Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-10-31
DELEGATIONS
ARE UNEQUAL
Progressive Republicans
Point Out Injustice.

(Fron the NEWS O-orrespoHdentJ
Washington, Oct. 31:-Senator
BourRe's proposal to make the Re-
publican National Convention ordi-
narily representative OF national re-
~publicanism, has started a curious
debate. Senator Bourne points out
that the Southern States, which
never produce any ELECTORAL votes,
are represented in the Convention
according to their population, Just
as r the Northern States, which
produce all the ELECTORAL votes. For
Instance, Texas, in all its history,
never gave one Republican ELECTORAL
vote. On the other hand, beginning
In 1855, Iowa has never failed to
give all its ELECTORAL votes to the
Republicans.
Yet next year Iowa will send
twenty-six delegates to the National
Convention, and Texas will send
forty.
Eleven states which were In the
Southern Confederacy, all of them
accounted solidly Democratic, will
have next year two hundred fifty
two 1252) delegates in the Nation
al Convention. This Is Just a little
less than half enough to nominate
the party candidate. These southern
delegations, assuming that next year
shall repeat the history of other
presidential contests, will be die
tated by the regular organizations
In the respective states, entirely
controlled by the Federal office hold
ers.
A leader among the Progressive
Republicans said today: ''The long
established method of electing dele
gates to the National Convention Is
out of harmony with the political
procedure all over the country. Ey-
cry Republican knows that when the
County Chairman calls a Convention
he provides a ratio of representation
proportioned to the number of Re-
publican votes cast at the preceding
election. Every precinct is given
one delegate, and one additional del
egate for every multiple of this ratio
OF the votes cast II a precinct cast
FIVE hundred Republican votes, and
II the ratio Ia one hundred, then
that precinct Is entitled to one dele
gate at large, and Ave other dele
gates.
Okt3 CphFCAliOASt 0lEll NJ tOh-
yentions, congressional conventions,
Judicial conventions and state con
ventions, are all based upon this
same general plan of distributing
delegates according to votes. In
short, the only place in the whole
scheme of Republican politics
where representation is not proper
toned to votes, is at the National
Convention, 1t is nothing less than
a retention of the old rotten Dor
Duh system. 1t is not Republican
1t Is not Democratic, and 1t is not
representation.
The only members of the National
Committee will make a determined
effort at the December meeting In
Washington, when the National Con-
vention will be called, to have the
old plan discontinued and the rep
resentative plan adopted. They will
urge 1t in connection with the de-
mand for presidential preference pri
n1aries and will challenge the Taft
forces to give the rank and file of
the party 6 fair chance to name
their honest choice for president.
That. such a change of procedure
will even be considered by the Tart
leaders is altogether improbable. 1t
will, however, have the effect, &C
cording to the progressive mana
gers, Of directing attention TO the
fact that the administration forces
fear to take their chances on a
clear expression of the real popular
voice.
There is very apparently going to
be a decided revulsion against this
sort of clique control In the next
Convention. The presidential pri-
mary idea is gaining ground at a re-
markable rate, and the Progressive
managers have received many assur-
ances of support for it, even from
people who have not heretofore al
lied themselves with the Progress
sive faction. They say that the party
has reached a crisis In which 1t is
absolutely necessary that the next
nomination shall be determined by a
real referendum of the voters, other
wise the nomination will be equiva-
lent to defeat, rather than, victory.
tn CCDuC nm nkVe