Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-12-11
Date of National Convention
of Republicans Causes General
Mix-Up in This State
DATES TOO CLOSE TOGETHER
Democrats May Still Further Compi-
cate Situation by Calling Early Con-
veotion-Disttrict Conventions to Be
Called by Congressional Committees
Conflicting Conditions.
Special to TImes-Republican.

Des Moines, Dec 11.-A mix-up with
by the call for the national republi-
can convention because it conflicts
with Iowas new primary election law.
The call of the national republican
central committee furthermore implies
at least that the district conventions
shall be called by the district central
committees, While in this state 1t has
been the custom for years for the state
central committee to call such conven-
tions, to be held at the place of the
state convention and In the forenoon
of the same day. when the purpose was
to select national convention delegates.
Furthermore the national committee
by fixing the date Of the national con-
so close to that of the county and
state conventions to be held under
the primary election law that they may
seriously interfere and to cap the eli
max, it Is said that the democrats Will
call their national convention at
time that will still further interfere.
Because of the fact that some news
papers are continually getting the date
of the primary wrong 1t should be
stated that the primary election will
be held on June 2 this year.. The law
directs that it shall be held on the
first Tuesday after the first Monday
and a reference to the calendar for
1908 will disclose the date. The pri-
mary Of all parties is held at the same
time and at the same voting places.
The county and district conventions
to select delegates to the national con-
vention are to be held much earlier
and will be out of the way but the
primary law directs that the state con-
vention for selecting party platforms
shall be called by the state party or
ganization and shall be held not ear
lier than the third Thursday and not
later than the fifth Thursday after the
primary election day. Therefore it can
not be held earlier than June 18 and
not later than July 2. But the same
primary election law directs that coun-
ty conventions of delegates selected
by the primary shall be held on the
third Saturday following the primary
election This will be this year June
20 and hence the state convention can
not be held till after June 20. 1t is at
the county conventions to be held on
June 20 that the delegates to the state
convention will be selected. Practically
speaking the state convention follow
ing the primary election must be held
T,,r1 nd T11U
9, q: period of week and a half. Since
the democrats are thinking Of placing
their national convention in June early
in the month and possibly on June
the very day of our primary election.
it will be seen that conventions will
be held in close order.
The call to the national republican
convention this year states that there
shall be four delegates at large from
each state and two delegates from
each congressional district. 1t pro-
vides that the delegates at large shall
be selected at a popular state con-
vention" and the delegates from the
districts by "conven-
tions called by the republican con-
gressional committee of each district"
In this state the state committee has
been calling these conventions to
meet at the place and date of the state
the district conventions to
meet in the forenoon and the state
just following their meet
ings.
The question has been raised shall
Iowa this year continue it's precedent
or give way to the national commit
to- hot tho tfoa
in making it's call drew it very broad
ly and seemed to attempt to provide
exceptions for all states where differ
ent methods are used, and hence that
this state will be warranted in follow
ing the custom of past years. The
district central committees have been
allowed in this state to call only the
which nominate con-
gressmen This year there will be no
such conventions to nominate con-
gressmen unless the primary election
fails of that or unless the congress-
ional committee decides to call con-
vertion for the purpose Of adopting a
platform.
The selection Of delegates to the
convention is entirely separ-
ate from the primary election. The
election law says nothing
about Them the reason being that the
time of holding the national conven
tons is so changeable that it would |
be impossible to provide fixed date
on which to hold a primary for nom
inaring officers for state and county
Offices that would be at a time when
it would be possible to select delegates
I. .l,a convention