The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-09-25
REPUBLICAN CONVENTIONS.

method of representation in future Re
publican National nominating convcD-
tions. The purpose is one that it is
absolutely essential to meet, for the
old basis of representation had been
outgrown long before last year, and
many influential voices in the Repub-
lican party councils were, and have
been for many years, in favor OF a
change in the method Of representa-
tion.
Under that old method, the States
were allowed representation on the
basis OF their Senators and Represen-
tatives. and delegates were admitted
from Territories and from outlying
possessions, as the Hawaiian Islands,
the Philippines. and Porto Rico This
gave standing in the National Repub'
licap Conventions to delegates who rep
resented absolutely nothing SO far as
the election Of the Republican nominee
could 20, The Southern States had
large representation in these conven-
tions, without the possibility of giving
even one electoral vote to the Repub-
lican ticket. These delegates repre-
sented no strength whatever to the
pnrty in the Presidential election, yet
they could, and frequently did, dictate
the nominations. This made discon-
tent in the States which Furnished the
electoral votes for the Republican
ticket, where such votes were to be
had at all. The Northern States, which
were. depended upon to elect the Re
publican ticket, and which usually did
so, were at times thwarted Of their
choice and compelled to. support candi-
dates whom they did not desire. The
was frequent discomfort.
and the cutting down Of the party
vote.
The elimination came last year with
the Roosevelt bolt and the turning
away of more than half Of the Repub-
lican votes from President Taft, the
regular Republican nominee.
The contention in favor Of the old
method Of representation was that to
give up that method would be to sur
render all claim to the Southern vote
and to admit that the party was sec
tional party. But since there was
nothing to be gained by the pretense
of party strength from the South, and
since the party was, in fact, party
of the North and not Of the South,
there was nothing to gain by keeping
up show which the facts could not
in any way Justify, :,
The true basis of party representa-
tion IN any convention is. of course,
the party vote. To admit to that con-
vention hundreds of delegates who
come from portions Of the country that
could by no possibility add strength to
the ticket. and TO accord those dele
gates equal rights and privileges with
those who represented strong Repub-
lican constituencies, was absurd on the
face of it. In spite of all efforts to
however, that plan of rep
resentation was adhered to until the
final disaster came; and now 90 con-
tiuue adherence to that system which
is essentially unjust, and which has
split the party, would be utter nom
sense.
The Republicans Of New York, there
fore, do well in launching out in favor
Of new system Of representation. But
ii must be admitted that their declara
ton as formulated is so vague and un
certain as TO be incomprehensible. How
the Republican voters in the different
States are to be allowed to have repre-
sentation systems according to their
own preference, and yet system of
Congressional representation is to be
the basis, is not clear. To allow the
States to have different methods of
electing delegates, is simply to invite
contests and irregularities of all kinds.
A general system must be adopted.
Neither is it possible for the Repub-
lican party strength to be rightly rep
resented and at the same time to con-
tinue the Congressional district as the
basis of representation. No wonder
Mr.. Barnes, who was the chief Of the
opposition 10 the convention dec
laration made by the New York Re-
publican State Convention, said that
he did not see how the system pro-
posed was going to work. The resolu-
tions as drawn, seem to be self-contra-
dictory and in fact uuworkable. Their
only merit, therefore, is IN their ex-
preston of the Republican desire for
a change in the method Of representa-
ton.
Clearly, Republican votes should be
the basis Of representation In the con-
ventiou, and it is pity that the New
York State Convention did not fairly
and squarely say So However. the
convention declared in favor of chang
ing the method Of representation. I'm
doubtedIy, should the action Of the
New York Republicans result III the
asscmblage of preliminary conven-
tion, that convention would be required
to formulate plan that would be both
practical and fair to the party voters
The main thing is to get change. and
tho inevitable nature Of that change
must be TO make Republican votes the