Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1902-02-20

| tne primary election bill. which was
adopted By the senate. The matter Is
one Of PRIME importance TO our peo-
pie. and We are glad 20 be able to give
oar readers he explanation Of the bill
y is author. Hon. Z +. Noel. As he
gave j, 10 the senate.
The object Of this bill Is to enable
those who elect the ticket in the fall
70 select fer the summer. aTordiag
them evsry opportunity and safeguard
n the selections that Is provided for
the elecucu- In other wozis. il car
riss into primary elections all os the
safeguari< and penalties found IN the
avs governing general elections. Soce
exceps qualified siecEous are permitted
10 participate The state Executive
Committee % saca party can add such
additional restrictions as they riay
1een advisabse- All primary elections
are 10 be keld oa the same day
throughout tie STAT. the date % be
Hxed BY the State Executive Commit
tee. not earlier than the ist nor later
han the 10th OF August County sx-
ecutive committees all the funct ions
of elective commissioners and appoint
precinct oEzcers and receive returns
from them. canvass these returns. AMI
declare the final result as 70 county
and county district officers and send
,abulated statements Of the result as
70 State and lis-rsc. candidates 70 the
district and State Executive Commit
.ees- II frauds are psrpetrated they
s1n be Investigated By county execu-
tive committees and corrected Dis
-rict and State Executive Committees
have similar powers as 20 State and
district eandidates- State and district
executive committees meet one week
after the FIRST primary and compile
the vote All candidates who receive
a =aiority Of the popular vote arc de-
cIared 20 Be nominees for their respect
i've Offices. When 10 candidate re-
eeives 4 majority u the popular vote.
II 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 doa9ss the representa-
tiOn Il a1s in the House OF Represent
atives and dividing that Representa-
ticn between each candidate in proper
tion TO the actual vote cast in each
county. II 20 candidate receives ma
tcrity. under either msthcd. 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 nrsr- Where
county or county district candidates SO
agree in writing. flied with the execu-
tive committee. the first primary set
ties the contest as to them
/ \ state convention is 70 Be held in
the year 1904 and every four years
thereafter. 10 sei2cs delegates TO na-
tiOnal convention and nominate presi-
deGtial electors. Each county Is to
have the same representation in the
State convention As is hitherto pro
yided. double its representation il the
lower house OF the Legislature. Dele
| gates 10 the State convention have to
be chosen at 4 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. AM the
county convention three executive
committeeman from each supervisors
district. Each county selects. in ! way
provided by its executive committee.
its committee men on the eongression-
al and judicial committees. County ex-
ecutive committees can I'LL all vacan-
eies for their respective counties on
| judicial and congressional executive
committees. Executive committees are
shOrn Of nearly all their powers. be
| ing almost restricted 20 receiving and
compiling the vote of primary elec-
tions and OF passing upon the question
OF fraud in the conduct OF the elee-
tion. The election commissioners are
required to meet on the third Mon
day in July preceding each regular
primary election. instead or October as
now. and to then revise the registra-
tion and poll books Tor use in the pri-
mary as wsil as in the general elee-
ton
Each party shall bear the expense
Of its own primary election and can
| iidates shall not be taxed with any
ether charges. except those OF print
ing tickets and sending out ballot
boxes and booths Candidates for
sstate and district Offices shall not be
assessed any mora in any county than
ere county candidates for such ex-
9enses@ These are salient features Of
he bill. the Other relating merely to
ietzii-
Nominees for district counties Sy
sonventio1 are entirely dispensed with
Cnder such mode OF nomination each
county has representation in proper
ton TO its population. including ne
groes- While negroes are disqualified
from being electors. they are voted
by representation agaiast white peo-
pie under such mode Of nomination
A county having 1a.ea9 whites and go
900 negroes under convention system
hss four times. the strength OF anssher
county having le.0a9 whites AMI no
negroes The chief ob5eet Of this Law
WIS to hold the white people together
by giving to each white man fair op-
pcrtunity OF expressing his choIee Of
candidates and OF carrying that ex-
preston into full effect The primal
object OF convention generally Is TO
ignore the will and wish OF the ma
jority. and to carry into effect the de-
signs Of the few who exercise control
over such parties The influence of
sueh agencies. as well as the regro
representation incidental to coryen-
tons. is done away with entirely by
the measure under consideration