The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-06-22
WOULD KEEP ALASKA'S
REPRESENTATION DOWN

There was quite f1utter in the COM
mittee on rules and order of business,
which met after the convention adj
journed, when objection was made by
some of the Middle West and Eastern
states over the proposed increase of
representation of Alaska in the next
national convention.
The committee selected Henry II.
Bingham, of Pennsylvania, for chair
man; ]. F. Manning, of Vermont, as
secretary, and Reno S. Harp, of Mary
land, and j. M. Stevens, of Idaho, as
assistant secretaries. The rules of the
last convention, as amended by the
national committee, had been read,
when S. F. Fred Nixon, of New York,
objected to the amendment to the first
rule, which gives as future representa-
ton for Alaska six votes instead of
four, as at present. He was supported
in his objection by the delegates from
Delaware, Connecticut, Pennsylvania
and Minnesota. Mr.. Nixon urged that
the continued increase in votes given
to territories was simply throwing into
their hands the control of the conven-
ton in event of close contest.
THE Democratic convention of 1885,
he said, was controlled on the silver
question by the votes of the territories,
and today it is high time We cut down
the representation in convention, not
only of the territories where no cleo
toral vote is registered, but in such
states as always cast their electoral
votes for the Democratic ticket. Rep
resentation in the convention should in
reasonable measure be representative
of the number of Republican votes cast
and these states and territories should
not, out of mere sentiment, be given
as many votes as states that always
cast their electoral votes for the Re
publican candidate"
Speaks for His Territory
The Alaska member of the commit
tee, w. d. Grant, speaking for the
amendment, said that his territory,
with it's great growth, and shorn of
much honor, asked the extra repre-
sentation to be on footing of equality
with the other territories.
Mr. Nixon protested that his objec-
tons were not raised particularly
against Alaska, but to the whole sys-
tenn. which, if adopted, gave about
forty-two votes in the convention to
the territories, enough to control on any
close proposition. Il agree rather with
the late Senator Quay" he said, "who
believed in reducing rather than in
creaSing the votes of those states that
do little or nothing to aid the party
Let the reward for Republican MAORI
ties be increased representation and
the punishment for failure to assist a
reduced representation"
The speaker was applauded, but the
vote on the motion to allow Alaska in
creased representation was 81 ayes to
9 nays, the Southern and Western
states voting solidly for it.
The committee then adopted the
rules of the last convention and the
Fifty fourth congress as the rules of
the convention, with these amend
ments:
Rule to read: The. convention shall
consist of a number of delegates from
each state equal to double the number of
senators and representatives in congress;
six delegates each from the territories of
Arizona Indian New Mexico Alaska and
Oklahoma; six from Porto Rico, with two
votes; six from the Philippines, with two
votes; six from Hawaii, and two from the
District of Columbia.