The Lake County times., 1913-05-23
president.


1t has always been impossible for
the republican party to carry any OF
these southern states at presidential
elections. and none of them have ever
cast their electoral votes for repubn-
can candidates. Yet it is pointed out.
by those who favor a rearrangenaent
of the representation in conventions
that these southern states have greater
power in national conventions in pro-
portion to their voting population than
any of the larger states that go for
the republican ticket.
In some of the southern states the
republicans cast only a few thousand
votes at a presidential election. but in
a convention they have as many dele
gates as some of the important north
ern states that always go republican.
1t has always been charged that
southern delegates are easy to get, by
the machine that is in power at Wash
ington.
This was one of the things on which
the republican national convention at
Chicago split last year. One faction
of the party insisted that the old plan
of representation in the convention be
maintained, and the split came.
Ever since then there has been
movement among the progressive ele-
ment in the republican party to change
the apportionment of delegates to the
next national convention SO to make
1t more nearly on an equality on the
basis of the actual number of votes
cast in a state. If this plan is carried
out it will mean that the southern
| states will have smaller representation
| in the national conventions, their rep
reservations corresponding to the rel
4
| The executive committee of the re-
| publican national committee will hold
| a meeting in New York on May "a for
| the purpose of considering this and
some other questions. Goodrich is a
| member of the executive committee,
| and it is understood that he will at
tend this meeting.
| Reports from New York indicate
that the executive committee probably
| will work out some plan for a readjust-
| ment of the representation, but along
| just what line Is yet a question. Some
| of the progressive republicans have
been favorIng the calling OF a special
| republican national convention next
| fall for the purpose of determining the
| question of representation and num-
| ber of other important questions but
| Uncle Joe Cannon said in a speech at
1eFTe adule. tuesday night, Ihat ne
was not in favor of such a plan, and
that the national committee had NO
right to call special convention for
that purpose. He said the only ma
tional convention provided for by the
rules and customs of the republican
II party is the one every four years fol
the nomination of a presidential ticket
II This declaration by Cannon is taker
to mean that he and the other repuo.
Il licans of the old line stand pat variet,
will oppose any effort along this line
because it is practically certain tina
any change of the kind mentioned
would ten to reduce their hold on tn,
national organization and the manage
ment of the party. However there ap
| pears to be strong sentimen
| throughout the country, judging from
dispatches in the papers, in favor o
| holding a special convention. 1t is ar
| gued by the supporters of this plal
that If the republicans would max
this change and a few others in tn
| direction of cleaning house within
| their own party, it would take mucl
| of the life out of the progressive part
and that thousands of former repubIi
| cans who are still republicans at hear
but who have protested against for
| mer control, would return to the fold
III The question is causing n good dea
| of comment among Indiana republi
cans, and the general opinion is tha
the republicans of this state are heart
| iy in favor of any fair plan that woul
| put the party in position where tn
| old time republicans who driftec ava
could return and get back home.