Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-12-17
Latest Suggestion for Reap
portionment Would Cut
eV0te Two Thirds.
DISTRICT WOULD ALSO
LOSE ITS DELEGATES
National Committee Convenes Today
to Finish Work-No Convention
in the Spring.

If a proposal of r. B. Howell of Ne
braska is adopted by the republican
national committee. the vote of the
south in the republican convention will
be cut two-thirds and the District of
Columbia will have no representation
at all Along with a proposal by Will
liam Barnes, jr.. of New York. the How
ell plan has been submitted to sub
committee and report may be given
on 1t when the committee reconvenes
at o'clock this afternoon.
The committee met again today to con-
clude the reform measures it has under
taken to reunite the party to clear it's
convention machinery of certain features
and to reduce representation in national
conventions from southern states and
congressional districts which are regard
ed as hopelessly democratic.
Only two propositions remained to be
acted upon today, and report from a
special subcommittee headed by national
committeeman Warren of Michigan Of
fered a solution of each. Under the pro-
posals of the subcommittee the change in
representation would give to each state
four delegates at large, one from each
congressional district and an additional
delegate where the republican vote bears
a certain ratio to the total vote. The
exact ratio which shall determine when
a district shall have an additional delegate
had not been agreed upon, but no serious
trouble was expected over that feature.
The subcommittee presented unani-
nous report for a modification of the
tion of state primary laws. the ac-
ceptance of the right of state to choose
all or part of it's delegates at large to
national conventions. and agreed that in
future conventions delegates presenting
certificates from proper state authorities
should be placed on the temporary con-
vention roll. The latter feature promises
to do away with troubles which have
arisen at previous national conventions
over contests and deprives the national
committee of arbitrary power to seat
delegates.
Inc subcommittee report on primaries
and procedure reads in part as follows: :
Report of Subcommittee.
"That this republican national COM
mittee when it issues the call for the
national convention to be held in the
year 1916 to nominate candidates for
President and Vice President, shall pro-
vide in such call:
"(a) That in any state which shall have
provided by law. prior to the election of
delegates from such state, for the cleo
ton of such delegates to national conven-
tions of political parties at direct pri-
maries such delegates from that state
shall be elected in conformity with such
law.
",b) That all delegates from any state
may be chosen from the state at large, or
part fro mthe state at large and part from
congressional districts in conformity with
the laws of the state in which the cleo
ton occurs.
(c) That delegates presenting certificates
of election from the canvassing board or
officer created or designated by state law
to canvass the returns and issue certif-
icates of election to delegates to national
conventions of political parties. in pri-
mary election. r-lll be placed upon the
temporary roll by the national commit
tee"
Plan of Reapportionment.
The Warren committee finally agreed
upon plan of reapportionment pro-
viding for four delegates at large from
each state, one from each congressional
district and one additional from each
district where the total republican vote
was thirty-five per cent or more OF the
total vote cast No district. however.
would have more than two delegates, no
matter how large the republican vote.
States having congressman at large 10
he entitled to one vote for each. Ter
ritories and the District of Columbia
would have two delegates each. The
plan provides also that IT snail become
fffectiye when 1t is ratified by states
renresenting a majority of the electoral
college
Under the Warren plan representation
i'm national conventions would be re
duced by seventy delegates. The fol-
lowing-named states would lose the
following number of delegates: Ala
bama. s; Florida 2; Georgia, 8; Louis
lana Z: Mississippi. 8; North Carolina
2: Oklahoma. 1; South Carolina, Z; rem
nessee. 4; Texas, IA; Virginia, 5. Total
loss for the south, 62; Illinois, 2; Ken
lucky, /; New Jersey, /; New YORK, T.
Total loss for the north. 8.
4 plan for additional delegates where
the republican vote was more thah ~
per cent of the total was rejected, be-
cause under it the north would lose
proportionately more than the south.
Under it New York's representation
would be cut by and Ohio's by . The
subcommittee unanimously agreed on
the S5 per cent plan.
To Recognize Primary Laws.
The plan of the subcommittee to recog-
nize primary laws and change the rules
concerning conventions was adopted by
the national committee by unanimous
vote On point raised by Committee
man Chubb of Florida it was announced
that the resolution would be changed
so that in states where ii is optional
whether a party shall hold primaries for
the election of delegates they shall be
selected in the old manner, and the
urinary plan shall be observed only in
states where the law provides specifically
for such action.
With the resolution for reapportion-
ment of delegates an amendment was
accepted providing that the basis for
the selection of delegates from each
congressional district in addition to one
should be based on 'the republican vote
for republican Presidential electors in
1.mS or for republican candidates for
Congress in 1914, whichever is the
r, B. Howell of Nebraska submitted a
minority report. He concurred in every
thing except the apportionment scheme
and declared that he believed the pro-
posal of the majority would be sub
versiye of the object of the meeting and
| result in future embarrassment to the
republican party. He contended that the