The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1906-07-06
William Hooker Discusses the Pri-
mary.

OF bringing about the present prima-
ry system, and as it must be obvious
that he has no personal grievance to
lay to the charge of the primary, or
to the present method of formation,
tenure, or term, of the present state
committee. or to any of its members,
he feels that there is no Improperly
in discussing changes in the present
system.
In most of it's essential features.
the present state committee is a Gre
alton of the state convention of 1900.
From what / have heard of the oppo-
sition it would seem that the platform
committee of the state convention in
1900 is entitled to great credit for
declaring in favor of the primary sys-
tenn. No doubt they did the best they
could, under the circumstances, but
after six years of experience, certain
defects in the present system have
become obvious to many democrats in
this part of the state; and, feeling
that the primary system is secure. we
shall not hesitate to discuss these de-
fects.
The party is obliged to make rules
and regulations; this is legislative
function which cannot be exercised in
a primary. 1t must be conceded that
the term executive" committee does
not imply right to legislate, or to
make party law, but under the pres
ent system, the executive committee
is obliged to do so.
1t will be remembered that the cam
paign of 1904 was conducted by the
state committee selected in 1900, and
we, who were elected in 1904. had
nothing to do with that campaign.
The committee selected in 1900 made
the rules for the government of the
primary in 1904, counted the votes,
declared the nominees, and had juris-
diction over the contests; and if this
order is observed we, the committee
elected in 1904, will assume like func-
tions in 1908.
| do not believe that this is fair or
democratic; and, while there is no
partisan strife among us, we had bet
ter adjust the matter. BY examining
the newspapers of 1904, it will be
seen that there were about 143 names
on the ticket voted in Duval county
in the primary for that year; and,
even then there were Is candidates
on the ticket who had no opposition;
and besides this, there were only two
candidates for a large number of
places. OF these 143 names about so,
Cincluding delegates to the national
convention and national committee
mem, were the names of parties who
aspired to places upon some commit
tee.
Only very small per cent of the
democratic voters are able to obtain
OuHlClSnJ lAIOl IldllOn W CdSl oil III
telligent vote on ballot of this
length, and to substantiate this you
need but make the most casual in
quiry. Under the present system we
have no method of instructing our
national committeeman or delegates
to the national convention, and have
no way of making any platform to
guide them; and, while it is perhaps
proper for the state committee to en-
dorse candidates for national offices.
or to endorse certain policies, yet,
such endorsement would not bind the
democratic party, nor would it be
binding upon our national committee
man, or delegates to the national con-
vention; as such committeeman and
delegates, if elected under the present
system, would be fresh from the peo-
pie. while the committee would be at
that time of four years standing.
In 1904 we selected delegation
to the national convention composed,
in part, 1 believe, of avowed Parker
and avowed Hearst delegates, and
each no doubt took his election to
mean that the voters of the state en-
dorsed his views, and yet majority
of the voters of the state, by selecting
a mixed delegation, endorsed both of
the then aspiring presidential candi-
dates. To illustrate: | was opposed to
the nomination of either Parker or
Hearst, and to gise my vote intelli-
gent expression voted for about an
equal number of both Parker and
Hearst delegates. The result shows
that a majority of the voters OF the
state expressed themselves in the
same intelligent manner.
The great democratic party OF this
state had no opportunity of either in
structing its delegates to the national
convention, or of formulating any
platform for their guidance. | believe