Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-23
Reunion of Factions Possible
Outcome of Executive Com
mittee Meeting.
PR0GRESSIVES DEMAND
NATIONAL CONVENTION
Gathering of the Party Represent
atives Tomorrow to Discuss Basis
of Representation.

omorrow's meeting OF the executive
committee of the republican national
committee, in this city. is regarded by
republican politicians I'm Congress as
likely TO be productive OF important
results Added interest and significance
is lent by the action OF the republicans
of the Senate yesterday. old-line and
progressive. urging a militant organiza-
ton. with reunion OF the factions. The
committee is expected TO indorse and
vitalize this suggestion.
One feature OF the meeting will be
the reception of a committee appointed
after the recent Chicago conference of
progressive republicans, who will pre-
sent demand that the national COM
mittee call a convention of the republi-
can party within a twelvemonth to con-
| slider change In the base OF repre-
sentation in national conventions.
This committee consists OF Senator
Cummins OF Iowa. chairman; ex-Gov.
of South Dakota and Jones OF Washing
ton, and Representatives Anderson of
Minnesota, Rogers OF Massachusetts and
Champion of Michigan.
The executive committee of the national
committee consists of John r. Adams OF
Iowa, Fred w Estabrook Of New Hamp-
shire. James p. Goodrich of Indiana.
Thomas A. NARROW of Montana, Alvah II.
Martin of Virginia. Thomas X. Neidring-
haus of Missouri Samuel A. Perkins or
Washington, Newell Sanders of Ten
nessee, Charles B. Warren of Michigan,
Roy o. West Of Illinois and Ralph f.
Williams of Oregon.
Chairman Hilles. according to informa-
| tion at hand today. expects all these to
| be present except Mr.. Williams. who has
| written that he will be unable to attend
Messrs. Estabrook. Martin, Warren and
West arrived this morning and Chairman
Hilles is expected this afternoon.
Power Of Executive Committee.
| Preliminary discussion OF the coming
meeting discloses the certainty that the
executive committee can go no further
than to submit the proposition OF calling
a convention to the full committee.
There is strong doubt whether the full
committee has the authority. under the
rules, to call convention for the pur-
pose other than for the nomination of
candidates.
Some committeeman take the ground
Y that X the full committee is clothed with
power to call a convention TO change the
1 basis OF representation IL has the right
to make the change itself. without sub
| mitting Ii to a convention.
1t does not seem likely that any great
| amount of enthusiasm will be created by
! the suggestion emanating from progress
sive sources that the national committee
as now constituted. should abdicate I'm
favor of new committee to be created.
| Emphasis is laid upon the statement
| that this meeting was not called in re-
| sponse to the Chicago conference, but in
| fact has been in the making for several
months. Other questions will be taken
| up and the reception of the Chicago COM
mittee will be incidental and not the
principal event
Questions Under Consideration.
Objections are urged to the destruction
of the congressional district as the unit
of representation, which would unques-
tionably result from the election of dele
gates at statewide primaries. State
wide primaries would again make the
| state the unit. ii is argued. and give to
the large cities a supremacy I'm the mat
ter of the selection OF delegates which
would be resented by the smaller commu-
| mites. 1t would. II Is said. re-establish
convention conditions which existed prior
to 1850 and which were the constant
sources of factional chickering's and bitter
party dissension.
| There is concern, also. with regard to
| the representation of those states in
which women are now permitted 10 vote,
| and which would give to these states
representation entirely disproportionate
| to their population, as compared with
those states whose republican votes
would be ascertained without considering
the number of women who might vote
the republican ticket were they per-
mitted to cast ballots. The point is made
that il one-third of the states of the
Union should adopt woman suffrage these
sixteen states. by virtue of their in
creased delegate strength, could easily
control republican convention and die
tate the nomination against the COM
Il-f. tl,n~ u IL
Senator Cummins' Proposition.
Senator Cummins has persuaded those
who have Joined with him that conven-
ton should be held this summer or fall.
At that convention they want action de-
priving southern states of the dominant
position now occupied by them at ma
tionaI conventions.
Instead of making population the basis
of representation. they want republican
votes to be accepted as such. Moreover,
Mr. Cummins and his friends demand un-
qualified recognition OF primary election
laws. instead Of supremacy of party law
over state law. They ask a new method
of disposing of delegate contests. leaving
the final decision with state organizations
rather than with the national committee.
And lastly, they would have no objection
to the retirement OF the entire national
committee
more progressive leaders may be
placed on guard-although they are not
prepared to unduly press the latter two
points.
Those who ask for immediate action do
SO on the ground that republicans must
at once be brought together; that progress
sIves, who followed the Roosevelt flag.
should join the party tendency toward
progress and regeneration: that some
thing should be done, almost anything.
to show the American people that there
is still life in the old party.
Argue Against Haste.
The other thought protests against
undue haste. Although favoring the
holding OF a convention. at which the
purposes outlined may be achieved-that
In. a new basis of representation and
recognition of state primary laws-the
members OF this school believe that the
time for such action is not yet ripe.
Their argument is that there are yet too
many aching hearts and bleeding heads
among republicans to assure harmony
of action. 49,. th>
rhev advance the belief, also. That the
ranuhiican party will be In no position
-, ttract the rank and file of the voters
- the country until the enect OF the
Sa,,ncra tic tariff bill Ii understood
RE progressives. who have seized upon
thu idea OF reduced southern Representa-