The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1908-02-27

tne county executive committees ant
certain statements and arguments bear
ing upon the plan or method of nomi
mating Q candidate for governor anC
other state officers, and asking thi
committee to order what is called A
statewide primary to nominate candi
dates and to hold said primary under
the act of 1901, all OF which have beer
duly considered by your sub-commit
tee.
Your committee does not think, how
ever, that it is possible to have a sat
isfactory method of making nomina
tions under the act of 1901, because it,
terms are ambiguous and confusing
Said act has never been observed anG
no state primary has ever been held OF
attempted to be held under it's provi
sions, and in the opinion of your com
mittee it would be impracticable to dC
so 1t has never been regarded as
well digested law, nor has it ever before
been seriously thought of in making
state nominations.
While the committee is clearly of tht
opinion that it should not proceed un
der the terms of said act, yet if it is &C
desired, the committee feels that il
would be precluded from doing so by
the action of the last state democratic
convention, which refused to consider
the following resolutions:
"That the state democratic executive
committee be aud is hereby authorized
and directed in the future to order 9
direct primary to be held throughout
the state on the same day for the pur
pose Of selecting the democratic nomi.
nees for all elective state offices.
"(2) That for the purpose of carrying
the above resolution into effect thG
state committee is hereby vested witt
full power 'and authority to later ar
range the necessary details for holding
said primary"
This resolution was offered as sub
stitute to the one before recited, ant
the convention refused to consider it
80 that, the body which created tn,
state committee, not only passed tn,
resolution first quoted above as an in
struction to the democratic state execu
tive committee, but refused to consider
the other resolution quoted, which
sought to adopt the general primar,
plan or method of nominating candi
dates in Tennessee.
This committee considers this actor
as binding upon it and upon all othel
democrats, and in addition, recognizeI
the necessity of party platform ant
that other duties devolve upon it othel
than providing for the nomination fol
governor, among these being the nom
ination for Judge of the supreme court
two judges of the court Of civil appeall
and railroad commissioner, also th,
selection of new state executive com
mittee, all of which can not be don,
satisfactorily under a general primar,
plan.
The committee further realizes tina
it is charged with the duty of-preserv
ing party organization so as to insur,
democratic victory in November, anC
that its powers and functions are Il
provide uniform and fair method O
nomination under which no candidat,
shall have an advantage over the other
and at the same time give to the peopl,
the right to make the selection of thei
nominee for governor and other elec
tive state offices, and to instruct thei
counties and the delegates from the va
rious counties of the state to the stat,
convention how they shall be repre-
sented in making said nominations.
Therefore, your sub-comittee recon
mends that, for the purpose OF allowing
the people to express their choice fo
democratic nominee for governor
Judge OF the supreme court, judges o
the court of civil appeals, aud railroad
commissioner, and for the purpose O
having the expression of the voters il
the various counties made binding a
an instruction of delegates, and fer th,
purpose of providing a uniform methot
OF selecting delegates to the state con
vention, hereinafter called, to nominat,
candidates for the various Offices befor,
referred to, vote of the state be taker
under the following rules and method
prescribed as guidance to the voters
IN the various counties in the state, anC
as direction to candidates.
TIME AND PLACE OF VOTING.
That voLe'be taken in all the coun
ties of the state on Saturday, the 27tl
day of June, 1908, at the usual votin(
places in the various wards and districtl
of the various counties in Tennessee
from the hours of a. m. to 4 p. m.
except in the cities of Nashville, Mem.
phis, Knoxville, Chattanooga and Jack
son, in which cities, for the convenience
of the larger number of laboring mer
who can not conveniently vote between
the hours of 8 a. m. and 4 p. M, th,
voting shall be between the hours Of Il
8. m. and 9 p. M, the ballots shall b,