The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-06-20
Blythe Says 1t Is Possible
There Will Never Be An
other National Convention
of the Party.
NAME MAY SURVIVE
BUT THAT is ALL
Day for Old Fashioned Poll
tics Has Gone and Old Pol
iticians Are Being Placed
in Discard.
BY SAMUEL C BLYTHE.

Copyright: 1912: BY Sam1 G. Blythe)
CHICAGO. Illinois. June 20.-The-
great news of the convention is
lot whether Roosevelt or Taft shall
be nominated: not whether Roosevelt
will bolt if he is defeated: not the
identity of a possible third. or CON-
promise candidate; not the character
of the platform.
These are interesting and important
details of a notable gathering but they
are not the vital details. The great
news of this convention is this:
This convention. now in progress in
Chicago, marks the passing of Repub-
lican national conventions of a similar
character. There never will be another
convention like this. II is quite possi-
BILE there never will be another Repub-
that this is the last
Moreover-and this is even more i'm
portant-this convention gives a date
to the death of the Republican party.
as it is at present constituted and as
il has been constituted for many years.
The name Republican may live. but
the Republican party that name has
typed since 1856 is dead. The funeral
services are being conducted in Chi
cago at the present time.
New Political System Here.
Take these two propositions in or
der. beginning with the passing of the
present style of convention. There new
er will be another Republican national
convention like this one, or like the
one of four or OF eight years ago. or
those of sixteen or twenty years ago.
for the reason that the political sys-
tenn that made conventions easily pos
pible in the past and barely possible
now has changed. The old politics is
gone. The old politicians have been
shifted out of power. A new genera
ton is almost in command. a new
idea prevails. a new system 10 in pro-
cess of development
The Republican party In no longer
a cohesive. fighting, definite organiza-
ton. Instead IL is really two parties,
a stand pat, or conservative party.
and radical. or progressive party.
There isn't the slightest doubt IL there
had been primaries in all the states In
stead of in a few of them the old
crowd would have a pitifully small
representation here. no matter wheth-
er Mr.. Roosevelt was candidate or
not
So far as that eminent candidate is
concerned, he grabbed progressiveism.
progressiveism didn't grab him. Nor
does that mean, necessarily. that the
Republican party has outgrown its old
systems and its old leaders and that
the people demand a new method OF
selecting their candidates. They found
the right to have a hand in the se-
lection instead of being told Of those
selections after they are made
Conservatives Want Change.
IL a census could be made II would
be found that the radical element In
the Republican party is not so much
greater than the conservative element
as has been claimed. There are many
conservative Republicans. but even
the conservatives are fully alive to
the deficiencies Of the present sys-
tenn, and many of them are as anxious
for a readjustment as are the pro-
gressives The fact of il all is that
the Republicans. conservatives and
progressives, have advanced beyond
the methods of twenty years ago. and
that neither wing In wholly I'm sym
pathy with the present methods.
II is quite probable that before il
comes time TO nominate another candi-
date for the presidency. enough more
states will have adopted the preferen-
fial primary system 10 make whatever
convention shall be held merely a
ratification meeting. about the same
sort of gathering as meeting of the
electoral college: but even If that does
not come for eight years, say. there
never will be another Republican ma
tionaI convention where the Republi-
can national committee can make up
a temporary roll, and where a prear-
(Coutiuued ou PAGE Efght1