The Washington times., 1911-12-10
THE MEETING OF THE MA
TIONAL COMMITTEE.

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The, Republican national committee
will meet in Washington this week for
it's quadriennial session to arrange
preliminaries to the national conven-
ton. Next to making up the tenn
porary roll of the convention this is
the most important business the ma
tional committee transacts. The com
mittee doesn't conduct the campaign;
the chairman does that, and he is in
reality designated by the Presidential
candidate, not actually elected by the
committee.
Some very important matters will
claim the consideration of the com
mittee this year. One has to do with
the method of selecting delegates, and
another with the representation of the
Southern States.
There is a nation wide and earnest
desire for a Presidential primary; or
rather, for Presidential primaries State
by State. 1t is based on the conviction
that the party at best is none too
strong with the people in anticipation
of next years contest, and therefore it
ought to adopt every possible means to
get itself en- rapport with the real
body of public opinion of its own
masses. The Republican party is going
to have hard shedding at best; it needs
to put its best foot forward. 1t cannot
afford to rest under the imputation
that it is governed by machine that
did not dare appeal to the plain people
in its membership to express their
preference as to candidate.
Suppose that Mr.. Taft is certain to
be renominated. His friends say that
is the case. Suppose, further, that a
Presidential primary in every State in
the Union would not make a difference
of one in the number of delegates that
would support Mr.. Taft.
Granting all this, it is still true that
MR.. TAFT WOULD BE HUNDREDS
OF THOUSANDS OF VOTES
STRONGER IN THE ELECTION IF
HIS NOMINATION WERE MADE BY
A CONVENTION COMPOSED OF
DELEGATES SELECTED BY POPU-
LAR PRIMARIES OF THE PARTY.
There can be no doubt of this. If
Mr.. Taft is certain to be nominate
whatever method is employed, then the
method should be employed which will
contribute most to making him strong
AFTER HE is NOMINATED.
If, in fact, there is reason to fear
that he might be defeated for the nomi-
nation if the whole mass of the party
were given the chance of primary vot-
ing, then there is wellnigh a certainty
that he would be defeated if dominates
No man who dare not trust his case
to the majority of HIS OWN PARTY
will dare trust it to the majority of
THE WHOLE COUNTRY.
There is every argument in favor of
the primary plan this year, and none
against it. As a matter of party ex.
pediency, as well as of good faith with
the people, the primary ought to be
adopted. 1t ought to be recommended
by the national committee to the State
organizations. 1t ought to be urged
in such terms that there could be no
uncertainty about the wish of the ex-
ecutive committee of the party organ
ization.
Next, as to Southern representation
1t is probably beyond the powers OF
the national committee to change the
basis of representation, but at least the
committee could take action recon-
mending consideration of this subject
by the next convention, and expressing
the opinion that States should be rep.
resented somewhat in proportion to
their Importance as factors in the ma,
tional party's column of available as,
sets.
Texas has no business casting more
votes in Republican national conven,
ton than Kansas; and so long al
Texas does it the convention cannot be
representative of the party. When the
solid South casts more than one fourth
of all the votes, more than half the
votes necessary to nominate, it is OBJ
vious that the nomination of the con
vention is anything but representative
of the party. 1t is condition that
one day will be ruinous to the party
in great national crisis. The evidence
is not wholly wanting that that crisis
impends at this very time.
BREAKING THE "GIT" INTO