St. Landry democrat., 1891-09-19
The State Central Committee.
Baton Rouge Advocate.

Baton Rouge Advocate.
A meeting OF the Democratic State
Central Committee has been called by
Chairman Lanier. to he held in New
Orleans on the 18th day Of October next.
The date Is someWh hat later than was
generally expected, and postpones the
opening of an active campaign until at
ter that time, but there will be general
acquiesccnce, as the democracy has the
utmost confidence in the wisdom and
party fealty of the committee and its
it is not out of place to reproduce some
Gently by the Iimes-Democrat OF rules
for the holding of primary elections,
which seem to be so fair and equitable
that no faction can reasonably object to
their adoption. The following are the
rules suggested, leaving out those which
refer exclusively to the city OF New Or
leans or to minor fOrmalities:
Rule ALI delegates to the State noininatin.
convention shall he elected by parish conven-
tons, except i'll the parish OF Orleans, which
shall be constituted of delegates elected by the
voters of the several wards within the parish,
and it shall be the duty OF the parish executive
committees to fix the appointment of delegates
to the several wards OF their respective par
isles, based upon the vote cast for Gov. +. L.
Nichols i'll April 1888. lii the parish OF Dreams
delegates shall &c elected by the several wards
direct to the State nominating convention.
Rule ALI elections OF delegates to the State
nominating convention shall be by primary
elections throughout the State.
Rule 3-The parish executive committees
throughout the State (thc parish of orleans ex-
ceptcd) are hereby directed to establish one or
more polling booths in each ward of their res
pective parishes, and they are further author
election shall be held and the hours during
| which said polling booths shall remain open,
and they skall give public notice throughout
their respective parishes during ten days be-
fore said election OF the place where said poll.
ing booths shall be located and of the day and
hours fixed for the reception of votes.
Rule Tin addition to a judge OF election it
shall be the duty of the different parish execu-
tive committees and OF the presidents OF the
central ward clubs Of the parish of Orleans to
appoint two commissioners per bal OF box to
shall be selected by the representative fac
tons, each acting for itself and appointed upon
their recommendation. Should any commission
er be absent at the opening OF the poll, the va
cancy shall be filed by the remaining commits
sioncrs for the faction which the absentee i'll
part represents. All judges and commissioners
pointed FIVE days before the election.
Rule 5-All voting shall be by printed or
written ballot, which shall contain the names
of the persons voted for delegates, and which
that the voter shall support and vote for the
nominees OF the democratic party, both nation
al and State. None but white democratic vo-
tcrs shall be allowed to participate at said pri-
mary elections. All voters participating at
said election shall be ipsO fact0 bound by said
pledge. No ballot shall he counted unless it
contains the pledge specified, which shall be as
follows:
- hereby pledge myself to vote for the NOM
inccs of the State democratic convention at the
election to be held III April, 1892, and for the
democratic presidential electors and nominee
for congress in my district at the election In
November, 1892"
Rule 1T shall be the duty of the commits
sioncrs of election in charge Of each ballot box
to n " =" = proceed to count and tabulate
tho votes, and before leaving the polls tally
judge and commissioners, a majority of whom
having signed the said tally sheets, the same
shall be priIna facie evidence OF the election of
each party returned as having received a plu-
rality OF the votes cast at each polling place.
The only objection to the above
likely to be urged is the requirement
OF the pledge embodied in rule ), though
it is very plain that this is strictly DEM
o%cratic, and should be adopted SO as to
exclude those voters who may want to
control the nomination of a democratic
State ticket, while holding a mental
reservation of making war on the dem
ocratic party in next years national
campaign. From an impartial and
no%n-factional standpoint, all the rules
are fair, equitable and strictly demo-
cratic, and therefore commend them
selves to due consideration by the State
central committee.