the region extending from
Delaware southwe steriy to aud including
Texas, and come from States which, With
a single exception, in more than quar-
ter OF a century have not contributed an
electoral vote to the election Of any Repu5-
lican candidate on the national ticket.
The single exception is little Delaware,
where Addcks has made trouble for his
party organ, but the Republican leaders
declare that the 'Addicks delegation" VIII
probably have to content itself with a view
of the exterior OF the ccmmcdious bui'd-
ing In waicn the Philadelphia Convention
is held.
The other contests are brought from Ala
bama, Georgia Louisiana. Mississippi.
Tennessee. Texas. Virginia, and the Dis
trict of Columbia. Several Of them signify
only struggle for the control OF the par
ty organization with view 10 control the
distribution CT future party favors. while
two or three involve the principle II fair
and honest elections in a greater O less
degree One Of the latter is that from the
DisGtct OF Columbia. In which allCg ltiOns
OF fraud in the manipulation OF the returns
of the primaries for the benefit O the
Administration candidates FOR delegates
are supported by afIiGayits of respectable
citizens.
Another IS the contest from Tennessee
between the partisans of the factions rep
resented by Henry Clay Evans, the Com
missioner Of Pensions. who was robbed Of
the Governorship few years ago. and
Representative BrownlCw, respectively
The latter is the Tennessee membCr Of the
Republican National Committee.
Commissioner Evars, although he is not
a coltesting delegate Will appear before
contestants, and, as he says. tell them
some plain truths about the Republican
frauds committed in the Tennessee prima-
ry elections for the benefit of the opposing
faction, to which representation was arbi-
trar.iy denied in the State Convention. Tas
Tennessee contest involves the entire dele
CATION
In Virginia the contest Is confined to
single GistTict-tEe one which was former
ly lcpTessLted in Congress by George z.
Bowtrn. who is the Virginia member Of
the National Committee and the regular"
delegate to the National Convention. Fe
is also a Federal Cthceholder. and there
fore may have a sufficient pull to enable
him to retain his seat Mr BowSeu is a
type CT the Southern Republican element
which exists solely for the sake Of Fed
cr1l patronage.
Alabama viii send two complete delega-
tons tG Philadelphia. and Louisiana viii
send three. while Texas viii furnish coz
teStan,s for delegates-at-large and also
for six Of the Congressional districts
Georgia and Mississippi will each furnish
10 the National Committee and the Con-
mittee on Credentials work to do on ac-
count OF one Congressional district. All
these contests represent struggles to OBJ
tain or retain control of the machinery
and thereby voice in the distribution OF
Federal patronage.