The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1906-04-13

by the county committees. 1t is not
thought likely that will be any ex-
pense other than the cost of print
ing the ballots and of preparing the
poll lists and tally sheets. The cost
of the ballots will be small, for it is
expressly provided that in no part of
the State is the Dortch or secret bal
lot law to obtain.
An Open Ballot.
This latter fact will be of peculiar
interest to this and the three other
large counties of the State, for it will
be the first time since the enactment
of the Dortch law in 1889 that the old
fashioned ballot is to be used. The
only provision of the primary rules
governing the ballot is that it is to be
of plain white paper, seven inches long
and three inches wide. This is the
same ballot that has been used in the
precincts of the State for the past
sixteen years to which the Dortch law
does not apply. The ballot will con-
tain only the name of the candidate
for Senator for whom the voter de-
sires to cast his vote, therefore there
will be no booths within which, under
the Dortch law, the voter must pre-
pare his ticket.
There will be no restrictions what
ever upon the suffrage except that the
voters must be white persons who
are known Democrats and who have
attained their majority, or white per-
sons who will be Il years of age by
Nov. 6, 1906, and who desire to afili-
ate with the Democratic party upon
attaining their majority"
1t is not believed that there will be
county in the State where election
! officers cannot be obtained without
cost. 1t is not anticipated by the
friends of either candidate that they
will experience the slightest trouble
: in obtaining the services free of charge
! of sufficient responsible Democrats to
conduct the primary, and it would not
| be surprising If the total cost of the
primary for the entire ninety-six coun-
ties of the State was not less than the
cost of a primary in Davidson County
There will be expense of registrars
either to open the registration books
or to serve at the polls. But seven
persons at each voting place will be
necessary for the conduct of the cleo
ton, towit: Three judges, two clerks
a receiver, and a Magistrate, the latter
for the purpose of administering the
necessary oath to the election officers
The cost of printing the simple three
by-seven ballots is much less than the
cost of printing the big blanket ballot
required by the Dortch law. If eacf
candidate should have 100000 ballots
printed the cost would not be in ex
cess of $3.50 each or 81 per thousand
for the tickets.
Larger Vote Probable.
Not since the November election o.
1888 have the voters of Davidson
county voted an open ticket without
either registration or poll tax require
ment. These requirements which
have from time to time been extended
to include additional counties and pre-
cincts. have no doubt had a stront
tendency to cut down the vote of thu
State, so that those who make calcu
lations upon the size of the vote II
the approaching primary would az
well to take these facts into consider
alton. Under the primary plan there
are probably $50, 900 Democrats in thu
State qualified to vote. It is of cours'
altogether improbable that any sucl
number will vote on May II, but tn
vote on that day will doubtless be al
most, if not quite, as large as the vot
received by any Democratic oandi
date in Tennessee.
Judging the coming election by pas
contests. there should be proportion
ately a larger vote polled in the coun
ties of Middle Tennessee than In tn
other sections of the State. TN
for the reason that there will be ad
ditional inducements to get the voter
out for in addition to voting for Sena
tors, the, Democrats of several cour
ties of this division will also vote 10
Congressmen. and in others they vii