The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-11-29
BARGAINS IN DELEGATES

EOR those 10 or IL men who aspire to head the
Republican national ticket in 1886. the Christ
mas shopping season offers the best bargains in
delegates to be had in years.
One hundred and eignty-four Southern Repub-
lcan delegates to the national convention are avail
able. In every presidential year since the Wilson
Administration, Republican Presidents have had
first lien on these delegates either for themselves
for their political heirs. this time the South
ern delegates are there for any one who get
them.
Bargaining probably will begin when the Repub-
lican National Committee meets in Washington
within the next six weeks National committeeman
from the Southern states for the most part decide
what delegates shall 60 from those states to the Re-
publican convention. They will be sounded out by
scouts for the various candidates.
But the scramble for Southern delegates probably
will not end until the roll is called for the last time
at the convention next summer. In 1916 when the
Republican patronage machine had pretty we'll
broken down after four years of Democratic rule,
Southern delegates scattered their votes all over the
field of II candidates for the first two ballots, then
finally concentrated on Charles Evans Hughes, who
the nomination.
In 1920 after eight years of Democratic rule, the
situation was even more uncertain; delegations
bought and rebought and much attention was at
tracted to the possibilities of manipulating nominal
tions by means of Southern delegates that reform
move was launched. Promises we're made that in
the future no delegates would be admitted from dis
trcts casting less than $500 Republican votes in
presidential election. This promise set aside be-
fore the next nominating convention.
IF Herbert Hoover finally should capture the Re-
publican nomination with the aid of Southern
delegates he would have to thank the failure of a
he started soon after his 1928 election At
that time announced that he favored white"
delegations from the Southern states in place of the
black and -tans vino have sat in Republican conven-
tons from the time Of the caTfethaggers.
He encountered opposition from other party Chiefs
and by 1882 the movement almost had been for
gotten. The Republican National Committee that
year, in charge of Hoover men, seated Negro dele
cations in every contested state, though the conven
ton itself later rejected that from South Carolina
This year, cynical observers are saying, delega-
ons probably will go at bargain prices, since the
Republican nomination is regarded widely as worth
less than it was in 1916 or 1920 So far of the
candidates, with the possible exception of Hoover
mas much money to spend.
The Southern delegate situation probably will be
we'll shaped up before Republican primaries start in
the Is or so states in which they still fixtures
The first is in New Hampshire in March, the last in
Ohio in May.
Primaries expected to scatter their votes
among favorite sons Thus any one who is able to
capture sectional bloc of delegates will be in
position of strategic advantage.
There will be 996 Republican delegates to the
SO convention In general the industrial East will
have 300 votes the Middle West ZOO border states a.
Western states from the Mississippi to the coast 29