Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1913-12-12
Wilson's Plan Means Great Loss or
Power To The South.
JUDsoN c. WELLIvER In THE WASHINGTON
TIMES.

Southern public men are wondering what
will be the effect on the South of passing
a national Presidential primary law. There
is feeling that it might easily result in
grave injury to the power and prestige Of
that section. and in the consideration of
any legislation the South will be very sure
to scrutinize all provisions with the object
of preventing such result.
The Presidents plan, as outlined in his
message, has given especial concern to the
South. for it suggests an entirely new basis
of distributing the nominating power. The
South would be swamped in a popular
primary vote. 1t casts very light vote.
partly because of the disfranchisemen Of
the colored race. partly because, there be-
ing only one real party in that section,
there is commonly little to induce great
interest in voting.
Just what would happen to the power
and prestige Of the South may be gathered
from showing of the votes of the eleven
States of the "Old South" as compared to
New York. Going back to 1908. nor
NAL year, for purposes Of comparison,
we find that the eleven States of Ala
bama, Arkansas. Florida. Georgia, Louis
lana, Mississippi. South Carolina, North
Carolina. Tennessee. Texas and Virginia
cast total of l,588.782 votes for all can
didates for President With those votes
they were entitled to 240 delegates in the
national convention Of either political
party.
In that same year New York State alone
cast 1888, $50 votes for all candidates for
President that is, New York alone cast
$4,000 more votes than the eleven States
of the Southern group. Yet New York in
that year had only rs delegates in the
nominating convention Of each party.
The President recommends doing away
entirely with the nominating convention.
He would give each State power in pro-
portion to the votes 1t actually cast; no
more. In actual working. the plan would
reduce the South to political insignificance
as compared to the potent station it has
held heretofore.
How will the South view such pro-
posal2 There is evidence already accumu-
latine that it will oppose to the last extreme
an effort to force the program into law
To-day the eleven States Of the group that
seeded from the Union, possess just about
one fourth of the voting power in a ma
tional convention. But what proportion
would they possess II they were confined
to their ratio of votes actually cast ?
Going back to the vote Of 1908 once more
for comparison. because IL provides bet.
ter basis than 1912. this Is what we find
The eleven Southern States. now exer.
cising approximately one-fourth Of the
power in nominating convention of the
Democratic party. would be reduced to {
little over one-seventeenth.
These same States. exercising approx
mateIy one-fourth Of the power in Re
publican convention, would be reduced t.
just about one-ffteenth
| lHdt ID Wndt tuCit uCtuui NOtiiB otChBti
in 1908 would entitle them to claim
| Small wonder that Southern publiclst'
are excited about the Presidents proposals
There are mutterings about Southern
President betraying the South. and theT
again there are limitations that the Presi
dent must have proposed his primary
scheme without ever stopping to think on
what its actual working results would be
This hypothesis has a good many sup
porters; but the President excellent recor'
for looking before leaping decidedly weak
ems the presumption that it is correct.
II he presented his plan with full appre
citation Of the political Significance tina
would attach to it. then indeed did h
perform most courageous act. II Is need
less to say that the majority Of Southern
Democrats will never consent to such
shearing Of power from their section
they can prevent it,
The South would have no Fundamental
objection to a Presidential primary for tn
election Of delegates. State by State. to
Presidential nominating convention. Mos
Of them, If not all. actually have such law
now. They are perfectly satisfied will
them.
The primary system was generally adopt
ed in the South long before the North 90
hold Of it, and the South has long pointe
to that fact as an evidence that 1t is reall
more progressive than the North.
But to abolish the nominating CONVEX
ton is a very different matter This III
President distinctly proposes to do II
would take away all nominating authorit
from the convention. His proposal Is tho
it be composed Of party's nominees Il
CONGRESS, OF its nominees for the Senate.
hoIdover Senators, and Of the candidate
for President and Vice President This
the Wisconsin plan adapted to the nationI
field. The men who are 10 run on u
platform. and who. II elected. will be r
. sponsible for carrying Its pledges into effec
would be permitted TO write IT,
: Without doubt It Is vastly preferable
! the present method Of haphaZard platfor
making, in the ruck and rush Of nom
! mating convention. with bosses and m
: chimes and sub rosa interests strugeli
for control. while the real. enlivenine
terest Of the gathering is entirely devot
y to the business Of nominating the cane
: dates.
Writing the platform Is a sheer formalii
so far as the vast majority in the nation