The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-09-29
SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVING
THE PRIMARY LAW

supervising inspectors Of COnyICtS- the
pure food and drug inspector and the
inspector of stock feed. all of which
last named officers are now appointed
by the governor without recommc1d2-
ton Of any political organization. That
We NAV not lose sight of the fUnda-
mental principles of democracy We
need 4 party platform which can be
secured in no other way
Delegates TO such convention
should he elected in the same manner
as members of the state executive
committee are chosen; should be ap-
EOTtiOned 10 each county according TO
number of qualified electors d. shown
by primary election returns and the
number limited to ESQ. Fractional
votes should not be allowed lie limit
the number of delegates to The number
of votes. No person holding a COM
mission from the state. other than
notary public. should bo qualified TO
serve as a delegate or as proxy for
delegate. The county executive com
mittees should be given authority TO
fill vacancies caused by death. resiS-
nation or otherwise.
Poll Taxes.
The poll tax prerequisite to voting
in primary and general elections
Tigidly enforced with certain addition
al regulations. There are a IarGc
number of our electors who foTego
their right of suffrage rather than pay
this tax while there exists another
class who have come to believest that
it is a candidates duty to pay it for
them If the poll tax Is to remain a
prerequisite the law should be 50
amended as TO break up the practice
OF candidates in paying poll taxes.
Again, the wealthy candidate has an
advantage, and the poor candidate Is
entitled 10 protection If poll taxes
are paid in currency require that they
be paid personally. i.e.. from the hand
of the elector himself into the hand OF
the collector And If paid by check or
other negotiable instrument. require
that it bear the name of the electOT
whose tax it pays as the drawee or
purchaser as the case may be. a pen
atty should be enforced against the
tax collectors receiving poll taxes in
violation of these provisions, and all
money paid in violation thereof for
feited.
Illegal Votes.
In the appointment of supervisors OF
registration the governor should be
careful to select men of clerical abiI-
ity- For reasons already mentioned,
they should not be nominated by pop
UIar vote
County executive committees should
be required 10 compare the returns
from each precinct with the poll lists
before canvassing the vote or decIar-
ing a nominee. If the returns show d
number of votes in excess of the num-
Der shown by the registration books
to be qualified, then the committee
should redHeSSI uhshf ffn g8tf IN the same nro-
portion from each candidate in which
they we're received. ANY elector. sub
Ject TO poll tax. appearing to be
qualified except for non-payment of
such tax, should be permitted to vote
II ne has his poll tax receipt, but the
clerk should be required to take M
such receipt and file it with the re-
turn Clerks and inspectors should
be fined for each illegal vote returned
Cards, Pictures and Lieuature at Poll
ing Places.
No person should he permitted TO
distribute cards. pictures or campaign
literature Of any description whatever
at the polling places on the day of
the primary
Single Shots.
The practice commonly known a.
single shooting should be prohibited
by enforcing 4 provision that s1rch
votes shall not be counted
Will One Primary Suffice7
Many arguments have been urged
for and against what is known as A
majority primary (Which We have) as
distinguished from a plurality primary.
The former necessitates two primaries
in nearly all cases where more than
two candidates oppose each other. II
IS said that it enables the wealthy can
dldate to locate the strength Of his
less fortunate opponent, and, by the
free use OF money, etc, get it A close
study OF the returns, in some instances
at least, forces us to admit. reluctantly.
that money is a potent factor in shan
ing the viii of our citizenship, and
that this objection is well founded.
On the other hand the plurality pr1-