The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-12-29

/ Between now and next June state con.
We atoms must be held in every one OF
| forty-six states for the choice of four
/ delegates at large. Furthermore in ev-
cry one of the S91 Congressional dis
tricts OF the country there should be
4 held conventions for the nomination of
two district delegates. This would
make a total of 437 conventions. not
/ including conventions in the District
/ of Columbia and in Arizona, New
! Mexico. Alaska, Porto Rico, Hawaii
and the Philippines. In round num-
ventions.
In practise the number will be con-
siderably less for several reasons. In
State like Washington, where the
three Congressman are chosen at large,
one convention can designate the en-
tire ten delegates. In some of the
Southern States the Republicans have
no organization, outside of a few Fed
eral off1ceholders, and they meet in a
very perfunctory way and choose del
egates by methods that hardly deserve
being Tlignified by the word conven-
ton.
Some States this year viii elect their
delegates by primary, which means
that in most instances of this kind
there will be no need for a conven-
ton. The Republican National Com
mittee found considerable difficulty
drawing a call that would comport
with the primary law of the States.
Some very important legal questions
were raised. In previous years the
ool1 hoe haof, v-rff+ay ca &c 70 rao17ira
nominating conventions. but, by the
compromise agreed upon, the National
Committee allows the State and Con-
gressional committees to determine
whether the delegates shall be elected
in convention or by primary in ac-
cordance with the local laws.
All this machinery is necessary for
holding only one of the national con-
ventions. The Democrats, with some
ariations as to details, go through
the same process. With them, as with
the Republicans, four delegates at
large are allowed to every State and
two delegates for every Congressional
district. The theory is to make a !
national Convention just twice the |
size of a joint session of Senate and /
House As a matter of fact, four |
bodies. each twice as large as a joint /
session of Senate and House, are
chosen, for each party chooses an al
for each delegate. which
means that the party conventions dur
ing the winter and spring will desig-
nate 1000 men to go to the national
Presumably the Taft supporters Will
want early conventions in the locali~
ties where their candidate is strong.
They viii want an early test in Ohio. l.
where the eyes of the country will be
'ocussed, and in Minnesota, Kansas,
md States up and down the Missis-
;ippi valley that are under the dom
nation of the administration. The
,reat fight for delegates will surely be
lrawn out for several months, and
llong with it will be fight, in some
places, against any instructions what
yer. The big northeastern section Of
he country may not figure particular
Y in the contest unless it be New
York. for il seems TO be a foregone
onclusion now that all that section
will send uninstructed delegates.
The South will be a hot battle
round A vast deal of clever polit-
eaI work has been done in that sec
ion, where manipulation eis not diff
ult There is little public sentiment
\ the Republican party of.the South
nd the favor Of a few chiefs is all
Important in determining which can
idate shah be favored.
The Democratic contest for delegates {
ill naturally be Of small interest.
here may be little spurts of opposi-
on 10 Hr. Bryan, but apparently no.