The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-02-28

ASK your Drug tst FOR a Free,
Peruna; Lucky Day Almanac for / 91si
|,ele, which is an expression of his per-
sonal views, the assertion OF these.
men borders on the ridiculous. III
Mr.. Taft, while president, and with
all the power Of that great office,
could not impose IFS Views on the
party, howis lie gong to DO itswhen,'
heSis merely a private citizsng Tie
assertion as to the. present national
committee Is, unfair and untrue. II.
does the membership of this! commit
teesan Injustice. 1t is not the same
committee that dominated tile Chit
cago convention Of June, q s12; 1t.
had, in fact, nothing to do with it.
The attitude Of the members toward
the+rank and file is different. The
membership is different. ~ y s
The national committee has gone
% the very,limit of Its power and au-
thority to change and reform the
regulations Of our party respecting
the constituting Of our national con:
yentions. It proposes to cut down
the entationl from tile southern
states more than so votes. Had tits
been done previous to 1912, we would
to-day have a Republican national
administration and West Virginia
would have had its choice for tSpIiriesii-.
dent. tits worthy Of note that this;
basis Of, representation, which It is
now proposed to. change radically,
has existed since 1860, when Abriat=.
ham Lincoln was nominated for
president. Notwithstan ding the fact
that persistent efforts have been
made since 1880 at least to. cut down
the representation from southern
Estates and the fact that the commits.
Iltse on basis OF epresentation An the
national convention Of 1884 made a
report in favor Of II which report.
was favored in committee and con-
cured in BY the member Of that com.
nittee from West Virginia nothing
has been done: This unjust basis
continued under GARFIELD, Harrison,
Blaine, Mckinley and Roosevelt.
Upon this basis each Of these great
leaders received his nomination for
president.
Other reforms by the National
committee is to put 1t in the power
CT every, state to- elect theirdelegates
to national conventions In any fair
way they please, especially by pri-
mary election. Tie committee has
Invested itself of the power that is
inherent in ever committee thar calls
convention, Of making up a tempo
tary roll OF the delegates, and pro-
poses that each state shall decide ali
of its own contests, this to he, done
Of course, by law. Many states all
ready have presidential preference
primaries. 1t Is believed that prac.
| tically all the remaining states. es-
4 peeially Republican states. will be.
1 fore 1916 enact such laws. Certain
| Nv West Virginia viii do 50. 4 feel
sure she,will -four; pro ressiye ,breth-
/ rem will join with us In electing a
legislature.
Now, the National committee has
left all this to the voters by way OF
4 q referendum 70 the voters acting
1 In their respective states, where they
can meet together with the least pos
sible cost In time ana money, and ;un-
l der conditions which viii secure the
\ largest possible participation by the
4 individual voters. The National
committee itself did not have the
4 power to put these reforms In opera
i ton. but believing that the pbwer 70
do so Is inherent in the voters Of the
party who are in fact the party and
the source of all power in the party,
they have referred them to the vot.