Evening star., 1927-10-10
FREE" DELEGATES
FROM SOUTH SEEN
viii Not Be Delivered En- Bloc
at G. 0. P. Convention,
FIoridan Says.

Delegates from the South to the
Republican national convention next
year will not be delivered en- bloc to
any candidate for the presidential
nomination, but many of them will so
to the convention uninstructed, ac"
cording to George w. Bean, Republi- :
can national committeeman for
Florida. Mr.. Bean, in an interview.
resented published reports that the
delegates of the Southern States
could be rounded up and delivered
by G. Bascom Slemp of Virginia,
former member of Congress and sec
retary to both President Harding and
President Coolidge or by any one
else. Mr.. Bean said
''The Southern delegations will not
be delivered en- bloc for any candl-
date. | have communicated or talked
with a large majority of fellow mem
hers of the national committee from
the Southern States, and with many
other Southern Republican leaders.
and they are all agreed that unin-
structed delegations should be sent to
the next national convention.
an my opinion. any candidate act
ing through some agent who attempts
To control Southern delegations and
deliver the vote viii do himself more
harm than good. Various newspaper
statements have appeared to the ell
feet that Mr.. Slemp aspires to lead
the Southern delegates to the next
convention. Mr.. Slemp is too old IN
the political game to attempt any
thing of the kind. doomed as it is
to fail. Why does the South need
any one to deliver it any more than
the West or East? Personally, | re-
sent the implication that the South- :
ern delegates can be delivered by
any one.
Previous Votes Cited.
"I,et us look over the records of the
four preceding national conventions
and see how some of the Southern
States voted. We will take Florida,
Georgia, North Carolina, South Caro-
lima, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama,
Louisiana and Texas.
"In 1912 all of these States voted
solidly for Taft las did many Northern
States), with the exception of Ala
bama, two present not voting; Mis-
sissippi, three present not voting;
North Carolina, % present not voting
and one ror Roosevelt; South Carolina,
one present not voting; Tennessee,
one vote for Roosevelt; Texas, eight
present not voting.
"In 1916 the votes of these States
were scattered on the first and sec
ond ballots among all the candidates
placed in nomination, some eight in
all, the second ballot showing several
votes for Hon. Coleman du Pont, WHO
had not been formally placed in nomi-
nation. On the third ballot these
States voted almost solidly for Hughes.
as did the Eastern and Western
States. Did any one deliver the East
and West to Hughes? No, and they
did not deliver the South.
Not Delivered i'm 1920.
"In 1920 one need only examine the
official records to be convinced that
there was no delivery of Southern
delegates. Tennessee was the only
State in the list l have mentioned
that voted practically solid for Gen.
Wood up to the sixth ballot, These
other States divided their vote mere
than the States of the North or West,
and there was less unanimity of pur-
pose, the votes being about equally
divided between Gen. Wood and Gov.
Lowden to and including the eighth
ballot On the ninth ballot these
States began to switch to Harding,
which nominated him on the tenth
ballot.
I'm 1924 these same States delivered
their solid votes to President Coolidge.
as they would in 1928 did he choose
to be a candidate, for President Cool
idge has been a friend to the South.
IL the South was delivered in 1924, so
was the North and West.
These same States will send splen-
did uninstructed delegations to the
1928 convention, where we will all con-
fer with our friends from Republican
States to ascertain who in their judg-
ment should head the ticket, and we
will help nominate him. But do not
let any political wiseacre fool you
into believing he can deliver the
South, for he has about as much
chance as / have to deliver Pennsyl-
vania. The Southern Republicans are
in harmony with this program and it
is my purpose to work for its success
through to the time of the convention
and to see that the Southern States
enjoy the same dignified position in
the convention as all other States"
Predicts Republican Florida.
Mr. Bean was asked what the Re-
publican vote would be in the South
next year.
81 will only speak of Florida in that
connection" he said. "Our people in
Florida are pleading for protection to
their industries. They must have it.
In my opinion the voters of Florida
next year will vote the Republican
ticket and you may look for some big
surprises"
VIENNA pPEcRYTEPIkNS