The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-06-08
MISSISSIpPrS PRIMARY LAW.
I POIITIC a. ENPERiNF\T POP-
ILtH ~ THE STATE.
tbo,,.h~s ~ Nominating Con, en,ies,s
How u Works ~uit tn pbrcsdr % u
D. 'enstitut teaai M Provision In u
for Platform HURTS Nrputhtrans.

NKw ORLEANS. june o Ther j. now
lefure the Ninth Drsiric' ,uur Of NlsSl>-
.lppi a ca-. which viii determine whether
there shall be any more political cunven-
ION IN III. state, and " neither all nomins-
ions shall he made IN future 10y primary
elevtions Judg. Anderson lAs been asket
for a m~andamus, directed against the
Democratic FAecutiy. Committee Of IsSa-
uuens county. prohibItlng II from issuing
n call for a convention to make nonina-
l,ons. and ordering II To call a primary
o~lsstiun instead.
The ca-a u a ,ssi suit Ia detrrImlne the
constitutionality of he Noel Primary
Elertl"n law. passed hy the Mlssl--ippi
Legislature a it, r'v-u, -eS-Ion THIS la~
requires that all party nomiustions shall h"
made 10y primaries.
The Republicans will lie he vor-, sui
fcr,rs hy the law. fur the Republican vot"rs
are 49, few and scattered that II will Ice
difficult almost impossible 10 hold Re
puhiican primaries
The drift 81 public sentiment ia Ml-sis-
-lppi har Tor ia. last ten YEAR been m the
dir,ctl Ion of the popular control ~ party
machinery MI-si~slppi was one Of the
first states tn cellar for the popular cleo
ton ~ Unit'-i States Senators. and It did
not restrict Itself Ia a mere declaration
The system has been IA practical opera
,iun for som. years. Primary elections are
held ~ all To. -rventy-hvc counties II the
state. and Legislators are morally, II not
legally, bound to carry out the will of the
voter 80 expressed. and they have ~ lar
no, d,-ul.yed II.
IH. urinary sxsfaUt Ia. Lean 1Tas4nallv
eSt.ndoi so A. To cover the candidates for
all olhC- Not only are United States
SENATORS. mrmt-rs 81 Congress. SHERIFF.,
Representative and other local officials
- chosen. hut the State ticket az we'll
The svstem has proved somewhat cumi-r-
-ome. requiring n multitude 81 primaries,
local, district and state. and a continual
counting and r~ccoGnting Of votes. bat II
!, popular and has grown NOR. 80 every
wear nn NJ" ground hat u IL democratic
in the extreme and gives the poTl" an
absolute control over their p%rltiCal afalrs,
l-ing, IN effect. - practical referendum.
One serious difficulty has presented
Itself The primary system make no
provision fnr u platform IL haS isSin
suggested that tho state Genital tuInnitto"
might frame and lssu" y platform, hI'
here j. u great deal ~ popular suspicion
and IealuuSy ~ N" COMMITTEES, and ~ 10y
no means follows thai u platform - pre-
Iar.d would IT, a'reIi"d 10y III" Issplic
Il alSp would ~ We io l- submitted. plank
hy plank, and resolution 10y I"~"lHiinh
10 the Iar'v primary
In -ni,a Of thee ohIstIou- the primary
craza hAr -pr'ad, and the l@gisls,ur"
approved It %r"trully hy the passage ~ the
Mood Primary Election law. The chief
dc'cr, in the sy-t.m vas hat many ts,r-pns
-. - NfnH 80 UNHN lRrINl1sa al Nh0tE
failure "a ny the poll taxes IN advance.
we're d~isiranchi-Nd Thus the Democratic
uritnaries which arc tho real elections ~
Mississippi. wer" controlled and the can
didate- who we're tp 10 rlecfei we're
chosen hy men who could not vote ~ the
t.g al .lection.
Thu has lss,n remeSlied by the Primary
rleci on law The irgislatur. declared
nomination ~ candidates by primaries
Tie hight over the primary aue-i ion ha.
corn" up IN is-aquena county, and 1t we'll
illustrates how radical the Law IL. l-~a-
quena IL the blackest county in the United
S'at.s b negroes are u To ! white
There ara only a.? white inhabitants.
men, women and children. and their mum
wears The total white vote IL 100. aud
only abou, eighty voters are qualified Ia
cast their ballots.
There hapy--ns to H. ju-i how a vacancy
for Justice ~ the Peacs ia the Fifth die
trct of the county. The Democratic com
mittse called a CONVENTION to make the
nomination. hut the action has b-n pro-
tests.d against on the ground that II Is a
violation 81 the Noel Law. and a primary
H. insisted on instead To nominate the
candidate.
A primary will take time and money and
II L. Objected thai IL 10 n waste 81 both 10
get the vote Of eighty men as to who should
t~ Justice ~ the Peace when there IL ~
over The once. But the