Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1912-05-23
LARGER 1912
CONVENTIONS
Reapp0rtlonment Gives More
Party Delegates.
The NET GAIN IN FIGURES.

80 III !" OuoOl
Republicans For tho First Time Will
Have More Than a Thousand Partici-
pants In the Work of Choosing Their
Candidate For President.
For the first time in the history Of
the Republican party the number of
delegates at its national convention
this year will exceed 1000. thanks in
part to the admission Of Arizona and
New Mexico to statehood. but particu-
larly because Of the reapportionment
act, which became a law on Aug. II of
asst year, increasing the total repre-.
%yentation in congress from 4S3 to 531.
AS the number of delegates from the
states Is by law of the party twice the
representation in senate and house. the
convention total was increased auto
matically. The same is true of the
Democratic party. save for a difference
between the two organizations In their
treatment of the territories. Except
for Hawaii. which will send six dele
gates, the remaining territories Of Alas
ka. the Philippines and Porto Rico and
the District of Columbia will have only
two representatives each at the Chica-
go convention. The Democrats allow
six delegates to each territory and to
the District. The same rule held in
1908. So, because of that larger show
ing. the Democratic delegates passed
the thousand mark in their national
convention of that year.
Net Gain For Both Parties.
The net gain for both parties is
shown by these totals:
Republican convention 1908. 984 dele
gates; 1912. 1,O7S. an increase Of "a.
Democratic convention 1908, zoos
delegates; 1912, 1904, an increase of SO.
In the Republican convention the
nominations for presidency and vice
presidency are made by Il majority
vote Of all the delegates. In the Dem.
ccratic convention Il two-thirds vote is
necessary for a choice.
Arizona gains four delegates in the
Republican convention. Under the par
tvs territory rule of 1909 she had only
two. Her two senator's and one repre-
sentative now give her an electoral
vote of three and a convention delega-
ton of six. In the Democratic con-
vention the new state neither gains
nor loses. New Mexico. which had
only two delegates at the Taft nven
ton of 1908 and six at the Bryan con-
v%ention of the same year.. will have
eight at both Chicago and Baltimore
next June.
New York state. which now has for
ty-fve representatives in congress. in
ninety delegates to the convention of
each party. a gain Of twelve over 1908
and 1904 and Of eighteen over her rep
resentation at the Mckinley conven-
ton of 1900.
Official Call Explains.
In its official call for the convention
to be held on June Is the Republican
national committee explains the matter
thus: THE national convention shall
consist of four delegates at large from
each state and two delegates at large
for each representative at large in the
congress. two delegates from each con
g%ressional district. six delegates from
each of the territories and two dele.
gates each from the District Of Colum-
bia. Alaska. Porto Rico and the Philip
pine Islands.
For each delegate elected to this
<.OO vnntinn ar olfornof0 IoIoroto shall
be chosen. who shall serve in ease OF
the absence of his principal"
The four delegates at large referred
to in the call are allowed. in theory at
least. because each state has two SEN
ators chosen ut large without regard
to district lines within the state. The
provision for two delegates at large
for each representative at large" is IL
special rule for this year. designed to
cover such states as have not formed
new congressional districts from which
to send their newly acquired represent,
ativeS to Washington.
To resume the official call: THE dele.
gates at large and their alternates
shall be elected by popular state and
!. territorial conventions called by the
Republican state or territorial conven,
!, tons. Of which at least thirty days
notice shall have been published"
2 District delegates are chosen at dis.
trict conventions.
These are also the methods Of the
Democratic party.
There are twenty states that have
gained nothing by the reapportion.
ment. They are Arkansas, Connect.
cut, Delaware, Indiana. Iowa, Kansas
Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Missis
j., sippi. Missouri. Nebraska, Nevada
New Hampshire, North Carolina
South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont
Virginia and Wyoming.