The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1907-04-25
Ahead of All Conventions.

Only one national convention of eth
er the republican or democratic party
in twenty-five years has been held as
early as the date set for the Iowa pri
mary next year and that was the re-
publican convention of 1880, which met
on June 2. The last three republican
national conventions have been held the
third week in June, while the democrats
have held their last three conventions
the first week in July. Thus thew
ers of Iowa will be called upon to nom
mate their candidates for presidential
electors in advance of the selection of
the standard bearers Of either party.
The dates set by the new primary
law for the district and state conven-
tion also present another complication
for the politicians of the state. If the ma
tional conventions are called next year
at their customary time, it will be i'm
possible for either the republicans or
democrats of Iowa to name their nation
al delegates at the district or state con-
ventions provided by the primary law.
District conventions, according to
the new law, cannot be held next year
earlier than June 25, nor later than
July %, and state conventions must be
called between June IS and July q The
following dates of the republican and
democratic national conventions for the
last three campaigns show that the
Iowa delegates will have to be elected
earlier than the convention dates of the
primary law: 1896, republican, June 16;
democratic, July Z; 1900 republican,
June 10, democratic, July 4; 1904, re-
publican, June 81, democratic, July 8.
May Leave Iowa Unrepresented.
Not word is written in the new pri-
mary l&w about the selection of national
convention delegates, but the conven-
to transact 'such other business as may
question has been raised if shat does
not include the election of national del
egates. If that is held to be the intent
not authorized by the primary law, Sc
lect national delegates? If national
delegates can be chosen only by con-
law, Iowa may not be represented at
ic national conventions should they be
called earlier than the legal date for
the "oficial" Iowa conventions. If the
ASPob1iSoho uCuoSldlo VI 1o"a
should call special conventions to name
their national delegates, there would
be an opportunity for the credentials of
the Iowa delegates to be questioned by
the national convention. The point
might be raised that the Iowa delegates
were not selected at conventions au-
thorized by the Iowa primary law and
therefore not legally qualified to repre-
sent the state. Should either national
convention have a close contest for
nomination of president or vice presi-
dent, there is not much doubt but that
the validity of the Iowa delegation
would be thoroughly investigated.
State delegations have been thrown out
for far less cause.
With both district and state conven-
tions authorized to adopt "party" plat
forms and another platform to be pre-
pared by the national convention, the
Iowa republican or democrat may have
to execute some lively steps next year
to get footing on all his "party" planks.
The state primary law gives no recog
milton of the national convention in any
way: however and the question may be
ra ised if the national platform of either
party will have legal standing in Iowa
as test of party membership. Accord
ing to the primary law the parties in
this state should be called 'the republic
can party of Iowa" and ''the democrat
party of Iowa." National parties are
ignored by the new primary law.