The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-21
TIE STEAM ROLLER
 |S PERPETUATED
Committee Adopts Regula- ti0ns of Four Years Ago
SESSION HARMONIOUS
Primary System Is Recognized-The Roosevelt Men Make No Fight on Either roposition-Primary
 Plan Is Attacked

Chicago, June 20.-Perpetuation of the steam roller so far as the national committee of the republican party is concerned, and recognition of the direct primary plan of electing members of the committee were the two radical and apparently contradictory changes made today in the rules governing the national committee by the rules com mittee of the convention.
 Roosevelt members of the commit tee did not oppose either. They will introduce a minority report to the con vention insisting on reduction of southern representation in the conven- ton and upon the right of the various states to dictate the method and man ner under which their representatives on the national committee shall be elected.
 Adopt Former Rules
 In other respects the rules that gov erned the republican co1fvention of four years ago were adopted % to 6 The steam roller amendment provides that when any member of the committee bolts or refuses to support the nominee of the republican party he shall be summarily deposed The committee is then empow- cred to name his successor.
 In the past the successorshlp was dic- tated by the state central committee Of the state affected. The rules committee held that this would give to a state the opportunity to name to the vacancy a man holding precisely the same views as the member deposed. It was decided that the power of appointment should be dele gated solely to the committee itself.
 Recognition of the primary system of election of members of the committee was contained in an amendment providing that when state laws provide for the cleo tion of national committeeman such election shall be considered a nomination to be carried into effect by the delega- ton from state affected.
 Attacks on Primary System
 Under this change a state electing it's national committeeman by direct primary would take away the right to name any other nominee from the committee. Tho adoption of this amendment, however, was not accomplished until the primary system had been severely criticised in debate and accepted.
 T want to say that Arkansas has the primary system" said II. l.. Rennal of Arkansas. And to it is to be attributed the disgrace we bear by having as a representative in the United States Sen ate the Hon. Jeff Davis. The law is a dis grace and some day we will wipe it off our statute books altogether"
 Former Governor Carroll of Iowa said the only difference between the old sys- tenn in Iowa and the new primary plan, was that the present leaders were more bossy bosses than their predecessors.
 Ezra Elliott of Colorado was equally vigorous in his attack on. the primary
 t. ,A in a good word for the suffrage of women,
 Charges Are Denied
 It was denied emphatically that the changes were made either to prevent any further serious instruction in the national committee or to throw sop ito the so-called progressive states The national committee realized 1t was pro- ceeding with rules that were not of fcial, D. J. Lake explained. He comes from Connecticut.
 "As a result it named a sub -commit- tee of three members several months ago." said Lake, "to consider necessary changes long before the present con- tfoversy in the convention was fore seen. Therefore the changes are non partisan
 The rules as adopted will govern the the changes in that section of the code affecting the national committee will rot become effective nntil tho new committee is named by the conyen- ton's tribunal.