Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-05-14
To
WORK ON PLANkS
Republicans Meet in Washing
ton May 10 to Consider
Convention Platform PIanks
BY w. 6. MANN.

WI
WASHINGTON, May IL. on the
eighteenth of this month there will
assemble in Washington a committee
of politicians constituting an organiza-
ton unique in the history of American
politics and national conventions.
Never before in the annals of political
activity has an undertaking been
essayed Similar to the one in hand
Its evolution is being watched with
curiosity and, it must be said with
an amount of somewhat s%cornfuI
skepticism by old line politicians. both
Democrats and Republicans.
This Is the committee which was
authorized at the quadrennial meet
ing of the Republican national COM
mittee last winter to formulate sug-
gestions to be presented to the plat
form committee of the Republican ma
tional convention, for possible incor-
poration In the Republican national
platform for the presidential elections.
1t consists of 100 men and IN
representative of all walks of life in
dustry and economics. Labor, capital,
agriculture. transportation, manufac-
turing, banking and finance. social up
lift-oh. nearly everything under the
sun concerning the people will be rep
n
Broadly stated. the object of their
deliberations will be to prepare sug-
gestions for the national convention
to be recommended by the party in its
PLATFORM for subsequent enactment
into law or Incorporation in admins
tration of the government. 1t was
assumed as the basis for the creation
of the committee. that the politicians
who are to frame the platform would
be interested In getting first land in
formation as to what the country is
thinking about and wants.
Lf0- tho hA,AAt 90 a.xy nh ~ N u rRt
be familiar with the machinery of ma
tional conventions nor conversant with
the methods aforetime used in making
q platform, IL may be said the usual
practice in the past has been for a
small group of men, in the inner
ellis of the party which Is "out" and of
the leaders of the administration
which is in power, to prepare in
advance of the convention a tentative
draft of O platform. In fact, n
certain man, a veteran In the game, is
usually designated to draw up the
draft.
The party which is in power leaves
to the President h designation of
the platform writer, and sometimes
the executive himself writes 1t, and
always o. ks 1t. For the party
which is In the minority, leaders us
ually the foremost men In the ma
tional committee, do his work.
lS COliN ol6allAECSf
each state delegation names n of
Its members on the committee on res
olutions, to repar the platform. Nat
urally, the bulk of the membership
of that committee are men not versed
in all the finer questions and distinc-
lions of party policy and are amena-
BILE to the voice of reason by the lead
ers. So, when the committee on reso-
lutions meets and gets down to bust
ness, up rises some gentleman who
modestly suggests that he has form
ulated a few ideas which might be
OF use to the committee and there
upon bring from an inner pocket
the draft which has been gone over
n revised by the powers that be.
Always, of course, there are new
ideas presented, sometimes radical is
sues interjected and the committee
on resolutions proceeds to thresh
them out. If the machine organiza-
ton has the situation well IN hand,
the proponents of the new PROPOSE
tions are allowed to talk until they
are tired and then one by one the
proposals are voted down.. The orig
nal draft Is thereupon modified or
not, and presented to the convention,
very frequently accompanied by a
minority report.
1t is recognized by political lead
ers in both parties that the platforms
of the parties in the two national
conventions now approaching viii be
the occasion of contests second only
to the fight over the nomination of
candidates for the presidency. Indeed,
the platform may have unusually i'm
portant bearing upon the selection of
candidates.
In the Democratic national
tion there is expected a contest be-
ytween the advocates of light wines
and beers and the bone dry prohibit
"A 49, ~ @ D1n
form In dealing with national prohi-
bition. Several eastern states, nota-
bly, New Jersey. Connecticut, Rhode
Island Massachusetts and New York
win send delegations to The Demo-
cratic national convention instructed
to contend for some kind of a recon-
mendation of relaxation of the strict
act of congress limiting the alcoholic
content of beverages.
The prohibition states, those which
have been for years absolutely bone
dry, and those which became so when
the constitutional amendment became
operative, will resist this effort. The
case will be fought out before the res
olutions committee and again on the
floor of the convention.
The Republican national
ton is expected to witness its biggest
fight over the league of nations. One
element of the party, as represented
by delegates, will advocate approval
of a league of nations with reserva-
tions. Another section will Insist up
on absolute rejection of the idea of
O. league of nations, as now presented.
The contest will be waged first in the
committee on resolutions and later'on
the floor of the convention.
1t is thought improbable that the
coming meeting of the platform
draughtsmen" in Washington will
undertake to deal with these two
questions for the Republican conven-
tions, but will devote their attention
mainly to sociological and industrial
questions.