The age-herald., 1902-03-25
GENERAL PRIMARY
 MAY BE ORDERED Claim That Old Plan of Nymi nf ton Would be Unfair BLACK BELTCOUNTIES HURT Under New Constitution They Would Have More Delegates and Fewer
 Voters Than Many of the
 Small "White Counties"
BLACK BELTCOUNTIES HURT

Montgomery, March 24-(Special)- Very strong efforts are to be made to have the Democratic state committee or der general primary for the nomina- tion of state congressional and county officials when the committee is called to devise plans for nominating such offi- cials. It has been asserted that ''gen- eral primary would become the the bat tie cry of the anti-Jelks of Johnston fac ton and in case the state committee should fall to order a primary, the fight was to be made before the people in the election.
 Under the working of the new consti- tuition the large black belt counties will not have as many registered voters as will the smaller white counties for in stance, Lowndes county with eleven votes in state convention may not have more than one thousand qualified voters, whereas. Covington county with three votes in state convention will probably have 25OO registered voters.
 The anti-constitution followers it is said could make capital of the unfairness of the present basis of representation and
 
 the committee which is controlled by the friends of the new constitution and Gov ernor Jelks, order a general primary, the argument of the opposition would be Knocked into a cooked hat" An open fight might therefore prove most bene- ficial to the constitution faction.
 Advertiser Favors Primary.
 The Montgomery Advertiser will de- clare for the primary plan tomorrow in the following editorial:
 ''The question of a state primary is one that will have to be considered by the Democrats of Alabama and this is as good time as any other to take it up. For several years past there has been but little interest manifested in elections either local primaries or general cleo tions. Under the new constitution there must be absolutely fair elections and re- turns or the jails will hold perpetrators of fraud. With the great shadow of black suffrage removed, there is no excuse for ballot box manipulation. In many coun- ties in Alabama in the past ten years the negroes have been the dominating factors The side that appealed to them and secured their votes, although in a minority of the whites, would win the day. 1t is now fair and square contest between white voters and the Adver- tiser would not be unwilling to have de- cisions made in a general primary. The state committee can frame rules and regulations governing such a primary as would be absolutely rair and Just for every candidate for a state office as well as for those from the counties and other subdivisions of the state.
 Johnston and Followers.
 Governor Joseph F. Johnston and his followers have been seeking to array op- position to the new constitution and to make that their platform to go to the peo- pie on They find that hopeless task for the registration of voters now going on shows that the requirements of the constitution will be literally carried out and that no white man entitled to regis tration will be shut out.
 The prepayment of poll tax by those be- tween 21 and 45 years of age has also proved a disappointment to those who have sought to create prejudice aganst the new instrument on account of that requirement. The great bulk of those subject to it have made that contribution to the school fund. And the books will show the largest receipts on that ac- count in many years and nearly all of 1t from voters. Of course 1t is easy for enemies of the constitution to talk about the thousands who have been disfran- chised Those who are interested can poll their own communities and learn how baseless is the allegation. It has been evident for some time that there are those who would be willing to stir up strife in case the primary plan is not adopted. We have had turmoil and strife enough in our ranks. and if 1t can be avoided by adopting primary plan, why not try 1t. It is time.
 Selfish Motives.
 Governor Johnston Is advocating 1t but judging him by his past record it is pure ly from selfish considerations. He was not always the advocate of primary. In his own county of Jefferson in lS96 he had sufficient power In the county ex- ecutiye committee to order the election of delegates by a county convention and to prevent a square and fair primary vote between himself and Hon. R. H. Clarke even then the county was against the ex-governor and he secured only half the delegation from his own county by means that never have been defended. In that same contest there was pr1m- ary in Jefferson county for every coun- ty position but the ex-governor was un- willing to apply the same rule to him self A new light seems to have dawned upon him but thIs should not deter oth- CTS from pursuing the right path. We do not believe that either he or those he can influence will be satisfied with anything that the state committee can do, but If in this we are mistaken, then we can have here in Alabama the most interesting political canvass in the his- tory of the state. We do not believe the friends of the new constitution or those who are opposed to the peculiar methods of Joseph F. Johnston have anything to fao {,, npf oct