The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1920-06-25
REPUBLICAN ROTTEN soRoueHs

Every four years the republican ma
ltional convention finds that rotten
boroughs in the south are exercising
a powerful and frequently bad influ-
ence in its decisions. They are rot
ten boroughs because they contain
many negroes who are members of
the republican party, but are not vot
ling citizens of the United States.
Southern democrats let the vote of
these negroes count in making repub-
lican nominations, but they do not al
low them to count in elections. Negro
delegates may comeato Chicago, but
but they may not go 70 the polls.
The republican party can enfran-
chise the negro for the purpose of
making the party nomination, but can
not enfranchise him for national cleo.
tions.
Thus section of the country which
never goes republican not only con-
trolls the democratic party, but is in
position to control the republican par
|ty.
Every four years there is a halt
hearted effort to do away with the
danger, and every four years nothing
comes of the effort because there are
always reasons in the convention for
the retention of the system.
Now is a good year to break away.
Republicans have not had federal pat
ronage for eight years and consequent
ly there are no republican job-holders.
Next year, and four years afterward
perhaps, there will be, but when there
are the party will not get rid of the
Misrepresentation of the south in con-
vention.
If there is republican administra
ton the year of convention the sys-
tenn will be continued because the
president will want it continued. II
he wants a denomination he will use
it for his own benefit. If he wants to
pass the nomination on he will use
the system for another mans benefit
They all have done, It and they all
will
Roosevelt used it for himself and
then used it for Taft. The remedy is
simple and has been proposed in con-
vention after convention. Let each
state have its delegates at large and
then base representation upon the
number of republican votes cast. Then
the south in which republican votes
are not cast would retire to the place
it should occupy in republican con-
ventions. Democrats give the south
the basis for representation in repub
lican conventions and will until rep
resentation does not flow from popula
ton but from republican votes.
The wide-awake, progressive states
have their votes checked by votes
representing nothing. The southern
states which have decided their cleo
toral vote before either convention
has been held send delegations to re-
publican conventions which may cas-
lily control in tight decisions and close
races.
Republicanism may take its yer.
diets from a setcion of the country
which never is republican. 1t may ar
rive at a decision through the infiu-
ence Of section of the country which
never makes a political decision ma
| tionally.
The south not only rules the dem
ocratic party but may rule the repub
, lican. 1t is fine system for a presi-
dent who wants to control through his
cfficeholders, but it is a dangerous
one for party which wants to con
troll through it's reliance upon north
ern voters.
The scandalous nature of the pro.
ceedings adopted in the south to con-
troll the rotten borough delegations
makes the republican party disreputa-
bic in the eyes of every decent south
erner. The republican party in the
south is probably one Of the most
powerful reasons for the solid south.
We do not see why the northern
states stand for it. The legitimate In.
fuence of northern voters who have
primaries and instruct delegates is
checkmated by the influence of this
fiction of a party in the south.
The republicans Of the south did
not send delegates to Chicago. The
democrats of the south did. II the
south were limited to representation
of the republican votes cast there, the
northern voter would have a dead
weight taken OF his neck, and the
party conventions would have much
scandal eliminated from them.
II will not be done II some powerful
man is profiting from these condi.
tions. Now lie good year to get rid
Of it.-Chicago Tribune.