El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-06-17
Convention Details Are
Planned Far in Advance
of It's Assembling.


matter Of a Republican presidential
nominee, the manner with which that
choice VIII be made can u foretold
with certainty, and will prove an inter
esting commentary on the evolution OF
American politics
The rules that govern national con-
vention, as they Will be practlceo
here on Tuesday are neither Jne vs. w.
provision of those fathers OF the nation
who framed the constitution, nor are
they the conscious cOntrIvance OF some
master mind. They are, IN 1act. pollL-
ical inheritance handed down 70 Ine
present day by generations or pollJlca4
ancestors who found increasing dill
Guilty in choosing suitable candidates
to head the party as the years rOlled
around, and the country grew IN size
In the first days OF the repuDlc, the
presidential nominations were not made
by convention at all Presidential as
pirants received the votes OF the presl7
Dental electors by unanimous consent
Indeed, in the first two elections, tnose
Of 1883 and 1892, there was no call Ior
presidential nominations, for the Whole
nation wanted Gen Washington as us
chief executive.
1T was not until 1900 that the first
germ OF what has grown TO De Ihe
greatest political show in America was
planted Its establishment came
through the resitancy of the Demo
cratic) Republicans IN the choice OF a
vice president to run with Thomas Je4-
ferson, and its birth took place Wneh q
small body of congressional members
met to recommend Aaron Burr for that
office
From 1900 to 1924. nominations were
made by congressional caucuses- rms
practice, however, received its death
blow through its alleged usurpatlon OF
the rights of the people. The selection
of presidential candidates was then
delegated to the state legislatures, pop
ular meetings and spontaneous en-
dorsements of "favOrite sons
1t was not until 1910 that the present
form of national convention received
its tryOut- Since then there have Deen
nominating conventions, the form ~
which the presidential choices are maze
coming down to the present day with
little change.
Bolt Alone Can Break Precedent.
The presidents established by TINS
long list Of nominating conventions are
iron clad. and control absolutely every
action of the national body me onty
action therefore, that could possibly
break the routine Of the hepuollcaA
national convention when It meets IN
the Auditorium at noon on TUESDAY Is
the bolt of either the Taft or tooss-
Welt factions such an action has not
occurred since 1896, when henfy N
Teller, of Colorado, led bolt from
the Republican convention Of that year
on the free silver question Even a
bolt however, would but momenIaIlI5
unset the routine of the convention
the presidential candidate being CHOSEN
by the remaining delegates under tns
same rules that have SEided naIlonal
conventions for decades
The following form then VIII De Oh
served when the Republican nominal
ing body meets on Tuesday;
Shortly before noon, the 1915 dele
oates and their alternates viii marcn
down the aisles Of the AudlIoFium ana
take their places before the rostrum-
The DELEGATES will be grouped under
Standards bearing the names, Of their
states. and Will be placed toward the
front of the hall Their alternates VIII
sit behind them, toward the rear o. the
auditorium
1t might be mentioned here that the
duties of the alternates are practically
nil their office being simply to relleVe
the regular delegate IN case OF Illness
or incapaclty- -.
In addition to the alternates and the
delegates, there will be from lz.OVo %
Is, 600 spectators, newspaper men anu
minor functiOnarles.
When the time comes for the opening
Of the convention, proDaDly at MOou,
or shortly thereafter, chairman lcloI
Rosewater, Of the national RepuollcaI
committee, will rap for order, a snort
invocation viii be said. and ne VIII ue-
liver an address on the principles anu
objects Of the Republican party Allsr
this address. some prominent cttl1en
call for the convention viii De reda-
Announcing the Chairman
Following the reading OF the caLA'
chairman Rosewater will rise ana an
nounce that the Hon Elihu Root mas
been selected BY his committee 70 ACT
as temporary chairman Of the conFen-
tion The question OF seating the tenn
porary chairman will be put to the vote
and he will probably be duly lhslslleu
The temporary chairman will then
deliver his keynote speech, and VII
submit A list OF temporary Officers LOT
the convention. These temporary o.
GERS will consist of secretaries, CLERKS
messengers, etc, who have been CHOSEN
bv the national committee.
4 delegate will then arise and move
that this temporary list be maze per
manent another will move that the
rules governing the last convention be
adopted. and still another VIII rise ana
move for the appointment OF the com
mittees From the appointment OF the
Temporary chairman to the motions
covering his confirmation, ana the
adoption of rules. and the appointment
Of committees. each resolution IS care
fully prepared and, in the past, there
has never been a serious contest on
The work Of selecting the commit
tees is then taken up. Each state ana
territory is allowed one member each
on these committees, which are COM
DrlSed OF the CREDENTIALS prE4Ale-A
organization rules, order Of business
and resolutions committees The con-
vention then usually adjOurns till noon
of the next day.
The next session usually names
permanent chairman, then the report
of the resolutions committee Wnlch
contains the platform, or the principles
and program Of the party, is read, ana
ordinarily sustained. It is also at TINS
session that the credentials committee
reports on the contested southern dele
gates viii n have been appealed from
the decision Of the national committee.
The Roll Of States.
Then follows the real business OF the
/ convention. The roll of states is called,
Alabama" is sung out. and some
prominent member from that state
] rises. steps to the rostrum and pro-
poses with an Oratorical flourish the
Alabama candidate. The roll cau com
pleted and all the candidates proposed,
/ the clerk then runs down the roster
I to wyoming, the chairman Of each Del
egation rising as his state is called,
and announcing the number of votes
for each of the candidates A majority
means the selection of a candidate
and ends the strife
The complex machinery that culmi-
mates in the battle that viii take place
| here on Tuesday is set in motion every
/ four years by a call from the Republic
can national committee. This call bids