New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-10-06
CALLS REPUBLICANS
TO A PARTY COUNCIL
Chairman HiI|es Asks National
Committee to Meet in WASH
ington on December IS.
REPRESENTATION AN ISSUE
Leaders Will Discuss Subject
and Decide Whether to Call
National Convention to
Act on Problem.
From The Tribune Bureau.l


From The Tribune Bureau
Washington. Oct. 5.-Charles d. Iiilles.
chairman of the Republican National
Committee, will issue a formal call to-
morrow for that committee 10 meet In
washington on December lS, pursuant to
the authority conferred on the chairman
by the executive committee at its meet
Ing in Washington on May "a.
The problems OF curtailment OF South
ern representation and popular primaries
will te discussed at the meeting, but be-
fore these are taken up seriously the
committee will consider the question
whether the national committee has
power to act on either OF these things or
whether such authority can be conferred
only by national convention. and also
the comparative ACCESSIBILITY OF attempt
ing to act on either of them in committee
or in a national convention.
tional committee, that body will receive
the report OF the subcommittee appointed
to investigate the law and 10 report on
the questions involved. This committee
Is composed OF G. Il. Warren. OF Michi-
gan. chairman: Roy o. West, OF Illinois,
and Sherman Granger. of Ohio with
Senator Jones, Of Washington. who
speaks for the Progressive Republicans
who held a conference in Chicago last
| spring, and ex-Assistant Attorney Gen
/, eral James A. Fowler. OF Knoxville. Tenn
/ Representative Olmstead was member
! OF the committee. but since his death his
| place has remained vacant.
Call for the Meeting.
| The call Of the committee meeting which
Mr. Hilles at conference yesterday In
New York with the Secretary OF the ma
tional committee. James b. Reynolds. de-
cided TO issue will read as follows:
AT the meeting OF the executive com
mittee OF the Republican National Com
mittee held in Washington on May "a the
chairman was requested To call a meeting
| II
days after the adjournment OF the present
session of Congress.
| Pursuant TO that action the Republi-
can National Committee is hereby called
to meet in Washington on Tuesday De-
oember l6 at II o'clock a. IN. 10 confer
on party matters and to take any action
which may be deemed advisable"
Even should II be decided that the ma
tional committee has the authority 20
curtail Southern representation. in &C
cordance with one Of the plans considered
by the Republican Congressional commit
tee. or in some other way. II may be
deemed the part OF wisdom not 10 at
tempt such action. but TO refer the mat
ter TO a national convention. TO be called
later.
Oisproportion in Votes.
This is because OF the disproportionate
strength OF those states and territories
whose representation would be curtailed
| i'm the national committee, as compared
to their voting power in national con-
vention. For instance, representation
based on the Republican vote cast in
| Florida would materially curtail the dele
alton from that state. and would. doubt
| less. be stoutly resisted by Florida's ma
tional committeeman. whose vote in the
national committee would be equal 20
that cast by the national committeeman
from New York. In the national conven-
| ton, however. even on the present basis
| Of representation, New York, whose state
organization has already gone on record
I'm favor OF such curtailment. would cast
ninety votes, as compared with Florida S
| ten.
| The insular possessions, such as Hawaii
the Philippines and Porto Rico. each en-
Joys the privilege OF casting one vote In
the national committee. while In the ma
tional convention Hawaii has only six
votes and Alaska. the District OF Column
bia, the Philippines and Porto Rico two
each and their small vote would be over
slaughed by the large delegations from
the Northern states which are likely &c
favor new and progressive basis OF rep
resentation.
1t is the Republicans in the Southern
states who chiefly fear and have sue
cessfully fought any form OF popular prl-
mary. Efforts OF the controlling party in
states like Arkansas Louisiana, etc, &c
utilize the law to disrupt the Republican
party have filled the Republicans from
those sections with apprehension OF any
change which would subject the selection
of delegates to a Republican national
convention TO state laws. Deliberate ef-
fort has been made on at least one occa-
sion by the Legislature OF Arkansas tc
make the election OF Republican delegates
Illegal. and irrespective of the progress
sIye sentiment in the Northern states
The Southern states may be counted or
TO exert all their influence to prevent
anything approaching the legalization o.
primary selection Of delegates.
Chance for Combination.
There are certain Northern states whicf
for various reasons have always chosen
TO support their Southern brethren OF
questions which the latter feared nigh
affect them unfortunately, and com
bination of the National Committeeman
from these states, the southern state,
and the territories might easily prov,
sufficient to prevent the adoption OF step:
favored by a considerable majority o.
voting Republicans. In a national con
ventjon. however. such an outcome woult
be highly unlikely. II not impossible.
While the Executive Committee of tn,
Republican National Committee assum
ing only normal duration Of the presen