The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-12-14
INCREASE IS
DECLARED
ILLEGAL
sattle at Convention Now
Certain-NorveII Joins in
Condemnation. 9
BIZ WILLIAM HARD.


Coolidge managers replied today
with great indignation and in
great force to the violent attack
made upon them in this morning.
papers by Senator Hiram Johnson
OF California, in the matter of the
increased representation granted
BY the National Republican Com
mittee TO Southern States in the
next Republican National Conven-
ton to be held in Cleveland next
June.
It is admitted now on all hands
that this matter of the Southern
representation in the next Repub-
lican National Convention will
provide the conventions great
opening battle.
Declare Action Illegal.
Johnson's friends-and also GER
tain other Republican leaders such
as Senator Howell, of Nebraska
VIII claim that the action of the
Republican National Committee in
giving an increased representation
to the Southern States is wholly H.
legal and In direct violation OF the
rules of representation laid down
for this next convention in Cleve-
land by the last convention in Chi
cago.
Johnson win give to the next
convention a. thrilling curtain-raiser
In which he viii exhibit himself as
ar INT
nomination is about to be 'sstolen"
by Illegal Southern delegates.
This intention OF his is denounced
by the Coolidge managers in words
in which the phrases ''unscrupulous
demagoguery'' and Cheap play-act-
Ing" are the mildest used.
They point out that the action OF
the Republican National Committee
In Washington this week regarding
representation in the next Repub-
ncan national convention contains
elements which in their opinion are
Just as advantageous to johnson as
to Coolidge. They call attention to
the fact that Il the rules or repre-
sentation laid down by the Tast
Republican national convention are
taken as basis of calculation, then
the Republican National Committee
has Increased the representa- ton Of
the Southern Democratics States by
only twenty-five, whereas 1t has in
creased the representation of Re-
publican States by thirty-seven.
Some Quote Arithmetic.
They say that johnson is free
Just as Coolidge is free-to go out
and try to get those thirty-seven ex-
ira delegates in Republican States.
From the standpoint of the neutral
observer the Coolidge arguers are
able to make good showing
against the Johnson arguers in the
arithmetic of the matter The Re-
publican National Convention of next
year viii contain / ,109 delegates. The
Republican National Convention of |
1920 laid down certain definite rules
which it imposed upon the Republi- |
can National Committee to be used |
IN calculating the representation of |
AL States in the convention of next |
year.
According to these rules an indie
pendent calculation by this writer
shows that The States of Virginia. |
North Carolina. South Carolina. |
Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Missis- |
sippi, Louisiana, Texas, and |
Arkansas-the solid South-wor1Id |
have 131 delegates In the next Re. |
publican national convention. The
Republican National Committee. in. |
stead Of giving them 131 delegates.
has given them 156. The difference
LIZ just what the Coolidge managers
claim it is: only TWENTY-FIVE.
On the other hand there are
thirty-seven States which went for
Harding in 1920; and to each of
these States the Republican Ma
tional Committee has given one
more delegate than would be al
lowed by the rules laid down bv
the Republican national convention
In Chicago in 1920.
COolidge's Managers Claims.
These States embrace all of the
States of the Union outside of the
ten States of the solid South and
outside of the State of Kentucky,
The Coolidge managers claim ac-