The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-05-24
HOW MINORITIES ARE PRO
TECTED,

A correspondent in a Western county
requests this paper to print the method
by which the minority in any primary
or convention can obtain representation.
Section 6 of the Plan or Organization pro-
vides as follows:
AT every precinct meeting there shall
(before the delegates to the County Con-
vention are elected) be vote taken for
the different candidates for office, whose
names may be presented and the dele
gates shall vote in the County Conven-
ton of theiE respective districts in ac-
cordance with this vote; that is to say,
each candidate shall receive in the Coun-
ty Convention that proportion of the
vote to which the precinct may be en-
titled which he received in the precinct
meeting. The chairman and secretary OF
the precinct meeting shall certify to the
County Convention the vote received by
each candidate at the precinct meeting.
1t will be seen by this that in the pri
mary at any precinct any voter has the
right to demand that vote be taken
for the candidate for any office whether
sheriff of the county or Governor
of the State) and the delegates shall be
chosen to represent the strength of the
several candidates voted for in the pri-
mary.
Section two under County and District
Conventions" makes like provision. 1t is
as follows:
.'At every County Convention (before
delegates to State, Congressional, Judi
cial, Senatorial or other conventions are
ctosen) there shall be vote taken for
the different candidates for office, whose
names may be presented, and the dele
gates shall vote for their respective coun-
ties in accordance with this vote; that
is to say, each candidate shall receive
in the State, Congressional, Judicial,
Senatorial or other conventions the pro-
portion of the\ vote to which the county
may be entitled which he received in the
County Convention. The chairman and
secretary of the County Convention shall
certify to each convention the vote re-
ceived by each candidate given; Provi-
ded, that where only one candidate is
presented it shall be lawful to instruct
for him. At, all State and District Con-
ventions the delegates from the different
counties may disregard the vote of their
respective counties as to any candidate:
Provided that a two-thirds majority of
all mis- votes from the county consent.
1t will be observed that this demand
for a vote shall be made BEFORE THE
DELEGATES ARE CHOSEN. That pro-
vision was inserted to give to each can
didate his proportion of the delegates to
the convention.
The right to demand a vote is con-
ferred upon a single participant in a con-
vention or primary. 1t does not demand
any affirmative action by the convention
or primary. For example, at the Chat
ham county convention a motion was
made to instruct for Judge Walter Clark
for Chief Justice. One man made objection
to the instructions and it was properly
held that if there was any minority, in
structons could not be given. Then
delegate proposed under section that
a vote be taken for Chief Justice. Nobody
could object or prevent the vote being
taken. Every delegate voted for Judge
Clark, but if 60 had voted for Judge Clark
and 90 for say Judge X then the dele
gates would have been divided BY giving
Judge CIark's friends three-fourths and
Judge KS friends one-fourth, and those
delegates would be compelled to vote that
way in the State Convention, and no vote
for either candidate could be changed until
"a two-thirds majority of all his votes
from the county consent
These provisions guaranteeing protcc-
tion to minorities, were passed by the
State Convention because it had some
times happened that a majority in a
county would instruct for its favorite
and the minority be denied any repre-
sentation whatever. Under the old plan,
Wake county in one convention instructed
itsj delegates to vote solidly for a certain
candidate in a district convention when
the other candidate for that position had
40 out of the 90 delegates. Though he
had four ninths of the convention, he did
not get d delegate or a vote. 1t was
to put an end to such gross injustice TO
minorities that the two sections above
quoted were adopted. Under these Sec
tons any voter in a primary and any
delegate in a county convention can de-
mand a vote, and then the vote in the
district or State convention must be cast
as instructed by that vote.
rom" Ann