The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-12-05

Detroit, Mich. Dec. The repun'
thority to change the basis Of repre-
scntation and voting in national con-
ventions.
The national committee has au--
thority to change the manner n
method of choosing delegates I" lu-
ture national conventions 50 as 70
provide That delegates bc chosen IN
such ann AS tho laws OF the seS-
eral states from time to time may
provide. Delegates shall be chosen
according TO the laws of the state
they represent instead of according
Ia the discretion of the IN
itself.
The national committee has the a"-
,hority to call n special national com
vsntion Of the party. the legal TORN
of which Il call is provided, by the
legal COMMITTEES. -
These conclusions are reached IN
an opinion made public here TO-DAY ny
Charles II. Warren, of Detroit, rha'r-
man of tho legal COMMITTEES. app.lnl-
ed by The executive ommittee OF tne
republican national committee.
Tho executive committee in WASH
fngton, May "a. last. adopted q resn-
luton requesting tho chairman TO
call a meeting Of the national COM
mittce. to be held within sixty days
after tho expiration of h special SEES
gress. convened in March. 1918. Ihe
national committee will CONSIDER,
among other things, plans for party
reorganization. The legal committee
nation of the questions hat wclltd
arise. Mr.. Warren, who wrote the
opinion now submitted, is a new
member of the national committee.
He was one OF the lawyers for the
United States in the arbitration with
Great Britain before the Hague trl-
hunal Of the North Atlantic fisheries
controversy. The opinion is concur
red in by the other members Of the
legal committee. who are: United
States Senator Wesley L. Jones OF
Washington; Representative James
r. Mann. Illinois: James A. Fowles.
of Tennessee, former assistant attor-
ney general; VIM. Marshall Bullitt Of
New York, former solicitor general;
Roy O. West Of Illinois, and Sherman
Granger Of Ohio.
In reaching his conclusion Mr..
Warren quotes extensively from ma
tional conventions of the party from
that of 1856 and 1912.
The first question considered was:
Has the national committee au-
thority under it's present powers to
change the present basis of represent
tation and voting in national conven-
tions now, aside from representation
from the territories, territorial pos
sessions and the District Of Columbia.
being a member Of delegates from
each state equal to double the num-
Dor Of senator's ana representatives in
congress from that state. each en-
titled to one vote?"
ssYNe oNouyn~ <hjc nN4Ni1~ - ~ <hM
opinion. lit is necessary to
ascertain the source and extent Of
the powers Of the national commit
tee. and to determine whether the
various national conventions nave de-
termined and fixed the basis of rep
resentation and voting in national
conventions to be changed only by q
national convention.
There is no federal law providing
for the election Of a national commit
tee. While it is true that in a limited
number Of states a method is provid-
ed by statute for the naming Or nom
mating of a member Of the national
committee, it is, nevertheless, true
that the members Of the national
committee. have invariably been
elected by the national conventions OF
the party since the election Of the
first committee by the convention OF
1856.
Whatever method the law Of any
state provides. for the selection of q
person to represent the republican
electors of that state on the national
committee. such selections. in fact,
only a nomination properly to be ac-
tcepted by the delegation from such
state IN presenting to the next nation
nj convention the name Of a member
from such state of the national COM
tmittee.
'"The nomination Of members OF
!!the national committee has uniform
lily been made in national conventions
iby the delegations from the several
states and territories. but the election
of such a committee has invariably
been by the national convention.
"The national committee is then
the creature Of the national conven-
iion. It possesses no authority de-
::ived from any other source whatev.
t.r. 1t obtains all it's powers from
she national convention, and derives
40 authority whatever from any fed.
.sral or state law"
After examining the proceedings OF
clusion 10 announced:
Gee. therefore. that the national con
ventions Of 1908 and 1912. as did for.
liner conventions. beginning with tina
Of 1850. prescribe the present basi.
VI representation and voting in ma
tional conventions Of the party, tina,
1s, that the number Of delegates from
each state should be double the mum.
Der Of senator's and representatives il
congress from the states, each entitled
20 one vote; and that any chang.
therein must be made BY a nationa