The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-24
Advocate Giving States Lati-
tude in Choosing National
Convention Delegates
TAMMANY HALL is
DENOUNCED BY ROOT
Blamed for New York Police Scandals
and Proceedings Against Sulzer.
Whitman Receives Ovation
When Called to Platform

New York, September 23.-Ihe re-
pubicans of New York today declared
in favor of changing the party rules
so that each state may determine its
own method of choosing delegates to
the national convention and so that
states which give the big republican
pluralitiek shall have proportionately
large power in selecting candidates for
President For this purpose the New
York republicans call for a special
national convention at an early date.
The proposition and its subsidiary
question developed : the biggest fight
of the republican state convention held
here today. This struggle was staged,
however, before the committee on
resolutions.
Opposed by Barnes
The issue was fought out with United
States Senator Elihu Root, Henry L.
Stimson, former Secretary of War, and
Nicholas Murray Butler, president of
Columbia university, as chief sup
porters of the proposal and William
Barnes, Jr.. national committeeman, as
its strongest opponent The resolution
finally was approved after the original
measure had been amended to recon-
mend the retention of the congress
sional district as the basis of repre-
sentation.
Later the resolution was adopted by
the convention, which thus made the
demand for the change in rules the
standard of the party in this state.
The convention wound up its labors
by the nomination of William Il. Wer
ner of Rochester, assistant judge of
the court of appeals, for chief judge,
and Frank II. Hiscock of Syracuse for
associate judge of the court of APP
peals. Judge Werner defeated Edgar
r. Brackett for the nomination for
chief Judge by 447 votes to 151. Fred
erick Il. Crane of Brooklyn. a supreme
court Justice, opposed Judge Hiscock
but was defeated by vote of 444
to 157
At the night session of the eonven
ton when the resolutions were adopted
land the candidates named there was a
sctsina tisn in favor of Sen
ator Root, the permanent chairman.
Senator Root said, 1t was 40 years ago
that he began his work for the party
and he hoped to continue that service
as long as he lived. lie said he wished
to emphasize the Importance of the
coming election. declaring that the
election of judges did not arouse the
public interest it deserved.
Denounces Tammany Hall
The speaker then turned his atten-
ton TO Tammany Hall. She is no
longer a local issue,r he said. "She
controls the democratic party of the
state. She reaches out her hand to
control that great court upon which
he. ,ef Il L..
| cannot present the deep humiliation
have felt to see the shame of our
state in having the seal of Tammany
impressed upon its government
To Tammany he charged the New
York police scandals and the dis
graceful squabbe at Albany"
There can be no possible outcome
of the impeachment trial, acquittal or
conviction, under which the democratic
party. controlled by Tammany Hall, is
not convicted" Mr.. Root concluded.
There was another noisy demon-
stration when District Attorney Charles
S. Whitman of New York was called to
the platform
Our next governor was the cry
that predominated during the Whitman
demonstration, which lasted several
minutes
The district attorneys speech was
mainly devoted to the Sulzer case.
1T is not matter of great con-
cern who brings these charges, but 1t
is matter of great concern whether
these charges be true he declared
The resolution declaring I'm favor of
changing the party rules and calling
for special convention to carry out
the plan was presented in the report
of the platform committee.
The declaration adopted by the resou-
tons committee. after stormy session,
was as follows:
Want Change in Party Rules
we instruct the representative of the
state of New York in the national COM
mittee to urge that national conven-
ton be called as soon as practicable, to
change the party rules so as:
u. To provide that in the call for fu-
ture national conventions delegates are
to be chosen in each state in the manner
preferred by the republican voters in such
state We, however, urge the contin-
uance OF the congressional district as the
basis of representation.
z. To insure that representation in the
national conventions shall hereafter be
based more nearly on the republican vote
actually cast in the several states and
congressional districts, which just prin-
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