The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-05-02
REPUBLICANS ABOUT To SETTLE
% Of PARTY'S Bic PROBLEMS
BY MARK SULLIVAN
National Political Correspondent OF
The Intelligence.


The Intelligence.
Was hington. May Within III" next
few days two issues, seriously affecting
the Republican party organization. Will
come to climax. The first has TO do
with regencratinG the party in the
South 4 committee is now az work
preparing recommendations which shall
end the perennial scandal OF the South
crn delegate"
This committee is not unanimous IN
his point of view. 4 portion OF il con
SiStS Of Old Guard Republican leaders
who have long had relations with tn"
existing Republican leaders IN tho
South and who hesitate 10 ttEc AN at
which would 1estroy tn" power or those
leaders and tho position they have IN
their communicates position which DC
ponds almost wholly on their power IN
the Republican party. But that por-
ton Of tho committee which Will prob
ably prevail is determined /" end the
. Southern delegate scandal. There is
good cS idcnce that this more modern
thinking portion of the committee VIII
have the support OF President Harding
when the matter comes 70 an issue dun r.
ing the next few days.
The point of view OF President Hard
ing and the more thouGhttul leaders OF
the party is that the success which IN"
, Republican party had in Tn" South dur-
ing the recent election shall bc pre-
served. They recognize that this sac
I cess was based not on tho cd methhdE
Of the Southern Republican leaders. hui,
rather in spite Of them. They hclieN"
! that the best thing tor the Republican,
party - 10 follow Il course which VIA
he encouraging TO those Southern mon.
leaders in various lines Of business who
voted the Republican ticket last fall.
Specific Proposal
Specifically. the PROPOSE -. III tn"
first place. TO cut down tho number OF
III delegates. the bulk OF them ""l"rcd
who in the past have come from eleven
southern states TO the Republican na :
! tional convention. The reduction IN
numbers will be from about III 10 90.
The next proposal is even more dra site
and fundamental. 1t is that the Repub-
lican party will not recognize any voter
In its primaries. or any participant in
its local conventions who Is not also
recognized as a voter by the local Ia" :
of his state and who has not actually
voted under the laws OF his sGt" The
result OF this rule would hc I" clint
| mate not all Of the colored Republican
NOlCTS III lHc SONll Jul N'tkl laI ~ bi' !
of them who are described os fungus"
-colored voters who have no status a.
such under the laws Of their states and
who never cut any figure in politics
except once in every four years TO par
ticipate under the leadership Of white
political adventures, in wholly irregular
. conventions and primaries. which select
delegates to the Republican national
conventions.
The Republican leaders arc assured
that if they take this step they vii!
have the enthusiastic sympathy of
large numbers Of white leaders in the
: South who want to be Republicans but
who can only be Republicans provided
the party cleans house in the South.
; The Republican leaders are told by
many business men in the South that
for economic reasons there are the
markings Of a real Republican party in
several southern states. like Georgia
and Louisiana. 1t is this line that the
party organization will probably follow
when the matter is taken up during the
next few days.
Now Party Chairman
The other business soon to be taken
up by the Republican national commit
tee is the selection OF a new party
master General viii Hays wants TO re-
! sign and it Is recognized by him a.
we'll as by the other leaders. that i; is
best for him to resign. 1t is true that
postmaSters are now so protected by
civil Service regulations that there is
no longer the question of propriety that
once existed in Il postmaster general
being I party chairman. nevertheless
in the spirit OF leaning over backward
and for other reasons. Chairman Hays
is going TO get out.
AZ TO his successor 1t can be taken for
granted that John r. Adams of Iowa
will be selected. Some opposition is
beng made to thu selection of Mr..
Adams. based on. an episode now several!
years old. But this opposition is in
considerable in quantity and Is Of such
a kind as TO Stilfen the support of Mr..
Adams friends. MIR. Adams was in lin"
for the Craftsmanship several years ago
at the time Will Hays was chosen. At
that time someone dug up certain let
terS which Mr.. Adams had written dur-
ing 1914 from Germany. where l,c Vas
then travelling, to his paper in Iowa
These letters dealt with the issues Of
the war IN Il way which. At the time
was entirely proper and reasonable. But
when the time came for selecting Il
new national chairman. America was in
the war on the side opposed To Cor
many. and tho point WAS raised that 1t
would be dubious tn select as natloni /
chairman Il man who had uttered Scn;!-
ncnts Of detached consideration Of Ger :
many's side of the case, even though
at the time the sentiments were cX-
pressed, during the first few months o.
the war. american was not in il and
was in u position Of neutrality.
At the time, the rejection Of MIR. A!-
ans for this cause Was strongly !'-
sentcd BY generous minded members 81
tho national committee As = ,"n""s"I'r
10 prejudice and Il violation ." trE'
Justice Nevertheless. a. Il matter al
cxpcdiency largely. Mr. Adams was re-
icctcd and Mr.. Hays WAS chosen. II IS
this Same objection To Mr.. Adams that
is now brought up hut il can hr taken
for granted that tn" objection VIII
merely strengthen iu" differentiation ~
those who think tina; Mr.. Adams WtS
unfairly pcnaliz four years aE"
MIR. Adams character and IhINt ar"
Of tho highest and thor" is not an
doub, that hr will be chosen rs chair
man Hays successor.