The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-09-24
Want SECOND CUT
Returning PrOgressives Sug-
geSt Republican Reform.
Reduce Southern Delegation to
G.. o. p. Convention.
INCREASE KANSAS DELEGATION
Base Representation on Total
Party Vote.
One Delegate for 5000 Votes
Some Figures.

Cuts far deeper than those made by
the national committee in the south
representation in Republican national
conventions may be demanded by pill
grims returning from a season jour
ney with the Progressives- Under the
new plan proposed by progressive
leaders for Republican reform, states
would be allotted one delegate TO the
national convention for every o'UoO
Republican votes The new pan pan
would increase the kaEsas delesdllOl'
from 20 to 25.
It was the unjust distribution OF
delegates to the natioral convention
that precipitated the big Spit IN the
Republican party in 1872 ana res iil'
in the election of Pre- fdent wilson
Following the 1912 election, the Ike
publican national committee per1ect-
ed new basis of representation. Inc
change did not seriously a1tect the
northern representation in the nation
al convention, but reduced the NUM-
Der of delegates from the southern
states which pOlled but scattering re
publican votes. The revision OF the
basis of representation fnaue no
change in Kansas.
New Basis Representation.
Now a movement has been started
back in Indiana-which may pc mace
nationwide through the efforts OF the
ProgressiVes and will have Tor It's
purpose a further shaking up OF the
southern representation in Republlcan
conventions. The general oasls pro
posed by the returning ProgresslVeS Is
one delegate for every 5000 RepuDlc-
an votes. The system in force IN 1917
allowed two delegates from each con
gressional district and four delegates
at large from eacn state
Increase Kansas Delegation.
Under the old plan, Mississippi was
allowed 20 votes in the convention. Yet
it cast but 1853 votes for Taft in 1908.
In 1908 Kansas cast 1925 votes Tor
Taft and its representation in the chi
cagO convention was the same as Inat
of Mississippi.
Again. South Carolina gave 3,965
Republican votes in 1908, but mad Is
delegates in the national convention
South Dakota with 81, $50 Republican
votes Rhode Island with 43-942, and
Oregon with $3.50 votes, each had
ten delegates. Texas with a total Re
publican vote of SIS was allotted
forty delegates and Utah with 61,O2S
votes was allowed eight |
delegates in the convention.
Big Cuts in South.
Now returning Progressives threat
en- to ask a further change in the sys- |
tenn of electing delegates and the rep |
resentation in Republican national |
The national committee |
in 1912 reduced Alabama's represen-
tation from "a to 16. The new plan |
is to reduce the representation to |
three. Arkansas was reduced from J
g to / 5, but the reform idea is to re-
duce the number of delegates to sew
en- Florida was reduced from twelve |
to eight and the new idea is to the
effect that one delegate is quite
enough.
On the other hand the Kansas dele
cation is increased from 20 to 25, Mis-
souri, from SO to 43, New York from
81 under the 1912 agreement to 100
under the new plan; and Pennsyl-
yania from 76 to 90. AS yet the new
plan has received but little consider
alton in Kansas, although the howl
against the "crime of the Chicago
of 1912 went to high
heaven.
1t was following the split in Chicago
three years ago that Kansas lined
up in the Democratic column, gave
is electoral vote to Wilson, elected a
Democratic United States senator, five
Democratic congressman. a Demo-
cratic governor and for the first time
n the history of the state, gave both
branches of the legislature to the
8OurbOnS.