The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-15
AN OPEN LETTER.
, Request for a Primary to Select a
United States Senator.

The last legislature the public mind has
b.en so deeply engrossed with the ques-
i;an as to whether primary election with
in the democratic party Will be resorted 20
as ancillary to the legislature in its Sc
lection of a United States senator fl om
florida in 1899, and whether our state exec
lrfve committee will lend its effort TO the
r,lding of such primary election, that I
s.eI emboldened to address you in relation
thereto
1t is currently reported that you do not
conceive it to be the duty of your COM
m,,tee. under the provisions of chapter
i735. the same being an act of the legisla-
ture of 1887, regulating the holding of po-
1iHcai primary elections, to order PR
mary for the selection of democratic
candidate for the United States Senate to
h. bauoted for by his partisans in the
next legislature The legislative act does
not provide specifically that your commit
rec shall direct the holding of such pTi-
mary election, but the law regulating the
holding Of primaries, when considered IN
Connection with the resolution adopted by
the Joint assembly of the Florida legisla-
ture on May 49, 1897, can have but one
J9cauing SO far as the desire of the peo-
ila is involved. The preamble and reso-
irtion adopted on the last named date by
1OlGt Assembly OF lN6 Y lOIlud ltSt SId-
lure passed that body, so far as 1t APP
uaars from the journal Of its proceedings,
without a dissenting voice, and reads as
fellows:
Relieving that the popular nomination
OF United StGtes senator will reflect the
wishes of the people and meet with the
approval of cur legislative assemblies, and
telleviug ii 20 be the only really satisfac-
tory method where two or more are con-
tcsang for the same office; therefore, be it
Resolved That it is the sense of this
joiut assembly that the democratic eXecu-
tive committees Of this state shall, at any
general election at which members of
the House of Representatives are to be
elected who shall have vote in the cleo
ton of a United States senator, provide
a separate box in which, by ballot, the
members of the democratic party voting
at such election may directly express their
choice for United States senator and the
members of the legislature elected at such
election shall be morally bound to vote
in the legislature for the candidate for
United States senator receiving in such
box the highest vote"
You will observe that the resolution is
very comprehensive in its request to
democratic executive committees of this
state" to provide for the holding of pri-
mary elections for the nomination of the
candidate for the United States Senate.
The several county executive committees
could with as equal show of propriety,
contend that they were not Within the
scope of said resolution, as can the state
executive committee 1t is clearly the
purpose of the resolution that each should
cooperate with the other in the holding
of such primary elections.
opine that it will not be cOntended that
it was not within the purVieW of the DEM
ocratic members composing the joint as
sembly of the Florida legislature to form
ally indicate to their political organization
10 to o Cd iYt no colo
of a candidate for the Senate, to be bal
lOted for by them. If your committee
elects to ignore the manifest desire of a
very large majority of the voters of the
democratic party in the state of Florida,
who favor the holding of a primary cleo
ton for the nomination of a candidate for
the United States Senate, you can only
do so upon the grounds that the conven-
ton that created you gave no instructions
in the premises. Upon such grounds you
might, with a faint show of reason, re-
fuse to order a primary election for the
nomination of state officers in lieu of call
ing a convention for that purpose. But
the cases are not analogous. Our state
conventions have never invaded by sug-
gestion the prerogative of the legislator
as to the selection of a United States SEN
ator. The democratic members of the
legislature have usually by caucus select
ed the party nominee for the Senate. The
democratic organization has always bow
ed to the will of the caucus. Since, for
obvious reasons, the caucus is no longer
necessary, the democratic organization is
none the less bound by party law to sub
nit itself to the policy indicated in this
resolution by the voice of the democratic
members of the legislature.
If the resolution above quoted contained
merely a dictum of the source whence il
proceeds, the state executive committee
would not be abSolved from obeying its
mandate. But the direction therein con-
tanned for a change of procedure is foun-
ded in good policy. 1t gives 20 the demo-
cratic masses practically direct vote for
senator; it enlarges the privileges of the
citizen; it destroys the lobby at the CAPT
tai; 1t obliterates corporation dictation,
and at once removes the senator from the
thraldom of political bossism, to a self
respecting obligation to the masses whose
servant he should be. The selection of
United States Sena tor by the primary cleo
ton system would even do more than that
II would remove from our legislative halls
an unseemly conflict that distracts the
minds of the legislators from legitimate
business, and not nfrequently proves the
source of the most noxious scandals The
late Call-Chipley contest was the prolific
source of the vilest ordinations and re-
examinations. To avoid a repetition of that
unseemly conflict was the evident purpose
Of both factions of the democratic mem
hers of that legislature when they Joined
~ NIl6 duODllOu Vi lHe ABOVE resolution. A
refusal on the part of your committee to
take all steps necessary to facilitate the
holding of a primary election for the pur-
pose above indicated and thereby preclude
the possibility of a repetition of the demon
alizing transactions that characterized the
last senatorial election, cannot be justified.
For a number of years thoughtful minds
throughout the country have viewed with
alarm the methods employed i'm several of
the states in the election of United States
senator's. 1t has been repeatedly charged
ln certain of the northern and western
states that their legislators have, practice
ally, by the acceptance of brides, sold
seats in the United States Senate. In view
Of such repeated occurrences legislative
bodies and political conventions have de-
clared in favor of a constitutional amend
ment providing for the election of senators
by the direct vote of the people, The pri-
mary election system is proving happy
POLITICAL invention which obviates the ne
cessity for such amendment. The southern
states, with great unanimity, are availins