Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-09-09
FLORIDA REPUBLICANS DO NOT VOTE.
They Claim That the Election Laws Are In
just 10 the Party.
Of The Evening Star.

Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
JACKSONVILLE, FLA. Sept. 8. 1892
The republican state conference called for
this city last Tuesday proved to be of no i'm
portance and Of no political significance as af-
fecting the result of the elections in this state
When the delegates got together and found
that they numbered only about sixty-with
scarcely white man among then-they saw at
once that the movement was dead, and so they
changed the conference into q state convention
of the bureau of intormation-a sort of mutual
benefit order among the blacks for disseminate
ing political and religious information and any
thing which can be turned to the advantage of
the race. This institution is indigenous to
Florida and originated here.
Things are turning out about as the republi-
can leaders hoped six months ago. At that
time they concluded that the nomination of an
electoral or a state ticket would be useless under
the present election laws of Florida. And thew
hoped. too, that the absence of q republican
state ticket-a common enemy to .ight-would
tend to keep up the fight between the two fac
tons of the democratic party. The birth and
growth of the third party here may be traced
directly to this lack of action the part OF the
republican party.
FEW QUALIFIED" REPUBLICANS.
But the hope Of the third party leaders-to
get the entire republican vote of the state-is
rapidly fading away. The vote isn't here to be
got-that is. the qualified vote of the republican
party is almost insignificant compared with the
total number Of republicans, white and black
To qualify man must not only register and
pass successfully all the intricate requirements
of that system, but he must also pay his poll
taxes for the two years following the last gen.
eral election--in this instance for the years
1891 and 1892. This amounts to % man--the
revenue going into the school fund.
Now, there is no machinery for collecting this
poll tax except the wish of the elector to cast
his vote. So nobody pays it except for this
purpose. The republicans, therefore. who feel
that their votes will not be counted ANYWAY
under the eight-ballot-box law do not care to
put up 81 apiece for the privilege of having
their votes thrown away. So not over one
tenth of them have qualified this year.
was talking with Dennis Eagan this morn
ing, who is chairman of the republican state
committee. He feels sure that the third party
is going to get little or no support from the
republicans.
''How can it2'' he asked. "Teke Duval
county a sample. There are about 8 600 re-
publican voters here-white and black. As
near as I can find out less than 400 of these
have qualifed-about $50 negroes and 125
whites. II this proportion holds good through
out the state there are not over $500 republic
cans qualified to vote in Florida this year. In
1888 Shipman, the republican candidate for
governor, received &c, ass votes, but don't
believe that more than 1919 per cent of that
were made for the benefit OF both sides the re-
publicans could carry Florida in every election.
But it's useless to waste time and money on
election machinery under the present condi-
tons"
The third party leaders claim that Is, 600
voters will quit the democracy this year and
vote for Weaver and Baskin. Chairman Spark
man Of the democratic state committee con-
cedes detection Of between 5000 and 5000.
| Suppose we split the difference between the two
estimates. This would give us l0.500 as the
number Of votes that the third party will draw