The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-08-23
WHERE THE VOTE IS
In THE NEW REGISTRATION
Three White Counties Have More Than All Fourteen
Black COuntieS--The Negroes Registered
Little Over 1000.
BY D. w. McIvER.

The battle Of the ballots inside the
Democratic Party of Alabama is to take
place next Monday and 1t is to be d
warmly contested party fight. The issues
involved are important involving as they
do support of the new Constitution and
the people are called upon to decide
whether they want its friend or foe to be
the Chief Executive.
First Primary.
1t is the first aggregate party primary
held in the State for the nomination of
candidates for State Offices While pri-
maries have been held all the time in
many of the counties for the selection of
delegates to the State Conventions and
for the naming of candidates of the DEM
ocratic party for county offices, it is the
first time general primary has been held
for the whole State and much curiosity
Is being felt as to how it will work and if
it will be as satisfactory as was contem-
plated when it was being urged upon the
committee as the proper and popular
mode of making nominations this year.
There were several reasons for the IA
Voring of a general primary:
First-The people had become heartily
Disguised with the old convention mode
of making nominations. it having be-
come clearly apparent that political
trades and combines usually controlled
those bodies and the will and preferences
Of the people, as rule, were almost al
together ignored and cast aside.
Second-There was desire for a change
of the ratio of representation from that
of population basis to the voting strength
of a county and it was known that the
only way to secure 1t was through a pri-
mary where the vote of one white man
would count the same as another no
matter in what part of the State he resid-
ed.
Third-A desire for fair and honest cleo
lions and 1t was believed that a begin
ming could be had under party pri-
mary, where as between Democrats there
would be no reason or occasion for fraud.
and for that plank the white people of
the State seem to be unanimous and agree
with DIR. Cunningham when he said that
ballots were stolen before from neces-
sity, but the man who steals them in
future is thief from choice" All the
white people of Alabama demand and will
unite in having a primary that is abso-
lutely fair and just to all alike.
The Vote.
The next thing that interests us most
is the vote that is to be cast in that
primary. There are in round numbers
$4,000 white citizens who have regis
tered out of a possible quarter of a mil
lion in the State. About three-fourths OF
the white men who are within the legal
requirements have registered, and reck-
oned upon the ratio of the vote heretofore
cast that is a very large per centage
OF the 1000 white registered it is a
fact that only about 10000 are qualified
voters in the November election and
will be qualified to vote ir
| the primaries. This is brought about b!
reason of the fact that many people VIII
registered failed to pay the poll tax.
| is calculated that there are 10000 Re
publicans and Populists in the State VIII,
will by reason of their past party at
| flliations not be eligible to vote in tn,
| Democratic primaries. this will leave bu
| about 10000 to vote in the primaries mex
| Monday.
How Apportioned.
A study of the apportionment of tina
vote throughout the State will be at
| tended with much interest and clearl!
develops the fact that there has beer
a wonderful change as to the seat o
political power. Heretofore in the coun
ellis of the party the black belt was yer!
powerful and welded great influence be
cause of relatively large vote in conven
ton. The figures now go to show tina
| muCn OF lnaI power anu lnnueHce MAJ
been transferred to the white counties
and largely places the control in thei
hands Let us just take the countie
that are located in the black belt an;
we will see that Autauga. Barbour. Bull
lock, Dallas, Greene, Hale, Lowndes
Macon, Marengo. Montgomery, Perry
Russell. Sumter, Wilcox, have registered
q, 224 out of a white population of $3.50
| On the other hand there can be taken jus