Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1914-05-08

ciples which endure Unless the
membership of party are bound to-
gether, by the bonds of union in
rupted every time the leaders have a
quarrel. Therefore | contend that in
Republic political parties are
founded on principles and not per-.
sonalities. As corollary to the pro-
position just established might
add the proper remedy for an OBJ
noxious leadership is not the destruc=
ton of the party, but the overthrow
of the leadership. But it is contend
ed that, under the rules of the nation
al committee, a majority of the
membership of the party could not
enforce it's will. That brings US to
the consideration of the Rules of par
ty organization.
Who makes the rules? The ma
tional convention. The national con-
yention is composed of delegates
chosen by the people. If the Rules
are wrong, the remedy is not the des-
truction of the party; but the selec-
ton of delegates pledged to their
repeal or amendment in accordance
with the wishes of the rank and file.
What are the obnoxious rules which
caused such impassioned controversy.
1 The rule which confers full pow
er upon the national committee to
pass judgment upon the credentials
of delegates and make up the tenn
porary roll.
This rule is not peculiar to the Re-
publican party. 1t is common to all
A
long as there are conflicting interests
at stake in elections, so long will
there be contesting delegations de
manding recognition at the door of
conventions. These contests must be
decided and the power to decide them
must be vested in some tribunal of
competent jurisdiction. All parties
have agreed that the proper tribunal
| for the settlement of the preliminary
contests until the convention itself
can pass final judgment, is the con-
trolling party committee. The OBJ
lection is not to be the vesting of
such power in the national commit
tee, but to the manner in which it has
been exercised.
The power should be exercised not
according to the partisan bias on
factional inclination of the COM
mittee, but according to fixed rules
which would guarantee justice to
every contestant for a seat in the
convention. The national committee
itself has recognized the wrong and
provided a remedy. It will not be
necessary to wait until the selection
of delegates in 1916 to accomplish
/ - ol-oc
it mandatory on the committee to. rec
ognize the validity of certificates of
election, signed by the proper offic-
ial. of the various states in which
delegates are selected by primary,
In practically all the states, dele
gates will be chosen by primary in
1916. AS Senator Borah said, the
national committee in the, next Re
publican convention will be- ,"as idle
as a painted ship upon a painted
ocean, There can be. no bar be-
tween the will Of the rank and file
and their choice. of candidates and
platform of principles.
2 "The second rule, which has un-
der the ban of public condemnation
relates to representation from the
southern states in our national con-
ventions. Southern states that furn-
ish few votes in electing Republican
| Presidents, exercise as much power
in these selections of candidates as
the populo4s Republican states Of the
North. y In the election Of 1910 the
State Of Mississippi did not cast a
, single Republican vote, but it cast
twenty votes in the Republican Ma
tional Convention. The state of
North Carolina cast but 1856 Repub-
Llican votes but had 18 votes in ou1
national convention. Georgia cast
ASP votes for the Republican ticket in
the election but had 26 votes in, de-
Gliding upon republican candidates
for the Presidency. How was this
rule, so repugnant to the theory OF
the representative government, writ
ten into our party statute. That
rule was based upon the doctrine of
universal freedom. Il It. was written
into the organic law of the Republi-