The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-12-08
CONVENTION WILL TRY TO RECON
GLE ALL THE WARNING
ELEMENTS.
SOUTHERN DELEGATES
NOMINAL PURPOSE OF MEETING
NEXT WEEK Is TO MAKE
CHANGES IN REAPPoR-
TToNMENT.

WASHINGTON. Dec THE Repub-
lican national committee will meet here
on December 10th to determine whether
a national convention OF the Repub-
llcan party shall be held to make
changes in the apportionment OF dele
gates to the national Republican con-
vention.
That. at least. will be the nominal
purpose OF the meeting OF the COM
mittee. Its decision Is in no doubt.
II viii resolve to hold a national con-
vention. and the nominal purpose Of
that convention will be to consider
proposed changes In the apportion
ment of delegates to subsequent ma
tional conventions.
Actually, a convention will be called
to see II some plan can be hit upon
TO pull the Republican party out of
hole and reconcile it's conflicting and
warning elements.
Hope For Harmony.
The hope lis that 1t will be a get
together assem- blage. Harmony is de-
sired. A plan of campaign la neces-
sary. The men who are promoting the
plan for this convention are trying to
find out what is the matter with the
Republican party and how to cure It.
They know the old historical Repub-
lican party Is dead and that new Re-
publican party is to be created. That is
the main task that is bringing the
national committee here this month
One OF the first forms of curative
treatment to suggest itself naturally
has been the reduction of Southern
representation, because there the main
cause of acrimony and scandal has lain
al recent national Republican conven-
lions. Victor Rosewater, of Nebraska
who WAS chairman of the national COM
mittee. at the time of the 1912 Re
publican convention. has devised a plan
Of reapportionment which will be sub
mitted at the national convention to
be called. The Republican congress
sionai committee has prepared four ten
tative plans which will be submitted at
the same convention. Mr.. Rosewaters
plan Is this:
The Rosewater Plan.
That representation in the next ma
tional Republican convention be ap-
portioned as follows:
Four delegates at-larse to each
State
One additional delegate at-large
from each State for each representa-
tive In congress elected at large
One delegate from each congressional
district.
One additional delegate from each
congressional district in which the Re
publican Candidate po11ed more than
one fourth of the total vote cast for
president in such district. and one ad-
ditionai delegate for each additional
one fourth of said total vote so polled.
Two delegates each from Alaska, the
District OF Columbia, Hawaii, Porto
Rico and the Philippine Islands. which
| delegates shall have a voice In the con-
I.vention or In any of it's committees.
| The advantage which Mr. Rosewater
sees in his plan he thus enumerates In
| the current Political Science Quarterly
| 1t insures a national. as against a
sctionai party organization. 1t makes
party strength main. but not exclu-
sive factor in determining representa-
| ton. 1t holds TO the dual unit of State
| and congressional district representa-
| ton with accompanying safeguard
| against Misrepresentation of each con-
| stituency. 1t provides against COM
piete Acknowledgement of party mem
| bership In any State by grandfather
! clauses" or other arbitrary restrictions
! imposed by legislation under domi-
nation OF hostile political party
! 1t contains an element OF elasticity
by which II will adjust Itself to
changes In the electorate. whether lin
tied by education tests. or poll taxes,
or enlarged by woman suffrage And,
concludes Mr.. Rosewater: While for
mulated to meet the conditions of Re-
publican convention representation it
| Will stand the test OF general appli
cation. and would in like manner,
work similar Improvement in the
| apportionment plan of the Democrats,
the Progressives, or of any political
party In the national arena"