Evening star., 1940-06-25
BY WILL p. KENNEDY,
Star Stan Corresnondent

PHILADELPHIA, June 25. - BY
two separate votes in the Rules
Committee, the District of Colum-
bia was denied two additional dele
gates in Republican NatlonaI Con-
ventions, while two additional dele
gates were granted conditionally to
Alaska and Hawaii.
The Maryland delegation, operat-
ing under the unit rule and pledged
to Dewey on the first ballot, was
split up and each delegate was left
free to make an individual choice
of a presidential candidate when
Chairman Tom Burke of the Rules
Committee announced that, regard
less of any States declaration of a
unit rule, the national convention
recognizes no such unit rule as bind
ing and permits each delegate to
make his own free selection.
Samuel w. King, delegate from
Hawaii, delegate to the convention
and member of the Rules Com
mittee, proposed a rule which gives
Hawaii and Alaska two additional
convention delegates If the Delegate
in Congress elected at the last pre-
ceding election was the Republican
nominee" Mr.. King said that in
80 out of 40 years the Delegate from
Hawaii has been Republican.
Mrs. Louise Hunter Snow OF
Washington offered first an amend
ment-to give the District of Co.
lumbia five convention delegates
instead of three until such time as
the District was granted national
representation and the right of
electing a Delegate to Congress, at
which time the same condition as
imposed for Hawaii and Alaska
election of a Republican Delegate
would also operate for the District
When the committee rejected this
amendment, Mrs. Snow asked that
the District be included with Alaska
and Hawaii and kept on a parity
with them by being given the addi-
tional two delegates to the conven-
ton when it achieves its ambition
to elect Delegate to Congress and
can qualify under the same condi-
ton as required of Alaska and
Hawaii. This also was voted down
The most important change in the
rules-which has been an objective
for many years-was made to cor
rect situation in Southern States
and as an incentive to party workers
to build up stronger working Or
ganization in that section. 1t re-
quires that before any congressional
district is entitled to a delegate, at
least 1000 votes must have been
cast for a Republican in the pre-
ceeding presidential election or for
the Republican nominee for Con-
gress. Four Southern States
Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas and
North Carolina-sprung surprise
by enthusiastically indorsing this
new provision. The argument was
made that this would clear national
conventions from the scandal of
having rival delegations every four
years fighting to be seated in the
convention.
Under a rule now in force, each
State is allowed four delegates at
large and a bonus of three addi-
tional if they return Republican
majority for the presidential ticket.
This rule was extended to the off
years, or bye-elections, when the
State elects Republican majority
of the States delegation in Con-
gress. Maine and Vermont are now
the only States to qualify under this
provision in the present convention
but in the 1912 election any of the
States might win this bonus of
delegates
Under present rule, each con-
gresSional district is allowed one