The Washington herald., 1913-05-24
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hc<n q ava C.sAS-
pose was instructed TO present the pro-
gramme to the executive committee.
Old guard leaders are split on the main
proposition involved-whether or not IT Il
the part of wisdom to take any imme-
diate steps looking to a reorganization.
Senator Elihu Root Of New York. former
Representative William B. Mckinley OF
Illinois. a Cannon lieutenant. and Senator
w. Murray Crane of Massachusetts,, will
favor immediate steps toward reorganiza-
ton. which means early conciliatory
measures to bring the progressive ele-
ment back into the party. Boss
Barnes of New York: Senator Gallinger
of New Hampshire, and former Speaker
Cannon are among the old guard lead
ers who believed that time, aided by the
Democratic tariff law and the Demo
cratic administration generally. will bring
the warning elements Of the party to-
gether upon a common issue quickly
enough.
Committee May BE Called.
While the executive committee. which
meets today. has not the direct power
to meet these questions, 1t can indicate
its position by calling or refusing to call
a meeting of the national committee for
the near, future. And the probabilities
seem to be that the executive committee
will call the national committee together
to cope with the problem.
There is some question whether II
Will be necessary to call a national
conference to meet the Southern rep
resentation issue. Many in the party
believe that the National Committee
itself has the authority. to change the
representation. and II certainly has the
authority to advocate the holding OF
primaries and the adherence to pri-
mary selections of delegates and alter
mates to national Republican conven-
lions. II the National Committee has
not the authority or declines to as
sumo the prerogative Of changing the
apportionment Of representation, the
Progressives want the committee to
call a national conference or conven-
tion to meet that issue.
The faction represented by Senator
Cummins wants the committee to call
the convention this year. Others who
favor the programme of the Progress
sives in the abstract want such action
postponed until the summer of 1914,
declaring that with all Republics
candidates for the Senate and House
and for State Offices working for sue
cess at the November elections Of that
year, the danger of reopening factional
wounds through a general conference
would be minimized.
Charles d. Hilles. secretary to Presi-
dent Taft. and chairman Of the National
Committee, will preside as ex-officio
chairman Of the executive committee at
today's meeting. Mr.. Hilles had not
reached Washington at a late hour last
night. but he will be on hand when the
committee assemblies at 1870 o'clock this
morning
One OF the few progressive members
OF the executive committee declared last
night that he believed II improbable that
the meeting would have been called II
Chairman Hilles and other Republican
leaders had not determined that imme-
diate steps looking to an early reor-
ganization Of the party were desirable
And arguing from this, he believed that
the National Committee had been sounded
new plan Of apportioning representa-
ton.
south Would Be Hard Hit.
As any reapportionment would hit the
South hardest, the fight means a divi-
sion between the Republicans North,
East and West. and the South. But as
the South has nineteen members on the
national committee. of which twenty
seven members constitutes a majority.
and as five more members come from
Territorial possessions which have no
electoral vote, the lineup on this basis
alone would be "A to g. leaving a mar
gin of three only in favor of a change
in representation. It is declared to be
improbable. therefore. that the leaders
who are known TO favor this change
would enter the fight with so narrow
margin in their favor unless they had
received certain assurances as to the
vote on the question.
or the eleven members of the execu-
tive committee, only two are from
Southern States. Newell Sanders of Ten
nessee, and Alvah II. Martin of Vir-
GINA, The other members are John T.
Adams of Iowa, Fred W. Esterbrook
OF New Hampshire, James p. Goodrich
of Indiana, Thomas A. NARROW of Mon
tana, Thomas X. Neidringhaus of Mis-
souri,, Samuel A. Perkins of Washing
ton. Charles B. Warren of Michigan,
Roy o. West of Illinois. and Ralph E.
Williams OF Oregon. Secretary James
B. REYNOLDS and Treasurer George r.
Sheldon also are eN offfcio members of
the executive committee and probably
will be present AS far as is known
now. Mr.. Williams of Oregon will be
the only absentee.
Dakota. and Jones OF Washington, ex-
Gov. fHadley of Missouri. and Repre-
sentatives Anderson of Minnesota, Rog-
ers of Massachusetts, and Cramton of
Michigan will appear as the spokesman
for the Progressives
Mckinley Makes Statement.
Former Representative William B.
Mckinley reached Washington from
Illinois last night and before leaving
the Willard for dinner had a conference
with Representative James r. Mann of
Illinois, the minority leader in the House.
Mr.. Mckinley made a frank and full
statement of his attitude toward prob
lens which the committee will meet to-
day.
II consider the readjustment Of rep
resentation from the solid Democratic
South in the Republican National Con-
vention a matter of the greatest impor-
lance to the future of the party" he
said. Republicans generally favor the
change. l supported the proposition in
1908, when it was before the Chicago