The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-05-27
THE DRIFT OF Politics

The application of the excess vote rule re-
Gently adopted by the Republican state
committee has brought about in several
counties condition of affairs that renders
impracticable one of the other rules adopt
ed al the same time. In several OF the
joint legislative districts the application OF
the excess vote rule gives some of the
counties a very small number OF delegates.
In a few instances large and populous
counties are given but from one TO six del
egates. At the same time another rule
adopted by the state committee provides
that all delegates TO legislative, congress
sional state conventions must be select
ed by primaries, or by precinct. ward, or
township mass meetings. and expressly for
bids the selection of delegates by any can
didate or committee. This rule reads:
when nominations are made by delegate
convention. all the delegates to such con-
vention shall be chosen by the Republican
voters by precincts and townships. And
for that purpose the several counties by
their respective committees. shall be divid-
ed for each convention into districts not
larger than the civil townships. to which
districts the delegates for such convention
snail be equitably apportoned by sucn
committee and within the boundries OF
each district a mass meeting or primary
election shall be called and held by the
Republican voters of such district for the
portioned to such district; provided, that
In each case in which a township on ac-
count of the smallness of its vote shall not
be entitled to delegate two or more
townships. or parts of townships, may be
combined in one district, but no more town
ships or contiguous territory shall be so
combined than is necessary 10 create dis
trict with vote to entitle it to one del
egate ana In no case shall any delegate, or
delegates, be selected by any candidate or
committee either directly or indirectly"
Now 1t is manifestly impracticable, to
say the least, to select delegates according
to this rule in the few instances where the
counties have but from one to six or seven
delegates. To take a specific example, in
the joint representative district of Marion
and Hancock counties. Marion will have
but six delegates. while Hancock will have
ten. Since the purpose of the excess vote
rule is to give the smaller county control
of the nomination, the selection of the six
delegates in Marion county becomes largely
perfunctory. This county is presumed to
have but an indirect interest in the nomi-
nation Accordingly the rule providing that
the delegates shall be selected by primaries
or by ward and township mass meetings is
found impracticable. The cost, trouble and
work necessary to the selection of the dele
gates in this manner is out of all proportion
to the good to be attained. 1t would be
to participate in such primaries or mass
meetings. In other instances where the
counties have but one or two delegates the
application of the rule is seen to be even
more impracticable.
Such were the objections raised by the
Marion county executive committee at Its
meeting Wednesday afternoon, when the
situation was gone over at length. The
committee decided that il would not be pos
sible to select the delegates in the manner
prescribed by the rule of the state COM
was apparent since the rule prescribed the
naming of the delegates by any candidate
the county committee executive commit
tee by the county chairman. When asked
what would be done, Col. Harry Is. Smith,
chairman of the county committee, said last
evening:
81 don't know. It's up to the state COM
mittee to show the way out 1t is OBJ
vious that we can't hold a primary in a
county that has $500 Republican voters to
select six delegates to attend convention
in which they can accomplish nothing be-
yond answering roll call. There would he
no contest for the delegates in this county
and no candidates to bear the expenses. No
one questions the justice of these rules or
the good to be attained through their APP
plication. It's question OF practIcability.
Another meeting of the county executive
committee will be held this afternoon to
discuss the situation again. and also TO
take up the matter of the date OF the legiS-
lative convention for this county.
When the attention of Secretary Fred A
Sims, of the state committee, was called
TO the matter yesterday, he said that the
members of the committee had seen that
the rigid application of the two rules was
impracticable in certain cases.
Those who have not had a hand in it
cannot realize the difficulty of drafting a
set of rules, such as those adopted by the
state committee, that contain no weak spots
and do not bring about some complca-
tions, said Mr.. Sims. THESE rules were
adopted by the committee under the pro-
vision of a resolution adopted by the state
convention two years ago The convention
this year adopted resolution authorizing
the state committee TO consider the advis-
ability of a further system CT party rules
and empowering the committee to adopt
further rules or make changes in those al
ready in effect Under this provision,
think it altogether probable that the COM
mittee will take steps at an early date 10
countered under the operation OF the pres
ent rules
The provision forbiding the selection of
delegates by any candidate or committee
was considered one of the best features of
the new rules and none of the party work
ers who had considered the matter suggests
the abrogation of that rule. 1t has been
suggested, however, that the rule might be
| amended by the addition of "a proviso leav-
| ing it within the discretion of the state
| committee or state chairman to waive this
| rule in such instances where it's application
| may be deemed impracticable.
Republican State Chairman James p
| Goodrich will be at the headquarters in the
| English Hotel to-day.
That the Indiana Parker leaders are not
| a little concerned over the circulation OF
| the reports that there has been a marked
| decrease in Parker sentiment here since
| the state convention. is shown by efforts
| they are making to discredit these reports
| One after another they have given out in.
| terviews to the effect that Indiana Demo.
| Gratis are of one mind the presidential
| question, and that they worship only al
| the shrine of the New York jurist Espe-
| cial emphasis is laid by them on the dec
| laration that the Indiana delegates to the
| st. Louis convention have no second choice
| and IL is obvious that they are anxious &c
| puncture the Mcclellan boom before IL at
| tains more alarming proportions. state
| Chairman w. III. O'Brien is the last OF the
Parker leaders to give out an interview OF
this character. In the Democratic state
| organ yesterday he was quoted as declar-
| ing that he had no second choice for Pres
1 ident, and that there WIS nothing in the
| talk about the people IN this State who
/ have declared for Parker being for a third
man.
| While here yesterday Chairman O'Brier
also expressed the opinion that the action