New-York tribune., 1908-04-16
MANY DELEGATIONS SHY
REPUBLICANS W1RNED.
Time Limit for Calling Contentious
Erpres Tonight.
Iron The tribune Bureau. !


Washington April 15.-Although tomorrow IS
the last day fixed by the official call of the Re
publican National Committee for calling and
advertising the state and district conventions
which are 10 elect delegates to the Chicago con-
ventior, one hundred districts have not yet
been heard from by the committee. and under
the rules made by that body these sections OF
the country will he unrepresented at the big
meeting at Chicago. The call issued by the
committee last December was explicit enough,
and so have been the frequent warnings sent out
by Secretary Elmer Dover who has been doing
his utmost in the last two months TO impress on
the minds OF the Republican leaders throughout
the country that they must get busy and hold
their conventions or run the risk Of being barred
from the national convention. The last warning
issued by the secretary was sent out from
Washington headquarters on March 26 in the
form of printed circular. In bold face type the
letter declared:
''Au conventions must be called and adver-
tise1 on or before April 16.' and "all delegates
must be chosen on or before May 10
Now on the eve Of the final date set for call
ing the conventions. the national committee has
failed to hear from 104 districts and two states,
whose quota when summed UP would be 216
votes. or more than enough. ordinarily, 10 swing
the balance of ballots from the strongest candi-
date The number lacking is nearly many as
Mr Taft has obtained after vigorous campaign
Ing. and more than the com bined strength OF all
the rest OF the "favorite son" candidates put to-
gether.
According 10 the information received UP TO
date by the national committee the following
state and district conventions have not been
called, and under the rules will be invalid when
they are called unless they are advertised before
midnight tomorrow:
AIabama-1st and 9TH.
5th. and
| CaHfornia-Au eight districts.
Cieorgia-Ith. Sth and 9th.
KentuCky-:}d, 5th, 18th, 9th and 11th.
Louisiana-3d, 4th, 5th 9th and 9TH.
Maryldnd-5th.
Michigan-1st, Sd, 4th. 9TH 9Th. eth. 9Th and
Mississippi-1st to eth. inclusive
New Jersey-1st 70 10Th, inclusive.
New York-1st, 10Th. 18th. 26tn, sd. SD and
37th-
North Carolina-1st 10 9th
Ohio-3d 10Th, 18th and nth.
Oregon-State and TWO districts.
South Carolina-2d 10 Ith-
Tennesse-Jth Sth and 9th.
Texas-All subject to contest
Nirginia-9th.
West Nirginia-2d and 9th.
Unless the unset conventions are called to-
morrow the delegates elected from these dis
tricts may have hard time getting into the
convention" said Assistant Secretary Fischer
OF the national committee to-day This will bs
especially OF all districts where contests are
found. The committee, or course Will he aDls 10
let them in II it wants TO do SO, but unless there
Is very good reasons for their failure TO obey
the rules the delegates chosen after the limit
date expires will probably have blue time get
ting seats in the convention. Although We have
not heard from Texas officially, see by the
papers that Cecil Lyons, the national commit
teernan. viii hold his convention at Dallas
May u. The opposition faction, the 'reOrgan-
lied Republicans. have advertised their conven-
ton 10 be held at Waco on May 26. This brings
attention to a strange complication in Texas.
t. be legal according 10 the laws OF the COM
mittee the delegates must be chosen by May II.
But to be legal according to the state law OF
Texas the convention must be held on the
fourth Tuesday in May and every four years
thereafter Therefore. the political manager
. Of the state are between Satan and the ocean.
IF they wait until the fourth Tuesday they will
defy the national committee; II they hold their
convention before the fourth Tuesday they get
into trouble with the state authorities, Mr.
Lyons II seems. IS choosing one horn Of the
dilemma and the opposition faction the other
II ia said AT the national committee headquar-
ters that their failure 10 hear from Oregon may
be accounted for by the fact that there is q new
primary law being tried out" in the state. and
returns may come in later.