New-York tribune., 1921-01-31
Committee Named 20 Inves-
tigste Situasion and Rec
Oznmend Plan as Urged
by Chicago Convention
Delegations To Be Pared
Aim Il to Avoid Trumped-
Up Contests and Elirai-
nate Patronage Seekers
BY Carter Field


Republican party in the solid South
was announced to-day by Chairman
Will Fl. Hays of the Republican Ma
tional Committee. This is the first Of
fetal step by the committee in carry
ing out the direction made by an over
whelming vote of .he national conven-
tion at Chicago last June.
This move is in line with the drive
being made on President Harding, to
Tribune's Washington dispatches jan
nary II. The underlying idea Of every
one concerned, except few Republican
leaders whose following has been small
in. votes but hungry for patronage
when q Republican President is in the
White House, is to improve the condi-
tion of the party in the South and build
IL up into an organization with which
no white will be ashamed to be identi-
fed.
The committee just appointed will
report back to the full national COM
mittee, among other thirgs, on the
number of delegates each Southern
state should be allowed at Republican
national conventions. The present plan
allows four at large for each state, one
for each Congressional district and
then one for each Congressional dis
trict in which the Republicans cast not
less than $500 votes at the preceding
election. One of the new plans pro-
posed, which will be considered by the
committee, is for each state to have
four at large, with no delegates guar
anteed for each district at all, but one
or two according to the number Of
votes cast at the preceding election.
New York Lost by System
Incidentally the present plan de-
- InYr
Empire State delegation being eighty
eight, instead Of ninety, and Massachu-
sets Of one, she having thirty-fve, i'm
stead of thirtysix, the reason being
that two of the heavy Tammany dis
tricts in New York and one Of the
heavy Democratic districts in Boston
failed to muster $500 Republican
votes.
The proposed new plan, If put into
effect, would cut the Southern delega-
tions-more often than not a scandal
at Republican conventions-down very
sharply, but of course also would have
the effect Of further reducing the
number of Republican delegates of
New York and other heavily Demo-
cratic cities.
The committee consists of Repre-
sentative C. Bascom Slemp, of Vir-
ginia; National Committeeman Earl
Kinsley, of Vermont; National Com
mitteeman r. P. Howell, Of Nebraska,
with National Chairman Hays, ex-
fficio chairman, and Clarence B. Miller,
secretary of the national committee,
ex-officio secretary.
The committee will meet soon and
take up the work. It is expected that
as result Of its inquiries there will
be reduction Of the representation
to national conventions from some
parts of the South and that efforts
will be made to mitigate the troubles
which have grown out of the trumped
up contests in the interest of this or
that candidate for President, which
have at different times caused much
embarrassment to the national COM
mittee and to national conventions.
Action Ordered June
On June s, just before The Chicago
convention, the Republican National
Committee unanimously adopted the
posed by Henry s. Jackson, then ma
tional committeeman from the State
of Georgia.:
Whereas, II is increasingly apparent
that the so-cailed Solid South is in
fact on economic issues strongly in
clined to the principles of the Republi-
can party; and,
Whereas, it is obvious from the
repeated contests before the national
committee and other facts no less
noteworthy that Republican votes in
these states are not increasing in
proportion to the increasing belief in
Republican principles:
"Be 1t resolved, That the chairman
Of tho Republican National Committee
appoint special committee Of three Of
Its members, Of which the chairman
and secretary are to be ex-officio
members, one Of whom shall be from
the South, who shall very carefully
and impartially study the whole polit-
ical situation in the South, and also its
relation to that in the North, with a
view of reporting at the next meeting
of the national committee, or as soon
rs the special committee thus appointed
shall be ready, how the Republican
party in the states Of the South may
be reorganized or constituted to make
it more effective agent for the
spreading and recording Of Republican
principles and Of electing Republican
Z electors"
Plan Indorsed by Convention
On June IL, just before 1t adjourned.
the Republican National Convention at
Chicago adopted the following resolu-
uon, which was moved by Paul How
ianu, OF Ohio, chairman of the COM
mlttee on rules and order of business:
Resolved, That in order to effect
proper and necessary changes In tho
present apportionment OF delegates In
proportion to the Republican vote
actually cast at general elections
throughout the various states Of The
Union, and in order to inspire a rrenter
ei1ort to erect and maintain snbstar.
slai party organizations in ali the
ssases. the national committee. not
wienstandlng any rule heretofora
adopted, is hereby authorised and d.
sected within twelve months from tha
date OF the adjournment of this row
yennon, to adopt just and eouitablA
basis OF representation In futurs M
nonai conventions, which basis shall
90 set forth In the call for the naxt
convention and be binding ,inors IA
same and all other future convsnt,ons
until otherwise ordered"
Chairman Hays, in naming tba,co,n-
mittee just announced, has acted II as-
cordance with the action Of the nationsl
committee and the national convention
at Chicago. ~s'"sioh
Representative Slemp, who has served
N Congress for years from Virrinis
is considered we'll fitted for the tasr
ahead Of him. He knows all sections
ot tne South intimately. Mr.. Kinsiav
Of Vermont, has given much attent;nn'
t0 fha Cnu<L>~~ - eOuS SiUa