Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-24
REPUBLICANS MOVE
TO REUN|TE PARTY
CONTINUED From First PaSe.)

national convention.
Similarly. Mississippi, which in 1905
cast 1853 votes for the republican nomi-
nee for President. sent twenty delegates
TO the republican convention. or one dele
gate for every us votes thus cast.
Illinois. casting 6e9.93o republican votes.
sent fifty-eight delegates. one delegate
Tor every 10 SOL republican votes; Michi-
gar. thirty delegates for 33-'.5SO republi-
can votes. or one for 11.1s6 and ONO.
fortv-eight delegates for !I..Sl.. or one
for II .ao3 Thus one Mississippi republic
can was equal In the convention to fifty
,.enuh,icans from Illinois ffty-one from
Michigan and fifty-five from Ohio
..(cl The existing rule. promulgated py
a convention held more than thirty Years
ago. relating 10 the manner or selectng
delegates needs revision. Some or the
states have passed primary laws. ana
others will pass them. that are not IN mar
mony with the rule. and some proVislon
must be made that Will remove the con-
ntct. This is not the time to enter upon
an argument as to the merits or these
laws We content ourselves by statns
what seems TO be an obvious conclusion,
viz: That we must either accept these
primary laws or we shall have no re-
publican following in the states which
have enacted them Under such circum-
stances the wise course is too plain Tor
difference of opinion.
Reorganization Of Committee.
"fs) We believe that it is more log
zeal. as well as more consistent with the
spirit OF our party. that every representa-
tive should come to his duties as soon as
possible after his selection; that repub-
rican national committeeman should as
sume office prior rather than subsequent.
TO future regular republican national con-
~entions.
..(4) We believe that some method
should be devised and put into erect De-
fore the next regular republican national
convention whereby the unhappy con-
tests which have marked the seating or
delegates in past republican national con-
ventions should be reduced to minimum
and settled without that heat and partisan
. ship which have SO often marked sucn
contests.
1--WE have pointed out these matters in
order to show how essential 1t Is that
there shall be a readtustment prior to the
call for the. convention OF 1915. indeed
prior to the campaign Of 1914 The 5coun-
try ought to know before there Is another
alignment that these changes have been
made We cannot hope that republicans
will agree upon every question 1t would
be unfortunate If they did, but We can
hope that they will agree upon the vital
doctrines Of government and that the VIII
Of a majority OF the primary voters fairly
expressed and faithfully executed VIII es-
tablish such policies and install such lead
ership as Will command the confidence
ana enlist the support of that great army
which has SO long marched under the re-
publican banner.
IN s. Hadley and Sidney Anderson.
members Of the committee. Join in the
above request, but are not present in
Washington to sign this communication"
It was signed by Senators Cummfns,
Jones and Crawford and John ]. Rogers
OF Massachusetts and Lewis.P. CHAMPION
OF Michigan.
Chairman McKinley's Views.
William B. Mckinley Of illinois. chais-
man Of the republican congressional COM
mittee. gave his views as follows: ;, 81
It consider the Ieadjustment Of repre-
sentation from the solid democratic south
in the republican national convention q
matter OF the greatest Importance to the
future Of the party. Republicans gen.
orally favor the change. supported the
proposition In 1908. when 1t was before
the Chicago convention. Last December
at q get-together meeting of over 600
republicans in Chicago, which was at
tended by many so-called progressives
offered q resolution. which was adopted.
requesting our state national committee
man, Roy o. West. to use his best en-
deavors in the national committee to Sc
cure change In the basis Of represen-
tation.
There is a feeling throughout the
west against the present system. but
there is also belief. In which I share.
that II We reduce southern representation
we should also take steps toward an alb
solute enforcement of the fourteenth
and fifteenth amendments to the Con-
stitution. The platforms of the repub-
lican party since the civil war have al
ways declared that these amendmepts
should be obeyed, but, somehow or other.
We have never taken positive action to-
ward securing their enforcement
IF the national committee has the
power. as some of us think 1t has. to
adjust this question of representa-
ton. it should go ahead and do SO i'm
mediately. Should 1t take such ac-
ton. who would overrule IT?
If the national committee decides
that 1t lacks the power. ! favor the
holding of a republican national con-
vention. because / am convinced by
that time our differences will have
vanished and 1t will resolve itself into
republican love feast 1t might be
better to wait until next year to hold
such a convention, when the country
will have object lesson In the
practical operation and disastrous ef-
feet OF the democratic tariff law upon
industries and wages.
Foresees Harmonious Gathering.
During the interim county. con-
Srsssional and state primaries and
conventions will have been held. at
which delegates to this national con-
vsntion could be selected. Al the same
time these conventions could act on
purely state matters. leaving the ma
ttonal conference free to deal with the
questions coming up during the CON-
grsssiond campaign. The fact that
all republicans would be striving to
win the next House would. In my judg-
ment make such q convention on the
eve Of the congressional campaign a
harmonious gathering and enable the
party 70 sound a ringing declaration
tor the establishment OF the repub-
iican policy Of protection for American
industry and labor.
1.-The way for the republicans to re,
together 10 to get busy and get together
The rank and Ale Of the republicans ar
foRgstting their differences. The leaders
are doing likewise. We can get the
habit Of getting together in supporting
the policy Of protection. This is an es
genital element Of republican.sm. Regu
dara, progressives Or by whatever name
republicans may call themselves car
stand together on this common ground
Just a. they have demonstrated in the
House Of Representatives they could do
TIE congressional committee and the
national committee should work out q
plan Of cooperation to elect the next
House. rather like the cooperative
plan that the democratic committees have
adopted. 1t should be borne In mind
however. that the business Of the con.
gressional committee Is not TO make ar
issue or q policy. but to- confne itselt
to rendering assistance in the close dis
trfcts'
]. J. FLETCHER OUT OF CITY.