The Oskaloosa herald., 1913-08-21
OF PARTY
SENATOR cUMMINs OF IOWA sue-
GESTS TWO METHODS.
First Change Unit to the State and
Second Base Delegates Upon
the Republican Vote.

Washington, d. c., Aug. 16.-Sena-
tor Cummins seems to be quite con-
tent upon adopting some line of action
which would result in what he calls
the reorganization of the republican
party, to the end that harmonious re-
lations must be established between
those persons who supported the re-
publican nominee for the presidency
at the polls in 1912 and those who
supported Theodore Roosevelt, nomi-
nee of the progressive party. The SEN
ator was in the latter class.
The senator still is of the opinion
that this reorganization could be ac-
complished by a national convention
that should agree upon the future pol
icy making the state the unit of rep
resentation in all national conven-
tions hereafter to be called, instead
of the state and congressional dis
trict, as has been the rule since the
republican national convention Of
1880 and the basing of representation
upon the number of republican votes
cast in the respective states, instead
of twice the number of senators and
representatives in the respective
states, as has been the rule since and
including the first republican nation
al convention.
The first method suggested was the
one observed in all republican con-
ventions prior to that of 1880. In
In that convention change was ef-
| fected after a bitter struggle. The
/ friends of Gen. Grant were in the ma
jority in delegations from the states
of New York, Pennsylvania and ILL
nois, and if the state should be re-
garded as the unit then all of the dele
gates votes from these states would
be cast for Grant, making his nomina'
ton assured; but II the districts were
to be the unit, thus giving certain
delegates unfavorable to Gen. Grant
the right to represent their district
constituents, uncontrolled by the ma.
jority of delegates in the state, then
Grants vote would fall short of a
majority in the convention. The nom
ination of Gen. Grant, therefore, de-
pended upon the decision of this cues
ton. With the state the unit, he
would win; with the district the unit.
another candidate was probable.
Conkling was the boss in New
York. Cameron. was the boss in
Pennsylvania. Logan was the boss in
Illinois. II was a fight between the
bosses on one side and the people
on the other.
The convention changed the rule in
order to defeat the bosses. A natural
question now being asked Is, Do the
bosses now desire to re-establish the
obnoxious, offensive rule?
The second proposal of Senator
| Cumins Is not new. For many years
efforts have been made to induce the
national committee In its call for the
national convention to base repre-
sentation upon republican votes cast
in the respective states. In 1900, 1904
and 1908 many individuals and news
papers urged this upon the national
committee. Mr.. Cummins was a mem.
Der of the national committee in 1900
when that body was urged at its
meeting in Washington to adopt this
action Again such action was urged
in 1904 and 1908. In every instance
the then president was understood to
be opposed to the change and it could
not be effected. 1t is not of record
that Senator Cummins favored this
change when he was a member Of the
national committee.
Republicans now are instructed by
Senator Cummins that upon the basis
of these two changes of policy, the
Reorganization" of the republican
party may be accomplished. These
two propositions of the senator SIM
ply involve matters of policy; nc
question of principle is at stake. II
the senator from Iowa is correct in
this opinion, then why, republicans
ask, why all this spirit of hostility
that has separated the great republi-
can party into two waring camps7
Why this division of the vote whereby
Woodrow Wilson. having million
less votes than the combined vote OF
Roosevelt and Taft, is elected presi
dent, and the policies of the govern
ment which had brought about most
marvellous conditions, radically chang