The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1902-02-22
The Primary Election Bill.

The Primary Election BILL.
Among the most important measures
before the Legislature last week was
the primary election bill, which was
adopted by the Senate. The matter Is
one Of prime Importance to u peo-
pie, and We are glad to be able to give
our readers the explanation of the bill
by its author, Hon. E. F. Noel, "a he
gave it to the Senate:
The object of this bill is to enable
those who elect the ticket In the fall
to select for the summer, affording
them every opportunity and safeguard
In the selections that is provided for
the election. In other words. it car
ries into primary elections all of the
safeguards and penalties found in the
laws governing general elections. None
except qualified electors are permitted
to participate. The State Executive
Committee of each party can add such
additional restrictions as they may
deem advisable. All primary elections
are to be held on the same day
throughout the State, the date to be
fixed by the State Executive Commit
Tee, not earlier than the LIST nor later
than the 10th Of August. County X
scutive committees fill the functions
Of elective commissioners and appoint
precinct officers and receive returns
from them, canvass these returns, and
declare the final result as to county
and county district officers and send
tabulated statements of the result as
to State and district candidates to the
district and State Executive Commit
tees. If frauds are perpetrated they
can be Investigated by county execu-
tive committees and corrected. Dis
trict and State Executive Committees
have similar powers as to State and
district candidates. State and district
executive committees meet one week
after the first primary and compile
the vote. All candidates who receive
q majority of the popular vote are de-
clared to be nominees for their respect
ceives a majority of the popular vote.
If the one who receives the highest
vote obtains a majority of the electoral
vote he is declared the nominee. The
electoral vote Is determined by giving
to each county douDie the representa-
ton it has in the House of Represent
atives and dividing that representa-
ton between each candidate in proper
ton to the actual vote cast in each
county. If no candidate receives a ma
jority, under either method, then the
two candidates who receive the high
est popular vote run the race over in a
second primary election to be held
three weeks after the first. Where
county or county district candidates so
agree in writing, filed with the eXecu-
tive committee, the first primary set
ties the contest as to them.
A State convention is to be held in
the year 1904 and every four years
thereafter, to select delegates to 4 ma
tional convention and nominate presi-
dental electors. Each county is to
have the same representation in the
State convention as is hitherto pro-
vided, double its representation In the
lower house of the Legislature. Dele
gates to the State convention have to
be chosen at a county convention
composed of delegates selected from
the different precincts. the State
convention chooses three members of
the State Executive Committee from
each Congressional district, AMI the
county convention three executive
committeeman from each supervisors
district. Each county selects, in a way
provided by its executive committee,
its committee men on the COMPRESSION
al and judicial committees. County ex
ecutive committees can fill all vacan
cies for their respective counties OF
judicial and congressional executive
committees. Executive committees arc
shorn Of nearly all their powers, be
ing almost restricted to receiving anG
compiling the vote of primary cleo
tons and of passing upon the question
I Of fraud in the conduct of the cleo
ton. The election commissioners ar,
required to meet on the third Mon
day in July preceding each regular
: primary election, instead OF October a,
now. and to then revise the registra
> ton and poll books for use in the pri
! mary as well as in the general cleo
ton.
Each party shall bear the expens
!, of its W primary election and car
didates shall not be taxed with an,
other charges. except those Of print
o ting tickets and sending out ballo
boxes and booths. Candidates 70
State and district offices shall not b
e assessed any more in any county tina
are county candidates for such e,
penses. These are salient features Q
the bill, the other relating merely t
detail.
Nominees for district counties b
convention are entirely dispensed will
Under such mode of nomina..on eac