Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1908-02-03

platform Tor the party in Florida.
Nov e the Argus man had gone a lik
tte further and added ALSO for tbs puE.
ppsb OF selecting National ana State
commlttssmen, National convention
delegates and Presidential eyectofs,'
I'VE would heartily 20 In favor Of the
idea. Does this sound undemoratic
IN view Of the pledge' OF The party 10
elect al oaicerS By primaEy Systsmf
Let's analyze the situation;
|. FIRST The Argus gOss on To- nhsw
thrt the party IA this State has nlade
no ,ofHcial ehunciatlcn OF PRINCIPLES
since the memorable convention OF
! 1900 at Jaeksonviile. How can the
party enunCiats any principles unless
Il does so through q convention 0k
delegates elected By the people? Can
the executive committee net for The
party In such q natter Clearly We
think not. II the platform Of the sue,
cessGul candidate Tor Governor to be
accepted as the platform OF the democ.
racy Of the Slater II might be argued
that 90 the successful candidate for
Governor received q majority Of all.
the Democratic votes cost in the cleo.
ton the platform Of this particular.
candidate should be binding upon the
people. II Il is binding on the people
then II ought BY any process Of
reasoning sought, be pinding upon
every member elected to the Legisla-
turO during the. four years tenure Of
ONCE OF this particular. Governor, and
those bodies should enact into law
every plank IN the Governors plat!
form upon which he went before the
people, and upon which he was elect
cd. II this Is what the people mean
by a platform then we have nothing
more to say, except that the last two
Legislatures have been derelict In
their duty.
THE other reason for the holding OF
. State convention Ia almost as strong.
-Four years ago the ticket was so
long that IN some Of the precincts OF
the State II kept the inspectors at
work for several days checking and
counting the ballots. In addition to
all the State and county officers there
viii be candidates for one member OF
tho National executive committed. ten
delegates % che National cOnveatlon.
and candidates for members OF the
state e1aotslve committee and Presl-
Dental electors II all Of these were
slected by q State convention II would |
reduce the biEe Of the ticket in this
years. primary considerable.
"I1ut aside from the consldetatlou u
the Fsdustion OF the length OF the
ticket there Is every reason why the !
delegates 70 the National convention
should be elected In a State conven-
ton, II Mr.. bryan IL the cholCe Of
z majArisy Of the people o. Eiorida.
expressed through the delegates "a
convention assembled. then no should
have the solId support OF the dele
cation from this state. With the dele.
gates 20 the convention elected In the |
primary bryan delegates may via In |
the FIRST and second Congressional die. |
tricts and from among those Nho are
candidates from the State at large, |
and Johnson, or Hearst or Harmon |
delegates from the third Congressional |
district Thus Mr.. bryan would DO
cut or from two votes that he should,
by ell the reasoning Of pCmocmt.c
rule heretofore. be entitled To. and
this notwithstanding the tact that his
delegates from the State at large
might have carried the State by
vote OF two or thrCo to one.
"aolneone h going 10 bob up now
and cay that u we consent 20 the hold.
ias Of another state convention. no
matter tor Whit parpOse, that Il viii
bO the means Of aholishlns the prt
mary hat this b. not 20; the rrt
mary can Oply b abolished by .
Nar'y vote IN the primary The con.
Nent,oa could submit the qaestinn of
abohshing the pFieary u primary
vote. hnt-thcre ,,ud - lulle doubt
- - ~at - such a move.
'7au EVcRlng Newa tAlhks won 20
the Saggestlon ~ soldlrs a State con.
Ventica, and hNres that the State
executive coair,lttec wAlch BY the
Way uon. Duncan n. Rirs.her a. -