The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1903-06-12
Is IT pEMocRAcY
From the Dunnellon Advocate.

From the DunnellOn ADVOCATE
II is said on good authority. in fact the best,
that Governor Jennings will not appoint man
to fill the unexpired term of Z. p. Thagard.
He will ask the County Democratic Executive
Committee to call primary to decide the mat
ter and should the committee refuse to call a
primary for such purpose then, in that event,
his excellency will see about the matter. 1t is
said that the governor may decline, in any
event, to appoint either of the present cand-
dates.-Ocala Star.
We don't know where the Star gets
its authority, but as it is 1.-THE best"
we presume it is from headquarters,
and if il is true, the governor should
take down his sign as democratic
governor and have himself addressed
as Car Jennings. In ignoring the
action of the county executive COM
mittee, Governor Jennings sets aside
all party law and precedent and takes
the matter entirely into his own
hands. 1t is clearly without his pro
vince, and only presumption on his
part to ask the committee to call q
a primary when they have already
acted in the premises. The primary
was never intended to be used in such
cases, and there is no provision in the
act by which the governor can ask it
or the committee can call an election
to fill out an unexpired term of an
office.
Section of Chap. SOFA, Laws of
Florida, says:
THAT whenever the state executive stand
ing committee of any political party in this
state, shall decide to take by primary election
the sense of the members of said party as
to the proper persons to be made delegates to
| any convention to be held for the purpose of
| that party, or to take the sense of the members
of said party to their choice for United States
senator or as to the proper person or persons to
| be presented on behalf of that party to the
voters of the state congressional district or
county as the case may be, at any election to be
| held in the several counties under the laws of
this state at least thirty f3Ol days notice shall
| be given, etc.
Section IL, same act says:
That the executive or standing commit
| tee, when they are petitioned by majority of
the qualified electors of the same party the COM
mittee belongs to- shall call and cause to be held
| a primary election as provided for in this act.
There is absolutely no provision
made for the holding of a primary
except TO elect delegates to q conven-
ton, express the party choice for
United States Senator and to select
candidates to be voted for at a general
election.
Governor Jennings has it in his
power to refuse to appoint either of
the candidates before the last meet.
ing of the executive committee, but
should he do so, he would not only
ignore all democratic precedence, but
would show an utter disregard for the
party in Marion county, whose dele.
CATION voted for him first, last and all
the time at the last state convention.
AS the Ocala Banner truthfully says,
"there is no division in this county
over the question of collectorship."
There was before the meeting of the
committee, difference of individual
opinion as to the merits of different
candidates, but that difference was
settled when the majority voted for
Mr.. Carney and the solid democracy
of "Old Marion" speaking through
its official representatives asked for
his appointment.
jacksonville Generosity.
In view of the fact that Jacksonville