The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1907-08-22
Do Qualified and Regis.
tered Voters Mean Z
Same Thing? :
Point Raised That % : {
Cent of ''Qualihed' Vot 3
8
ers Not Enough. :
CONSTITUTION SAYS PETITIONS
TO CALL ELECTION MUST HAVE
25 PER CENT. OF "REGISTERED"
COMMISSIONERS WILL
MEET TONIGHT TO GO OVER
MATTER.

Was the proposed prohibition cleo
ton legally called?
That is the question which is now
agitating both sides of the wet and
dry contest.
Some one has discovered, or thinks
he has, that the petitions which were
presented to the county commission
ers, and under which the latter called
the election, did not contain the
names of 25 per cent. of the regis
tered voters of the county.
The petitions did contain the
names of % per cent of the quail
fed" voters, but that, it is contended,
does not fulfill the requirement OF
csle law, and therefore it will all
have to be done over again.
The provision in the state consti-
tuition under which local option cleo
tons are held reads as follows:
Constitutional Provision.
Article XIX, Local Option.-Section
1. The Board OF County Commission
ers of each county in the state, not
oftener than once in every two years,
upon the application of one-fourth of
the registered voters of any county,
shall call and provide for an election
in the county in which application is
made, to decide whether the sale of
shall be prohibited therein, the quess-
ton to be determined by a majority
vote of those voting at the election
called under this section, which cleo
ton shall be conducted in the manner
prescribed by law for holding general
elections; provided, that Intoxicating
liquors, either sDirituous, vinous or
malt, shall not be sold in any cleo
ton district in which a majority vote
was cast against the same at the said
election. Elections under L4IIs section
shall be held within sixty days from
the time of presenting said appIica-
ton, but if any such election should
thereby take place within sixty days
of any state or national election, it
shall be held within sixty days after
any such state or national election.
Who Are Registered" NoIers7
1t would seem clear by this that
local option petitions must have rs
per cent. of the registered" voters.
Now, the question arises-What con-
StituteS registered" voter?
Are dead men, cOnvictS, and non
residents whose names appear on the
registration list as well as many
residents whose names appear there
but who are not otherwise qualified,
to be counted as a part of the reg
lStered Lt! On, do the actua1
qualified voters constitute the reg
iStratiOn list?
These are questions that will come
before a special meeting of the county
commissioners tonight at which the
whole matter will be taken up.
Another Question.
In the event that the law is con-
strued as requiring % per cent. of
all OF the names on the registration
list, then another question arises, viz:
VIII the petitioners be compelled to
do their work All over again with
new petitions, or will - be sufficient
to merely secure the required aduL-
tional names for the old ones?
Both sides to the controversy are
very much interested in the result
of these very important questions, and
the commissioners meeting tonight
will therefore be very important and
interesting session.