The northwestern bulletin-appeal., 1924-01-19
Sen. johnson In
Speech Agrees
With Reduction
Says Policy Will Eliminate Usual
Method of Selecting I'm
proper delegates. .
(By the Associated Negro Press)

(By the Associated Negro Press)
Cleveland, Ohio.-Senator Hiram
johnson, a candidate for President of
the United States, seems determined
to make Southern representation in
the Republican National Convention"
one of his chief issues in the fight for
the nomination. While it is claimed
by the friends of the senator that his
fight is sectional" and not racial"
nevertheless many of the voters of
color who had calculated on turning
their eyes towards the Golden
Gate" are somewhat mystified. The
senator is reported to have said to
conferees that what he desires is to
"see the delegates and patronage go
where the votes count" and that, II
elected President, he will appoint all
Northern colored men to Federal Of
fee. To date, the senator has made
no statement on cutting down South
ern representation in Congress, but
IUlS ID his SlCNCIdhu SIdtOhAChI Nh
cutting in conventions:
THE selection of a president be-
gins with the apportionment Of dele
gates to a national convention. Just
as pollution at the source of stream
will pollute the whole stream, wrong
and injustice in the selection of dele
gates to a national convention will
permeate and taint the very conven-
ton itself.
Reduction Justified.
THE selection of delegates from
certain of the southern states had be-
come so corrupt and had created so
many scandals that finally the Repub-
lican national convention : in 1920
passed a resolution commanding
within a year the Republican nation
al committee to adopt just and
equitable basis of representation in
future national conventions. The ma
tional committee obeyed and within
the year acted, and while its action
did not constitute "a just and equita-
BILE representation nevertheless, 1t
reduced the delegates in southern
states where there Is no Republican
party.
"The reduction was a mere step IN
the right direction. 1t did not do JUS
tice to the real Republicans, but 1t
furnished the basis for further reduc-
tions. This work of the national COM
mittee, solemnly done after full hear
ings, a few days ago in Washington
under the orders of our opponents,
was nullified and the scandalous and
unfair representation accorded south
ern states in past conventions was
again given them.
Self Government.
II speak of this outrageously un-
fair selection of delegates because
there is a real service that we can
render, both our party and nation and
because there is a fundamental prin-
CHILE at stake. The service we may
render is to have conventions which
honestly express the will of the Re-
publican party, and beyond that, the
nrinciple for which we strive is that
this government belongs to all It's
people. the Republican party belongs
to all it's members, the people them-
selves are entitled to govern the coun-
try. lust as the membership OF the
Republican party is entitled to gov
ern that party.
"These southern delegates are Sc
lected, as you know, and as l KNOW
bv commands issued in the city OF
Washington to a very few Federal
Office holders in the different states
A nomination by delegates thus Sc
lected. in number grossly dispropor-
tionate, is a reproach to the RepuD-
lican party. Our democracy is but
An irideseent dream If year after year
we hermit a few bosses either to deny
the right of expression to all the cleo
tors, or where that expression Is CIV
en- to thwart it by hand-picked south
ern delegates. Popular government
in those states where there are no
primaries is a sham and farce.
"a nomination made by delegates
from states without presidential prl-
maries in conjunction with purchase
of hand picked delegates from south
ern states is not made by the will OF
the party but in spite OF It, the
recent action of the Republican ma
tional committee is a reversion to the
abhorrent conditions from which we
thought we had emerged. 1t is this
system upon which we war, and 1t Is
this system I challenge in this cam
paign. 1t is, in the last analysis,
test of popular government"