The Oskaloosa herald., 1908-06-18
SOUTH IN A HARD FIGHT
PLAN TO CUT ITS NUMBER OF
DELEGATES DISCUSSED.
Members of Rules Committee from
Southern States Vigorously Com
bat the Burke Resolution.

Chicago, June 1.-THE question OF
whether or not there shall be a change
In representation in future nationa
Republican conventions was discussed
for two hours Tuesday by the commit
tee on rules and order of business
without result, an adjournment being
taken until Wednesday morning l.:
order that the members of the commit
tee might confer over night with theil
delegations.
The basis of the discussion was the
resolution offered on the floor of the
convention Tuesday by Representative
James F. Burke of Pennsylvania, pro
viding that hereafter each state shall
be entitled to four delegates-at-largt
and one delegate for each 10000 votes
or majority fraction thereof, cast al
the last preceding presidential elec
tion, and two delegates from each OF
the territories.
Representative Burke claimed, an6
other members of the committee cor
roborated him, that the sentiment was
strongly in favor of his resolution.
At times the discussion waXeC
warm. The opposition came entirely
from the southern states. H. H. My
ers of Arkansas, w. H. Lucas of Flori
da, Samuel Davidson of Texas and r
II. Angel Of Virginia vigorously at
tackled the resolution, claiming thai
the Republican party in the south was
working under adverse circumstances
in order to bring that section into
line. They were agreed that the res
olution If adopted would work a great
hardship and would discourage theh
organization, They begged that the
question might be deferred until the
morning. They argued that the same
question had been brought up before
and had been defeated in Philadelphia
and they pleaded with the committee
to submit an adverse report. Thai
suggestion was voted down, where
upon the request that the whole mat
ter go over until Wednesday was
granted.
Against their contentious, however
Representative Burke and w. A. Guth
rie of Indiana. George II. Sullivan Of
Minnesota and c. c. Dawson of Colora
do maintained that the proposition
was fair. Delegate Dawson strongly
urged the resolution, insisting that i
the south wanted an incentive to built
up its organization, the resolution af
forded it, because the larger the mum
ber Of votes cast for Republican elec
tors, the greater would be the repre-
sentation In the convention.
While the committee was in session
Representative Herbert Parsons OF
New York was outside with a substi
tute resolution. Representative Burke
took copy of It in with him to be of
fered in the event that his own res
olution was voted down. The Parsons
resolution follows:
Hereafter the national convention
shall consist OF four delegates from
each state; two delegates from each
of the territories, two delegates from
the District of Columbia; two dele
gates from Alaska, Porto Rico and the
Philippine Islands, and from each con
gressional district one delegate for
every 10000 votes. and the majority
fraction thereof, cast for the Republi-
can party's candidates for national
electors at the last preceding presi
dental election; provided. however,
that nq congressional district shall be
withQf least one delegate and that
In ST ere all members of con
gress elected from separate
districts t..~ shall not be elected S
greater number OF delegates