Norwich bulletin., 1913-12-16
Root Attacked
 by Democrats
PARTY GUNS TURNED ON REPu6-
 LIcAN SENATOR
HIS CURRENCY SPEECH
Accused of Unwarrantably Attempt
 ing to Alarm the PubIio-Passage of Administration Bill Presased.

Washington, Dec. 15.-Although the republican national committee will not decide the question of whether it shall call an extraordinary party convention until it's formal meeting tomorrow, many arguments for and against such action were made tonight at dinner given to the committeeman by Chair man Charles D. Hilles. In a speech that preceded the discussion of the merits of the question: MT. Hilles out lined at length the matters which the committee and a convention, if called will be asked to settle, gave some of the arguments on each side, and de- clared that in any event the republican party should get together.
 "The conference" he said, 'is not a counsel of despair. Republicans have every reason to feel hopeful"
 Must Not Surrender Principles.
 The national chairman did not dis close his personal views on the advis- ability of an extraordinary convention, but called upon other committeeman to debate It's merits.
 Tn order that we may again tri- umph," said he, i've must have some motive other than 8 desire to win. For the sake of mere success at the polls we must not discard or undermine the sound principles which our predeces- sors thought out and fought out and wrought out. We are the trustees of the republican party, 8 fact which should inspire in us a sense of cogent responsibility. Republicans and former republicans can go very far in 9 proto col of union if a surrender of princ1- pies is not involved. We will not em- brace theories of government that are destructive of all that we hold essen tial to the maintenance of liberty reg ulated by law"
 Mr. Hilles referred to the meeting of the national committee as "abnorm- al," but directed by the executive com mittee, and warranted by conditions
 Five Important Questions.
 He announced that five important questions to be decided by the commit tee tomorrow involved the recognition of state laws as to the manner of choosing delegates; minimizing the number of contests for seats in con- yentions; terminating the tenure of committeeman automatically upon the election of their successors; creation of a new tribunal to hear contestants and changing the basis of representa- ton.
 MT. Hil1es dwelt alt length on the proposed recognition of primary laws and the proposal to change the basis of representation, which would lead tn a reduction in the proportion of dele
 
 cussing the proposed reduction, MT. Hilles pointed out the success of the republican party in several states south of Mason and Dixon's line, and summed up the argument of the op- ponents of the plan.
 A Wrong to Disfranchise Negroes.
 They" he argued, "argue that If the party ignores the great body of repub licans-denies representation in its convention to the colored men who are disfranchised by an arbitrary militant and unconscionable dernocracy-it will have wrought a wrong of such far reaching consequence that its new slo- gan of Just and Equal Representation will be a misnomer and that 1t will have given countenance to a dannable and despoic system.
 'It may not be irrelevant to remark, he added, "thac If President Wilson's proposal of a federal primary law should take form and be enacted into 8 constitutional law, the five perplex ing problems, which I have endeavored to state in an impartial manner would disappear. Even so, the republican party would, fancy, continue to hold national conventions, for surely the right of assembly is still left to us as private citizens until the constitu tion is repealed '