Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1914-05-06


tee as set forth in these resolutions
not only guarantees the recognition,
in the call TO be issued for the next
National Convention, OF the right OF
any state 10 provide for the elections
OF delegates in direct primaries, and OF
the right of any state TO elect all del
egates from the state at large, or part
from the state at large and part from
congressional districts, but also elm
mates the consideration of many con-
tests by the National Committee which
in the past have produced discord and
dissension.
While the National Committee was
granted by National Conventions OF
the party the authority to make these
changes in the rules governing the
choosing OF delegates and the organ
ization Of the convention, the commit
tee did not believe that ii possessed
the power to alter the basis of repre-
sentation in future conventions with
out submitting its action for ratifca-
ton to a National Convention, or to
conventions convened in the several
states.
This question OF changing the basis
OF representation in National Conven-
| tons has at various times in the past
been presented to conventions con-
vened for the purpose OF nominating
candidates for President and Vice
President. The existing method of
basing the number of delegates to a
National Convention on the population
OF state. without regard to the vote
cast for the nominee of the party, has
been in use from the foundation of
the party until now. The weakness
in the method has long been recog-
nized. But no change has been made
because the contest for the nomina-
ton for the great office of President
has overshadowed in National Conven-
lions all other questions and prevent.
ed the unprejudiced consideration OF
this important question.
Some members of the committee and
numerous Republican voters believe
that it would be wise to convene a spe-
cial National Convention for the pur.
pose of considering and adopting
new basis of representation in future
conventions. Undoubtedly a special
convention unintluenced, as it would
be, by the passions ordinarily aroused
by contest for the Presidency, and
undisturbed, as it would be. by the
complications always present in a nom.
mating convention, would have pro.
duced solution just to the Repub-
lican voters of all the states, if the del.
egates chosen to such a convention
were representative of the rank and
file of the party.
Other members of the comnHttee
and numerous other Republican vo.
ters maintained that inasmuch as
there were no methods provided by the
existing laws o. the various states for
the election of delegates to a special
National Convention in direct primary
elections, a convention held at this
time might not represent the senti-
ments and desires of a majority of the
party.
The National Committee resolved to
consider the question, formulate it's
conclusions, and submit the result of
its deliberations for ratification to
State Conventions assembled in the
several states.
The committee believed that should
conventions of delegated representa-.
tives of the party, convened in the
number OF states entitled to cast a ma
Jority OF the votes in a National Con.
vention, ratify the action taken by the
National Committee in this respect, its
action should be assumed to fairly ex.
press the sentiment of the great ma.
jority OF the party, for obviously such
State Conventions when taken togeth.
ed would consist Of more representa-.
tives OF the party than would be as
sembled in a National Convention.
The plan adopted and recommended
for ratification provides that the Re.
publican voters in each state shall
hereafter be represented in a National
Convention OF the party by four dele
gates-at-large; two delegates for each
representative-at-large in congress:
one delegate from each congressional
district, and an additional delegate
from each congressional district in
which the vote in 1908 for any Repub.
! lican elector or for the Republican
nominee for congress in 1914 shall not
have been less than seven thousand
five hundred (7,5OO).
The plan proposed further provides
that the Republican voters in any
state may elect all delegates from the
state at large, or part from the state
at large and part from congressional
districts, and that in the case OF anv
state electng all representatives in
I congress from the state at large. such
state shall be entitled to the number
OF delegates as though the state were
divided into separate congressional
districts
Alaska and the District OF Columbia
7 under the plan presented will each be
entitled to two voting delegates. while
I Hawaii, Porto Rico and the Philippine
Islands will each be entitled to two