The Washington times., 1913-12-08
PLANS MEAN BIG
LOSS TO THE SOUTH
Primary Idea Would Reduce
Power of Delegates of Both
Parties in Conventions.
Continued from First PageD

Nontinued from FlrSt fagel
of Southern Democrats will never con-
sent to such shearing of power from
their section if they can prevent II.
The South would have no fundamen-
tai obiecion to a Presidential primary
for the election Of delegates. state by
State to a Presidential nominating COLI
VCnt;on Most of them. If not all. actu-
as~- have such laws now. They are per-
fectiy satisfied with them.
The primary system was generally
ADOPTED in the South long before the
North got hold of ii. and the South
has lonG pointed to that fact as an evil
Gence that it is really more progressive
than the North.
But to abolish the nominating conven-
tion is a very different matter. This
the President distinctly proposes 10 do.
lie world take away all nominating
authority from the convention; HIS
proposal is that il be composed of a
pa5tv's nominees for Congress, of its
nominees for the Senate, Of holdoEeT'
Senators. and OF the candidates for
President and Vice President. This is
the Wisconsin plan adapted to the ma
tional field. The men who are to run
or the platform. and who. IL elected,
will be responsible for carrying its
pledges into effect. would be permitted
to write it.
Is Am Improvement.
Without doubt it is vastly preferable
to the present method of haphazard
platform making. in the ruck and rush
OF a nominating convention. with bosses
and machines and sub rosa interest.
struggling for control. while the real
enliVening interest of the gathering Is
entirely devoted to the business OF
nominating the candidates.
Writing the platform is a sheer for
FaIity. so far as the vast majority in
the national conventions know. The re-
suit is platforms of platitudes and COM
promises and dis:ngenuousness. such as
have brought all political platforms INTO
disrepute and made them by-word
Surprising the Wilson plan shall be
crysfallized into hw, what will happen
In 1916? First, Mr.. Wilson will be Per
fectly certain to be renominated oy the
Democrats. He would be the one COM
mandinS national figure. Favorite sons
might get considerable strength In
their States or sections, but Wilson
would get votes everywhere and be
nominated.
Or. suppose MIR. Wilson does not in
tend to. ask a second term. What
would happen in that case? The politi-
cal analysts answer without hesitation
THAI Mr.. Bryan. supported by Wilson,
would IN that case become the only man
of full national stature in the race, and
he would be named with ease
NHdb bie IktpuDliSoil SiuC VI IL
Means Much to G. o. P.
First, the Republican party's Ire-
mendously difficult problem of Southern
representation would be solved for it.
The South, as already is shown, would
have its Importance in making a Re-
publican nomination cut from one
fourth TO one-fifteenth. A piece of
Democratic legislation would have
solved for the Republicans about the
most difficult question they have on
their hands,
The Wilson plan ought 10 be sup
ported by all Republicans for this rea-
son. There is every reason to believe
that il. win, in fact, have a vastly more
enthusiastic Republican than Demo
cratic support. Indeed, there are plenty
of predictions that if he insists on the
form vs measure outlined IN his mes
sage. the President is liable TO split his
party wide open and wreck his legisla
tive program 2S a whole. The South,
ana the conservative Republicans who
don't ike the primary idea on principle
would oe driven into an alliance
against the President, and the political
consequences might easily be of the
most tremendous character
Hut suppose, again, that the plan be-
comes law; what will ii do to the Re-
pUbhcans i'll 1916?
Roosevelt Stands Out.
Almost all observers unhesitatinEly
reply that it will make Roosevelt the
,Gndidatc of a reunited Republican
Iarty, or else the candidate of both the
Republican and the Progressive parties,
hich would be pretty nearly the same