The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1906-03-02

First ElsCtiOA % ~ Held Hay IS,
Second WIll b on lane %.


the State Democratic Executive Com
the nominating primaries and appointed
a campaign committee to look after all
of the details of the campain and the
holding Of the primaries.
Pursuant to the call Of Hon. d. u.
Fletcher, chairman, the committee met
at 10 O'Clock Saturday morning in the
Office Of the chairman. When Secretary
Herbert l.. Dodd called the roll 81 mem
bers of the committee answered in per-
son and IL others were represented by
proxies.
The call for the meeting was read, in
which the object was stated to be to
make arrangements for holding prima-
ries for the nominating of candidates
and for the transaction of any other
business that might come before the
meeting.
The first business transacted was the
election of members from the State at
large to fill vacancies caused by the
death of E. A. Crawford, Of Midway,
and w. w. Farmer, of Yulee. To sue
coed the late +. A. Crawford, of Mid
way, the committee elected h. H. Bu-
ford, of Quincy, and to succeed the late
w. w. Farmer, of Yulee, the commit
tee elected A. w. Cockrell, Jr., of
Jacksonville. According TO the motion
adopted in electing these gentlemen
they were elected to fill the unexpired
terms Of the deceased, and will conse-
quently serve until 1908.
w. j. Bryan, of Jacksonville, as
proxy for John NJ Bryan, of Kissim
NEE, next introduced a resolution con-
tanning a call for primaries, providing
for the appointment of a campaign
committee; fixing the dates for the pri- |
maries; the dates for the filing of mott |
cies of candidacy with the committee,
and the general rules for conducting |
the primaries.
The first controversy came over the
provision granting each candidate the |
right to have one watcher and challen- |
ger "at" the polling place. MIR. Cod
ringnon, of Volusia, wanted the word |
"in' substituted for at" He pointed
out that in some Of the counties the in |
spectors had refused to allow watchers
inside the polling places and that, con-
sequently, their services as watchers
were useless.
After some little discussion Mr.. Bry-
an accepted the substitution and the
call now reads to allow watchers in the
polling places.
Then came the controversy over the
dates for holding the primary The call
as prepared by Mr. Bryan provided for
holding the first primary May Is, and
the second primary June II.
j. j. Platt of Suwannee, objected to
holding the primaries so early. He
said that he made extensive inquiries
among the people of his county and the
prevailing opinion was that it would
be best to have the primaries held con-
later, say in July and August
instead of in May and June. He said
that the farmers would all be busy at
that time of the year and it would be a
great hardship on them to have the po-
litical meetings, the visiting Of candi-
dates, and the holding OF primaries in
May and June.
W. E. B. Smith of Jackson county,
also made a strong argument against
holding the primaries in May and June.
Several others spoke along the same
lines and finally the motion to fix the
dates of holding the primaries as May
Is and June IL was put and carried by
a large majority, but without the call
Of the roll.
C. Davis, of Madison county, next
sdllcQ dLlCDIlOU 10 Tie DIONlSlOH III Nit |
call for the primaries two years ago,
and which was incorporated in the call
prepared by Mr.. Bryan, requiring the
candidates for the State senate and
N smbers of the legislature to file no.
ice of their candidacy with the State
committee and to pay the assessment
liked by the State committee. He
stated that this provision had caused
much dissension two years ago and had
rot been adhered to IN some instances.
He moved that the provision be strick
IN from the call and that the call be
amended so as TO leave the candidates
'or the State senate and members of
he legislature entirely under control of
he county committees. ..
After some little discussion this was
agreed to and the call was changed &C
.ordingly. Hereafter these candidates
will be subject to the same regulations
Is the county candidates and the assess
nents for these Offices will be fixed by
he county committees instead Of by
he State committee as in the past.
The changes in the call as introduced
having been adopted, the resolution
for the adoption Of the call
vas then put and adopted without
dissenting vote.
The cali provided for the appointment
II a campaign committee of seven
of which the chairman and
ecretary of the State committee should
,e members. Chairman Fletcher sta
ed that he would announce the appoint