The sun., 1912-08-04
POLITICAL NOTES.

AA4AVk4 NV4G0s
Little or no attention has been given
publicly to the fact that 344 delegates to
the Republican national convention at
Chicago refused to take part In It's pro-
ceedings In the nomination Of candidate
for the Presidency. also that nearly as
many refused to participate In the pro-
ceedings Of the convention so far as the
platform was concerned. 1t Is known.
though, that influential Republicans have
discussed gravely the import Of their at
titude.
They remark that serious consequences
| might result In future conventions should
, a larger number Of delegates adopt "A
similar policy. They might be able to
| prevent the adoption Of a platform as
well as the nomination Of candidates for
tho Presidency and Vice-Presidency.
Then. too. there has been serious dis
| cussion as to the moral or legal right
Of these 3H delegates TO refuse to per-
form the function for which they were
elected either BY primaries or BY con-
ventions.
The argument Of the politicians Is that
these 3H delegates were elected TO repre-
sent their constituents either afYirmatively
| or negatively, and In attending the Chi
ca6o national convention and refusing to
act afiirmatively or negatively they did
not morally or legally represent their
constituents. The money spent by States
for direct and Presidential primaries was
absolutely thrown away. II is insisted.
| when these delegates refused to perform
the function for which they were elected.
The Chicago national convention was
conducted under the rules Of the House
Of Representatives. which is guided by
the Reed rules, which have been sus-
tained by the Supreme Court Of the
United States. According to these rules
a quorum II counted when the members
are physically present. But these Reed
rules cannot compel a member OF tho
House Of Representatives to vote. neither
could Chairman Root compel the 344 del
egates at Chicago to vote for the plat
form or for Taft or against the plat
form or against Taft II is true that
Chairman Root Mt Chicago. when the
vote of a State was challenged and the
roll of it's delegates called insisted that
II the delegate refused to vote his alter
nate should have an opportunity to DO
so II he would. But this did not ma.
terlally alter the situation.
The fact remains that the politicians
are greatly puzzled over the fact that
these 3A delegates refused TO perform
the function for which they were elected.
and are hunting about for ways and
means by which at future national con-
ventions similar state of affairs can be
prevented.
In both the Democratic and Repub.
llcan national camps there Is naturally
the greatest interest In the outcome OF
the Roosevelt national convention at Chi
cago. Notwithstanding the claims Of ex-
President Roosevelt's followers al to his
strength. there Is really no substantial
basis FOR an estimate o! his popular vote
and there cannot be for some time TO
come. The only real basis for r. calcu-
lation OF Roosevelt's strength. It 10 In
sisted. must be taken from the vote of
Gen. Weaver. the candidate Of the Po,u.
} lists for President In 1889.
Gen. Weaver got 100000 votes and
e2 votes in the electoral college. as fol-
; lows: Colorado 4. Idaho 4, Kansas 10
Nevada 8. and North Dakota and Ore
gon each I. 1t IL believed that Roose.
} welt will not more than double Gen
Weaver's vote in other words his personal
following in the country IL not twice as
large as Weavers.
Rocsevelts popular majority over ali
In 1904 was 1.7a5.403. while Taft's popu
lar sjority over all In 1908 was 46s.,
37l. But In 1904 Alton B. Parker did
I not receive the united support of his
5 party. while this year there 10 no indi
cation bu. that the Democratic party 1.
united on Gov. Wilson. And yet In per
sonal conversations cx-President Roose
Welt remarks that he is to get many Dem
. ocratic votes, although some Of his nd
visers have candidiy told him that til,
Democrats feel they are going to VIII
! this fall. and with this confidence II Il
I not likely they will desert their part.
g candidate.
r With Roosevelt twice as strong al
Weaver he should be allowed ~ votes i,
9 tho electoral college. The total vote @
q the college this year Is sal. making 2S
. necessary TO a choice. Allowing Roosc
!, welt ~ votes in the college there woul
a remain TO be divided between Taft an,
: Wilson IS, votes. But the enthusiast
Roosevelt people tell you that Roosevelt
II Is three times stronger than Gen. Weaver
that he will get 100000 votes Il
the country and approximately ss vote
D. in the electoral college Should Rocse
. Welt get those es votes there would still
. remain to be divided between Wilson
' and Taft 466 votes. And Wilson start
y with 173 electoral votes from the South
y ern States He also starts with a goo
70 chance Of carrying New York with It's 4
electoral votes. New Jersey with its u
e and Indiana with its l5. whic
e would give him total Of :47. leavin
/. but 2ls for Mr.. Taft. which would re
y suit in throwing the election into Con
gress.
IN An effort has been made by sewers
II distinguished politicians in the Wilson AT
Taft camps to liken the Roosevelt thir
n party movement this year to the Col
ls Democratic movement 10 1895 headed b
re Palmer and Buckner. II 10 contende'
"a though. by those who have looked in,
,e the situation that IN only one deta
,e can the Roosevelt and the Palmer Bucl
:, ner movements be compared-their musl
. room, growth.
VI The Palmer Buckner movement vas n
- result OF three months work and N
10 total popu,ar vote for those Gold Demt
cratic candidates was but l3S,%2t, The
rs too. II was "A split only from the pem'
IN cratic party. The Roosevelt movement
= the Coioners followers insist. rsprescn
a y split from the Republican party and
NJ supported also by many ultra-rad'ca
no Democrats. Also many socialists are NJ
va averse to Rooseveit's candidacy.
no With these features prominently ind
Il, Gated the Colonel's followers declare thu
in II Ia utterly Idle ana falIacious to con
pare the Puli Moose party with tho Go
Democratic split OF 1895.
$: The late Representative George
hc MaIhy Of OgdensburG, N. Y. was mo
at responsible than any other man