The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-05-27
Body Declines to Review Action Of
County Committees in Such
Matters.
c. o. coDRINcToN WITHDREW
HIS PROTEST WITHOUT HEAR
Me-TEsT MADE M CASE OF J.
c. MeeiFFIN, CANDIDATE FOR
SENATE FROM NASSAU.

The Jacksonville T.mes-Union Of
Saturday published the following rel
alive to the meeting of the State
Executive Committee in Jacksonville
on the day previous:
Precedent prevailed at the meeting
Of the State Democratic executive
committee yesterday and the protests
fled with the committee against the;
manner in which certain primary re-,
turns were canvassed by county COM
mittees were not entertained by the
state committee.
The greatest interest centered in
the protest Of F. o. Codrington, of
Volusia county, who opposed Hon.
Frank Sans, Of that county, for re-
election to the state senate. But the
protest of Mr. Codrington was not
read TO the committee, for before it
was reached in the regular order Of
things, the committee, by a large ma
jority, had decided that under its rules
and the precedent established In for
mer years. il could not take up pro-
tests against the acton of the coun-
" committees when such protests con-
lature and state senators.
This decision was reached regard
ing the protest of John G. McGif1n,
candidate for the state senate from
Nassau county against Senator ThOs.
S. Davis for reelection, in which Nc
Gifin alleged Irregularities in connec-
ton with making returns from sev3r-
al precincts.
Codrington Protest withdrawn.
When the committee declined to
take cognizance Of this case 1t was at
once seen that il could not take up the
protest of Mr.. Codrington against the
nomination Of Senator Sans without
reversing its action, and therefore Mr..
Codrington asked for permission to
withdraw his protest, and his request
was granted.
While ii was a great victory for Sen,
ator Sans and his friends, the mem
bers of the committee who believed
that the matter should have been TAX
en- up consoled themselves ny chang
ing the rule Of the committee, and in
the future the committee will take
cognizance Of protests in cases where
state senators and members Of the legl
islature- are to be nominated.
The Fielding Protest.
The other matter that attracted
much interest during the meeting of
the committee was the protest Of T. L.
Fielding, candidate for state attorney
in the Eighth Judicial Circuit Thel
other candidates were Benjamin p
Calhoun, the present state attorney, !
ond N Rivprc IF AIarhuo oouptv
In this contest the whole matteri
hinged upon the fact that the county,
committee Of Baker county, one Of thel
FIVE counties composing the eighth iu.
dicial circuit, had declared the cleo
ton in Baker county null and void,
and had refused to certify any returns
to the state committee.
Without the Baker county vote thel
returns received from the four other
counties of the circuit gave Calhoun
1855 votes; River 1,201 votes, and
Fielding 1,1O1 votes. This would
necessitste Calhoun and Rivers going
into the second primary, but both Riv-
ers and Fielding claimed that the Ba-i
ker county vote, If counted, would
give them the lead. The advocates of
Fielding were willing, they said, for
all three Of them TO run It over again
in the second primary. Mr. Rivers'sI
friends on the committee could not
see any necessity Of sll three running
again, when the returns certified to-
the committee showed that Calhoun
and Rivers were the high men and
Cc0ntinued on Page FOur.l