New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-12-16
PERCENTAGE PLAN
WINS FAVOR HERE
Young Republicans Would Lessen
Power of Solid Repub-
lican States.

4 plan for the apportionment OF dele
gates to the Republican National Conven-
ton on the basis Of tho party vote in
state and district will be laid before the
national committee I'm Washington TO
day by Robert Nice. Marsh. chairman OF
a special committee Of the New YORK
Young Republican Club appointed 10 dra"
up such plan. The committees report
was adopted by the club at it's last meet
ing. December ?.
The new plan favors the percentage
system OF apportonment. and differs from
the scheme outlined by Victor Rosewater
in the last issue OF THE Political Science
Quarterly" I'm avoiding the giving OF too
great preponderance 10 solid Repuoh-
can states The Rosewater and other
plans recently put forward have allowed
three delegates to districts which cast
q Republican vote of more than 50 per
cent OF the total vote.
The Young Republican clubs idea Is
based on the general sentiment through
out the party. as far as II could be Dc
tormined through personal interviews. cor
respondonce and the published utterances
providing that each statcshould elect four
dclegates-at-large as at present, II is
suggested that one delegate be chosen
from every Congressional district where
tine vote for Presidential electors in 1873
was At least - per cent. but no more
than ~ per cent Of the total vote. and two
delegates from every district where the
party vote was more than 40 per cent.
The year 1905 Is chosen as the standard
because Of the peculiar conditions exist
Ing at the last Republican convention.
other plans called for one Delegate Tor
each lr.W Republican votes. Woman sur
frage has raised an insuperable objection
10 this proposition. according TO the te-
port Of the committee. In the ten states
whore women may now vote for Pr'si-
dental electors TIA. number OF voters mas
doubled, without any increase in the vote
OF those states la the Electoral College.
which is based on population. This prob
lem is avoided b. the percentage system.
other proposals embodied In the Young
Republicans plan are.
Congressional districts In which tho
Republican vote for Presidential electors
IN 1905 was less than - per cent or the
total vote shall not be entitled TO any dis
trict delegates. such districts being repre-
scented by the delegates at-large.
Zach state having Congressmen-at-
large shall elect f)r each Congressman
at-large the same number Of additional
delegates 10 which it would bc entitled II
treated as 2 Congressional district
nj, rFg % f..ln
wait. tho Philippine Islands and Porto
Rico shall each elect two delegates
Each state and district shall elect one
alternate for each delegate"
The district unit rule ~ 10 be preserved
under the Young Republican plan. and
the method OF election OF delegates IL 10 De
determined by the Republican voters In
accordance with local laws. The national
committee will consist OF one member
from each state and one member each
from the four possessions and the District
OF Columbia.
The makeup Of the temporary roll OF
the convention is left 10 the national COM
mittee. on this point the report OF the
clubs committee says:
"The criticism which was expressed In
1912. when analyzed. seems TO have been
due 20 the belief OF the critics that tho
decisions Of the individuals constituting
that particular committee were not
reached In good faith. rather than on any
arguabc contention that the committee
was usurping powers which did not be-
long TO IL. The remedy for any such con-
dition. if II existed. would lie in changing
the personnel of the committee or an APP
peal TO their consciences, not in an altera-
tiot Of tho machinery"