The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-10-28
Stand by Your
Primary Pledge.

In tie election next Tuesday it Will
be the imperative duty of every demo
crat who voted in the last primary to
vote for it's nominees, whether they
are his personal preference or not,
and even though he did what he could
to defeat them in tie primary.
II he be a conscientious democrat,
mindful of his plain party obligation,
he cannot escape doing so, for the
most cunning casuist cannot evade the
clear elements of an honest contract
in the case in which the voter has
by necessary implication pledged him.
self, in consideration of the benefits
and advantages of the primary, to
to make a mockery of the primary
system and a shameless farce of the
high privilege of self government in
the party by which each democrat,
after expressing his personal prefer
ence in the primary, yields that pref
erence if needs be and -nerges his
own will in that of the majority.
To violate this primary obligation
by voting against the nominees of the
party is to declare a principle or rule
of action. which. if carriedSinto the
business relations of life, would be
subversive off good morals and COM
merciaI integrity, and would eliminate
all conscience and truth and mutual
III
That L. what it means and nothing less
when worked out 10 it's logical result,
for it is in effect declaring that the
deliberate. violation of a plain con-
tract based upon a valid consideration
is legitimate and permissible.
The primary law was enacted at
the demand of the democratic. party
to do away with the notorious abuses
of the old convention system, which
had grown intolerable. Under taat
system the wishes of a majority 'of
the voters could be disregarded with
impunity by an irresponsible conven-
tion of appointed delegates, open to
all sorts of corrupting influences and
the domination OF denagogues and
fractional leaders, and ss3 cure these
evils the primary law Sls enacted.
Under that law the dressed pref
erence of a majority = the party in
the nomination of Candidates is reg
istered with almost automatic certain
ty and accuracy, and the very essence
of it-that which alone gives it value
lis fidelity and good faith AMI sub
mission to the will of the majority
on the part of those that vote in the
primary. If they are at liberty in the
general election to waive this strong
obligation by refusing to support the
nominees of a primary in which they
participated, the system is utterly
without value. fails completely in its
purpose and the democratic party it.
self Is set adrift, a ship abandoned,
if not seuttled by its own crew.
Every democrat in Florida who went
into the June primary and cast his
vote in that election knew perfectly
well when he did so that he was
bound in good faith TO support the
nominees of that primary whether
they were his individual preferences
or not. He knew perfectly well that
he had no moral right 10 vote in nat
primary il he did so with the mental
reservation that he would only support
the nominees in the event they were
the men of his choice And knowing
this he is bound as good democrat
and good citizen who obeys the law
to support the nominees of the. pri-
mary in the election next Tuesday.
We say las good citizen. who obeys
the law" because il is the unmistaka-
bile intent of the primary law that if
he voted in the primary he must sup
port the result in the general election
In proof of this here is the oath pre-
scribed by law, which any man, whose
right 10 vote in the primary is chal-
lenged at the polls must take before
he casts his ballot:
i do solemnly swear that l
am by the laws of the state of
Florida lawful eleetor of an
election district within
county and have paid my poll
, taxes legally due. and pledge
my honor 10 abide by and sup
port the result of such primary
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