The Colorado statesman., 1924-01-12
tLlncoln News servlce.l

washington, Jan. l2-POsSlDly no
event in recent years has commanded
the attention of the colOred citizens
throughout the country, upon affairs
political, as did the splendid team
work of few racially alert political
leaders, who recently appeared before
the Republican National Committee.
The concentrated and intelligent eff
fort of these men from the various
states is stimulating to the rank and
file and serves to emphasize the vir-
tue and necessity of group action. Fur
thermore, it appears to have marked
the beginning of new era OIL all
around teamwork, cooperative ele-
ment which has heretofore been sadly
lacking when important questions per-
tanning to the political welfare OF the
race have been up for consideration.
In keeping with the cardinal prlnci-
ple of the Republican organization, to
correct party ills from within rather
than from without, the National Com
mittee reconsidered its plan of basing
convention representation upon the
number of Republican votes cast In
each Congressional district, as ordered
bv the 1920 Chicago convention, ana
decided that the apportionment OIL
delegates to national conventions must
be in absolute harmony with the ira
ditions of the great Republican party
The following statement of Chairman
John r. Adams clearly indicates both
his personal attitude and that OF the
committee:
"The apportionment of delegates to
the 1920 Republican national conveh-
tion gave every Congressional district
north and south-one delegate re-
crordless of its Republican strength. AS
a reward for party activity 1T gave an
additional delegate to every congress
sional district casting 1900 Republican
votes in the preceding presidential
election.
"The apportionment of delegates TO
the 1924 Republican national conven-
tion maintains the principle OF giving
one delegate to every Congressional
district. 1t does this out of justice TO
Congressional districts in the south'
where the Democratic party refuses
q free ballot and an honest count TO
Renublicans. both black and white.
'For the Republican party to apan-
don that principle would be equivalent
to its denying Republicans OF those
southern districts any voice whateVer
In marty convention, because the Dem
ocrots had first denied them the rleht
of citizenship at home. rms wouiu
work n double Injustice to Republicans
or such districts and would lend en-
couragement to further disfranchise-
ment of southern Republicans by the
aor,;nont Democratic machines of the
solid south
"The 1924 apportionment, however,
raises from 1900 to 10000 the mini
mum Republican vote necessary 10
give any Congressional district an ad-
ditional delegate. This rule gives eN-
ira representation in the party COLI
i, yentions to those districts which 1ur-
nish the Republican vote on election
day. In spite of this increase OF =
800 in the basic vote necessary to give
any district two delegates, the 'soiid
south gains nine district delegates
over 1920. This proves a healthy IN
crease of Republican party strength In
che south which should be awarded.
"Anotber very important change in
the 1924 apportionment is the grant
,inp of three additional delegates at
large to every state which cast It's
electoral vote for the Republican par
rty candidate"