The Opelousas courier., 1903-07-18
Nominations by Primaries.


by Judge E. T. Lewis of Opelou-
sas, in which he directs attention
to the provisions of the law in re-
gard to the manner of making
nominations and certifying same
to the Secretary of State, and re-
fers to the registration law which
provided that new registration
must be made during every year
in which a general election is held,
the registrar to keep his office
open for sixty days beginning on
January lst. He goes on and
shows that it will be impossible
to hold any kind of primary ex-
cept a plurality primary during
the brief time which interveneS
between the completion of the
new registration (March l3) and
the last day on which the nomi-
nations of candidates must be
certified to the Secretary of State
(March 22), and concludes that
as Il plurality primary cannot be
adopted as the method of making
party nominations, the State Cen
trail Committees are bound to Or
der conventions.
If it were true that party pri-
maries must be held after the
completion of the neev registra-
ton, Judge Lewis conclusion
would be absolutely correct, for
all will admit that ten days will
not suffice for making nomina-
tions by the means of majority
primaries, and it is not likely that
a plurality primary will be resort
ed to, because 1t might result in
the nomination of some candi-
dates who had received but a very
small proportion of the votes cast.
But is 1t true that the Central
Committees of the two parties
are bound to wait until the COM
pletion of the new registration
before they can legally order any
kind of a primary? We are Of
opinion that this question must
be answered "No."
While it is true that the primary
law (adopted in 1889 provides
that no one but a duly registered
voter can participate in a party
primary, neither that law, nor the
amendment thereof adopted in
1900, requires that these prima-
ries be held in the same year in
which the general election is to
be held. So that there can be no
question that those who are at
present duly registered voters can
legally vote in party primaries
and legally nominate their candi-
dates for office. Anything which
these legal voters may do before
the new registration is completed
must be considered legal. They
are in the attitude of any other
individual who may be at present
holding an office; until their sue
cessors are qualified they retain
all their powers and prerogatives
by virtue of their office, and any
act within those limits must be
deemed legal.
The present primary law was on
| our statute books when the dele
| gates to the last Democratic State
nominating convention were cleo
ted Tin 1899, and not only were
these delegates selected by a pri.
mary in st. Landry parish, and
this primary held on the old reg.
istration list, but we do not now
recall a single instance where del
egates to that convention were
selected after the completion oil
the registration of 1900. In fact
we are quite certain that the State
Democratic Convention of 190(
/ was held before the registration
| for that year was completed. M
] one ever made question of tht
i legality of the election of these
delegates or Of the nomination o.
! thesvarious candidates for district
and parish offices, and we do no
believe that such action on tht
4 part of the executive committees
would be seriously objected to OF
| this occasion.
! From this brief examination o
/ the question we are convinced
/ that the State Central Committe,
of either party may legally orde
d majority primary during 1870
| for the election of candidates 70
State offices, said candidates t
be voted for at the general Stat
i election to be held on April 18th
1904; and we hope that this plaI
will be adopted by the State Cen
trail Committee of heDemocrati
party. The State Central Con-
mittee doubtless had this objec
in view when it declined to tax
the matter up at its last meeting
knowing that none of the right
Of the people would be jeopardize
thereby. We think that the con
nlittee should take such actio
without undue delay, and thus 50
at rest question which is of gres
interest to all Democratic voter
AS to the cost of holding a m;
!. iority primary. the Times-Dem'
craf. IN q recent editorial has con