The Washington herald., 1913-04-06
THE POLITICAL SITUATION

Senator Cumrnins of Iowa ha:
wearied of the apathy and indifference
which has enshrouded the Republican
party organization since the election
Not only is he anxious that some evil
dence of life be manifested, but he
is determined, if he can get no one in
authority to act, to take steps toward
securing a national conference of the
party next fall.
He has behind him a large number
of Progressive Republicans, who are
anxious to preserve the great political
organization, which brought about
emancipation and maintained stable
currency upon the gold standard
These men cannot understand why
the Republican leadership should be so
lethargic. They reason that there are
still thousands upon thousands of Re-
publicans in the country who will still
remain Republican if the party learns
wisdom by experience and adapts itself
to new conditions. They know that in
the last election many States chose
Republican Governors and Republican
Legislatures. They know that since
last November the Progressives have
failed to make an impressive showing
at any real test Of the polls. Take, for
instance. the recent elections in Illinois,
where, in Chicago, only three Progress
sivcs were elected on the aldernanic
ticket as against eleven Republicans
The Progressive vote in Chicago drop
ped back to third place and just about
equaled the Socialistic vote. In St.
Louis last week the Progressive cam
didate for Mayor received less than
1000 votes out of total of $4,000
and the Republican candidate was Sue
cessful. 1t has previously been shown
that the Progressives in the Illinois
Legislature were not factor in the
final decision of the Senatorial contest.
So that, despite the apparent activity
OF the Progressive leaders, with their
conferences and publicity bureau, and
their determination to effect an organi-
cation in every county, there is evil
IDENTIFY still much more of the Repub-
'..can party left than its, enemies care
to admit
1t is for the purpose of infusing
some encouragement into the minds of
these Republicans that Senator Cum
MINIS and others are anxious for a
demonstration TO be made
Representation at National Conventions
One of the subjects to be discussed
at the proposed conference is repre-
sentation at the next national conven-
ton. There is feeling that a con-
siderable percentage of the vote which
went to Roosevelt last fall was due to
an expression of resentment growing
out of the belief that the Southern
delegates had thwarted the will of the
Northern and Western Republicans as
shown by the primaries. Practically
one-haif of the votes which nominated
Mr. Taft came from States which
could not possibly contribute to his
election. The great States which were
vital factors in Republican success,
with the exception of New York, were
not for Mr. Taft.
This situation remains a sore spot
with large proportion: of the Repub-
lican party. 1t makes no difference
with them that the national conven-
tions in the past have declined, even
after much consideration, to effect al
change. Still less, apparently are they
affected by the fact that the effort to
correct conditions was successfully op-
posed by Roosevelt himself in 1908.
They insist now that something shall
be done to curtail the Southern repre-
sentation. Many suggestions have been
made. Some of the leaders favor bas-
ing representation on the number of
votes cast for the Republican Presiden-
tial candidate in each State, while
others propose one delegate from each
Congressional district, with additional
delegates proportionate to the Repub-
lican vote. Ex-senator Bourne, oil
Oregon, is one of the Progressive Re-
publicans who has taken the trouble |
to present in printed form his views |
on the wisdom and necessity of les
sening the influence of the solid South
in Republican conventions.
Oiaranchisement in he South.
There is a stumbling block in the |
way of concerted action when it comes |
to the question of how the reform
shall be accomplished.
Republican national platforms since
ISo7 have insisted that the Republican,
vote in the South is suppressed either
by force OF under The guise of lawI