The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-26
MEETING A MONTH AHEAD.
The County Executive Committee
Not to Assemble soon.

An Atlanta telegram in yesterday s
Morning News conveyed the information
that the Democratic Executive Committee
Of Fulton county had formulated a pro-
test against the qualifications for voting
in The state primary fixed by the State
Executive Committee.
The protest or request is based upon the
Fulton county committees Interpretation
of the primary election law, evidently
much at variance with the Interpretation
paced upon that law by the State Com
nittee. The order for the holding of a
primary election issued by the latter made
ii requisite that those who voted should
be registered for the year 1900 The Full
ton County Committee suggests that the
requirement should be registration for the
last general election, that of 1898 with the
addendum that those whose names ap-
appear on the registration books for the
present year, though they do not appear
on the books for 1898, shall also be per-
mtted TO vote.
The Fulton County Committee directed
that its chairman transmit a copy of its
action on this subject, with the request
that the orders already issued be modified
so as to permit the use of the registration
books of 1898, to Hon. f. G. duBignou,
chairman of the State Democratic Exec
utlVe Committee.
An attempt was made yesterday TO see
Mr.. duBignon and TO gain his views on
the subject, but he had left the city dur
ing the day and was not to be seen. How
ever, the interpre tation placed upon the
law by the Fulton County Committee has
adherehts here in no small numbers en-
bracing repre- sentatives of both political
factions. Indeed, the question is as yet
too new to have become a factional issue,
though those who ought to know say that
il will become one before a very great
while has elapsed. Local political history
does not warrant the hope that the fac
tons will agree upon a question in which
there is so much room for divergence of
opinion and so much actual divergence
as in this.
For the best of reasons, however it
seems unlikely that ii viii be debated in
the Chatham County Executive Commit
tee for some time 10 come. 1t is stated
authoritatively, that no meeting of the
committee will be called until two or
three weeks before the state primary, set
for May 10. When the County Committee
does meet it win determine whether or
not the county primary will be held at
the same or different time. By the time
of the meeting, probably, the question of
qualification will have had opportunity to
1t may influence the selection of a date
for the county primary.
Should majority of the members of
the County Executive Committee be of
the opinion that the primary law requires
that the right to vote be extended to
those who were registered and voted at
the last general election, il is unlikely
that they will direct that county pri-
mary be held at the same time as the
state primary. Should it be so held it
will necessarily be governed by the same
rules as to voting and only those who
are on the registration books for this
year will be permitted to deposit their
ballots.
If, then, the committee believes that
such a rule is improperly restrictive and
that the law directs that the registration
for the election of 1898 should be the
basis of the voting list, it will probably
call the county primary for a different
day from the state primary. If the MEM
bers of the committee were convinced
that 10 call the county primary for the
day of the state primary would operate
practically to disfranchise numbers of
persons to whom the law gives the right
to vote, they would in all reasonable
probability adopt some other course