Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-12-14
A BACKWARD STEP

IA Dawn w 11AbO ALL
The Republican national commit
tee slipped badly when it reversed
Itself on the question of southern
representation at Republican nation
al conventions. This southern dele
cation which plays such an impor-
lkant part in the selection Of Repub-
iican candidates for President has
been the one big scandal in the
Republican party for years. Presi-
dent Harding once said: II am 60
ing to have my administration char
acterized by the ending of this
southern delegation scandal" He
was as good as his word. He put
such pressure on the national com
mittee that action was taken cutting
down the number of southern dele
gates to Republican national conven-
lions by thirty-nine. 1t began to
look as II the real Republicans of
the country were going to really
nominate the man they wanted for
their candidate.
This week, however, the Republic
can national committee, under
threat of the negroes, restored all
these delegates, but added a few
more from the northern states in the
way OF a sop to those who object to
the inequalities in representation.
AS a matter of fact, there is no
Republican party in most of the
southern states. The Republican
vote is not large enough to entitle
the party to representation on the pri-
mary ticket, 1t being forced to nomi-
nate by petition, as the Socialist and
Prohibition parties have to do here.
In some districts In the South there
has not been a Republican vote cast
In years. Yet when 1t comes to send
Ing delegates to the Republican
national convention, the basis Is the
humber of congressional districts in
q state regardless of the party vote
cast. Thus South Carolina which
cast only 1900 for Harding in the
whole state in the last presidential
election will have eleven votes in
the coming convention, whereas the
seanle number Of delegates from a
northern state represent 100000
Republican votes.
It will be remembered thai 1t was
This unfair representation from the
southern states in the 1912 conven
zion that caused the nomination of
William Howard Taft over Theodore
Roosevelt, in spite OF the fact that a
majority of the Republicans OF the
country had sent delegates pledged
10 vote for Roosevelt. As the south
ern delegation is made up almost
exclusively OF negro ~oficeholders
appointed by the administration in
power. the vote Of these delegates is
almost certain to go to the admin
istration candidate.
Already the johnson men are be-
ginning to protest against the action
OF the national committee, believing
as they are fully justified in believ-
ing. that restoring to the South the
CORNER representation in the nation.
al convention Is II move to gain thai
many more votes for Coolidge. The
night against seating all the southern
delegates will be based OF the in
structions given the national com
mittes by the last Republican con
vention which was hat the repre-
e~entation should be III It is claim.
ed that the national committee hav'
ing obeyed these instructions, has M
right to revoke its action thereb!
disregarding the mandate of tn,
convention.
When It is realized that state.
like Mississippi and South Carolina
where the Republican party does no
exist, will nave more votes when /
comes to nominating a Republican
presidential candidate than a stat
like Vermont, for instance, whicl
is certain to give Its electoral vot
tor the Republican candidate, 1t 1
no wonder that honest Republican
want to rid the party of the scandal
CERAN,s COMMITTEE