Evening star., 1901-12-13
CH00SINGDELEGATES
Vice Chairman Payne Of the Ma
tional Committee Talks.
QUESTION OF APP0R TIoNMBNT
Of Great Importance to the Re-.
publican Party.
CHI NGE IN SY S T E NJ
CHAN IN STEM

| of the reduction of congressional represen-
| tation now engaging attention in the House
| is analogous to that of a similar reduction
| of the delegates from those states to our
| national conventions" said Vice Chairman
| H. c. Payne of the national republican
committee to Star representative at the
| Arlington this morning.
! Mr. Payne is in Washington for few
] days on business, and in discussing the
| point involved he said: THE question OF
| the apportionment of the delegates to the
| national conventions is one of the greatest
| Importance to the future of the republican
party. l am satisfied that such reappor-
tionment, as well as the proposed reappor-
tionment of the congressional delegations.
will inure to the decided benefit of the re-
publican party in the states In which 1t Will
arise
Tried in Wisconsin.
eve have tried the plan of a fair sand
equal apportionment of delegates to the
state conventions in Wisconsin, and it has
worked admirably; indeed, so great has
been the advantageous result that we would
not return to the old system nor Is there
any demand that we should. Formerly we
allowed for an example say, two delegates
from each assembly district, and hxed
number from each senatorial district. Ihls
apportionment was arbitrary to the re-
spective state districts and depended in no
degree on the republican vote cast therein
1T was often demonstrated that the pow
er of control rested with the delegates from
the democratic districts. This was deemed
unjust and inequitable. There was no valid
reason why delegate representing, say,
100 republican voters, Should have the
same voice in the councils and the declara-
tions of the principles of his party that
delegate representing LOCO republican Vot-
ers should have We determined, there
o~ti a
gates according to the number Of republi-
can voters such districts represented, and
the result has along all lines been most sat
iSfactory.
holds true whether the convention be that
of a ward, town, county, state or country.
A man is justly entitled to represent only
such votes as he has behind him.
In National Politics.
'"The present basis of representation in
our national conventions is unfair and con-
trary to our principles of popular govern
ment.
For an approximate comparison let us
take the states of Mississippi and Minneso-
ia, the representation of which states in
our national conventions is, believe, about
alike. A certain number of delegates come
up from Mississippi with less than 1000 re-
publican voters behind them, with equal
voice on the floor of the convention as a
like number of delegates from Minnesota
with 10000 republican voters back OF them.
This is un-American, unjust and unfair.
The same is true in Congress. There are
members in that body from certain or the
southern states whose entirety Is less than
half and even quarter of that of some Of
the members elected from other states. On
the broad basis of equality upon which
our government is founded no man should
be allowed. a seat upon the floor of the
House who does not represent an equal
number of voters nearly as can be de-
termined as his neighbor else the man with
the least representation is exercising a spe-
cial political privilege over his colleagues,
and our southern members from these
states are exercising such special privilege,
to which they are not entitled in justice or
right.
Equal Representation in Conventions.
q will take an instance of representation
in a national convention: Allow one dele
gate to 10000 republican voters. In
state with 10000 of such voters there
would be fifteen delegates. In Mississippi
there are 5000 republican voters. That
state should have, therefore, but one dele
gate, and the delegations In the other
southern states should be reduced along
the same lines.
'It has been contended that such a re-
duction of representation in the south
would tend to weaken the republican or
ganization there. On the contrary, 1t
would strengthen the party. There would
vote, for upon the total of that vote would
the convention representation be based. AS
it is at present there is no incentive; the
organizations are held together in some
states for reasons of patronage alone
There is nothing to stimulate action and
to encourage the rank and file Of the party.
They have their representation in the con-
vention just the same whether they poll
], 600 republican votes or 10000.
THE gulf states contribute no electoral
votes to our party, and one by one they are
30 III nlx
sible the republican voters therein. Under
the present system 1t cannot be hoped that
they can ever be brought into the party
when the same oldperformance is re- enacted
every four years. AS the south grows in
manufacturing interests under the benefi-
cent policies of the republican party there
should be a corresponding increase in the
strength and the numbers of the republican
party there.
Change in System Demanded.
But If the southern members of demo-
cratic faith can come up to the Capitol ses-
sion after session, practically elected by
themselves and their friends, without le-
gitimate political competition at the polls,
and the same big delegations go to republi-
can conventions and share the federal
offices, what incentive is there to attempt
to win the states in question on an honest
ballot? None.