New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-05-25
IGNORING PARTY rules.

The failure OF certain Congress districts 70
choose delegates 10 the Republican National
Convention on or before May % raises an inter
esting question. Under the terms Of the call
issued January 16 delegates chosen after May
% are not entitled 10 recognition, for the call
distinctly says: "All delegates shall be elected
mot less than thirty days before the meeting Of
1.-The national convention" In the face Of this
explicit ruling one lesurely district in Missouri
the With, proposes 10 elect its delegates to-mor
row, and another, the XIIIth, has put off its
nominating convention till May 81. In illinois,
Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Texas there have
been similar cases Of tardiness involving pos
sible loss Of representation. AS 1t is, the ma
ti0nal committee and the committee on creden-
tails in the national convention will be forced
20 pass on the validity Of commissions issued
in those various districts in violation OF the
YentiOn call.
Perhaps no very serious protest will be made
against the acceptance of belated and irregular
credentials in a year IN which there is no con-
test over the Presidential nomination.; but it
would be q useful and wholesome lesson TO such
offenders II the convention should make point
OF cOndemning the needless infractiOn In many
quarters OF the rules which governor should
gOvern-n the election of State and district dele
gates. We called attention not long ago TO
usages still ,n vogue in the State Of Connecticut
WHICH cOluaVene 1nOSe rules. The convention
call for 1904 provides that district delegates
shall be chosen IN each Congress district by n
district convention ''in the manner OF nominal.
ing the candidate for Congress in said district -
Yet IN Connecticut radically different method
was pursued. Delegates TO the State conven-
ton, called TO choose delegates at-large, seem
also 10 have named the district delegates Con-
sDecticut has four Congress districts. each en-
bracing two counties. So the different county
selegations 70 the State convention held eau
scuses, each selecting one district delegate and
these representatives OF the counties were desig-
mated as district delegates. 1T is needless TO say
shat this is not-and cannot be-fhe method 'of
dominating a candidate for Congress" I'm any
iof these districts. Nor was 81 pretended TO be;
for the State convention. disregarding all dis.
ttfict lines and reverting to practice abandoned
IN Republican politics nearly thirty years ago
undertook TO instruct the State delegation thu,
chosen ITO act as a unit"
In AewJersey, Iowa and California thu
method OF choosing district delegates was also
open to criticism. District conventions ver.
.l.eld In each case at the State capital In con
junction with the State convention, the "a m,
delegates apparently participating In both. Thi.
's clearly not the manner in which nomination,
Tor Congress are made In these three States
District delegates 10 the Democratic yafiona
convention, IL is true, are usually named in tbi
hammer; but the district as such. has no snde
pendent status under Democratic usags IN,
Ia democratic conventions radically differen
4l-s0s1ss o. representation prevail. District COP