Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-10-06
National Committee to Meet
December is to Consider
Convention Representation.
RESPONDS TO DEMAND
OF MANY LEADERS
ProgTessives Within Party Feel
Elated Over Forcing Consid-
Grafton of Rules.

Pursuant to a resolution adopted by
the executive committee of the republic
can national committee at meeting in
this city, May "a last. Chairman Hilles
and Secretary Reynolds of the republi-
can national committee issued a call to-
day for meeting of the full committee
Tuesday, December Is at IL am. in this
city.
The object of the meeting is to take I'D
for consideration the demand of a Sec
ton of the republican party for a change
in the basis OF representation in ma
tional conventions.
The December conference will first de-
termine whether the national committee
is empowered to make such a change, or
whether it shall be necessary to call a
special national convention to under
take it.
Opinion is divided in the present ma
ffonal committee upon the method of
procedure, some committeeman holding
that IL the committee has the power to
call an extraordinary convention, to
change the rules of representation it is
equally potential to direct the change.
Rivalry for Convention.
II it is decided to call national con-
vsntion it is expected that such a meet
spring. and to be held in the city offer
ing the most attractive invitation. De-
troit. Pittsburgh St Louis. Cincinnati
and indianapolis are expected to vie with
one another for the honor of entertain
ing the convention
Meantime, the republican congressional
committee has been threshing out the
subject of change i'll representation, but
its work is only of tentative character,
and will be submitted to the national
committee, subject to the judgment of
the latter.
One Plan Suggested.
Several plans have been put forward,
the most popular one seeming to be as
follows:
Four delegates at large for each otate
and delegates for the several congress
sional districts as follows: For each of
such districts in which the vote cast for
the republican candidate for presidential
electors in 1908 was not more than 40 per
cent of the total vote cast for presidential
electors in such district in such election.
one delegate; for each of such districts In
which such republican vote was 40 per
cent, but not more than 60 per cent, two
delegates: for each of such districts in
which such republican vote was more
than 90 per cent. three delegates. In any
state where reapportionment act has
not been passed TO provide the full num-
Der of congressional districts. such state
shall be entitled to delegates at large for
each representative at large in Congress
at the above ratio. comparing the full
vote of the state with the total republican
vote in the state. In Arizona and New
Mexico the apportionment shall be based
on the vote for delegates in Congress.
Total delegates. 1,044.
Plenty of Discussion Promised.
p0fxxf
will be plenty of discussion among re-
publicans as to whether the national
committee shall issue a call for an off,
year national convention for the pur-
pose of revising the party rules. In
issuing call for meeting of the COM
mittee December Is. Chairman Hilles has
responded TO a demand that originated
with large number of progressive re-
publicans and was seconded by good
many members of the party who may be
classified as conservatives.
The big question now before the party
relates to the apportionment of dele
gates to national conventions. The pro-
eressive republicans are insisting that II
q change In app0rtionment Is made II
must be made by a national convention,
and the progressives within the party
are demanding that the change be made.
Some OF the members of the national
committee say the committee itself has
authority to change the apportionment
and TO make any other changes in the
party rules that may be deemed desir-
able That there will be some deter
mined opposition to calling national
convention Is now foreseen.
Certain OF the conservative leaders do
not hesitate to express the view that be-
hind the demand for an off-year national
convention is desire on the part of the
progressives within the party to get con-
troll OF the national organization two years
In advance of the national nominating
convention. The best informed repre-
Eentatives of the party here say they
have no definite information as to how
the national committee stands on the
question of calling national convention.
IL is generally believed that about one
third of the members of the committee
are at this time non-committal.
Progressiyes Are Elated.
The progressive republicans feel that
they have won something of victory in
forcing the chairman of the national
committee to call the committee together
TO take up the subject of revising the
rules
The movement for an off-year national
convention to consider the welfare of the
party originated last spring with coterie
Of progressive republicans who met in
Chicago and under the leadership of Sem
ator Cummins of Iowa, Senator Borah of
Idaho and ex-Gov. Hadley of Missouri.
memorialized the national committee to
call a convention.
Following that Chicago meeting, the
executive committee of the national COM
miftee met here and formally expressed