Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1909-08-21
THE STATE CONVENTION.
From The orlando Reporter s,ar)

(FrOm Ihe OrlandO Reporter STAR
Florida Democrats are coming ia
TO their senses. The reaction from
tie primary pure and simple seems
70 d. az hand. The convention idea
without the primary Vas a mistake
I'D because II was the Democrats Of
he State went 20 the other extreme
and voted cut the convention aIyO
gether.
Thus In the late national campaign
Florida was unique among the States
IA not having anything authoritative OF
5e7nits as an organization.
Il has been discovered that the
primary under certain wise hmIta.
lions Is a good thing. but that u
Is not sufficient In itself
We are heartily in accord with the
following able editorial from The
Tampa Tribune ON this important
quef uon:.
The sentiment in favor of a State
Demo, rati, convention increases beau.
Sifully. The weekly press has taken
up the subject with a vim and deter.
mination and such pressures Of pub
tic opinion will In due course OF time.
be brought TO bear that a convention
will be- called and the party restored.
in this State. to its proper perfec
ton OF organization and dcfniteness
OF policy and principle.
The Lake City Index expresses the
arm belief that a convention Of Demo
,Iats viii De- called next yea Edito.
,ppleyard calls attention to the fac;
that convention will have but LITTLE
~. fleet On the primary SYSTEM
Il simply tells Us where We are al
and prevents scrapping in the family.
Under present conditions there l.
practically speaking. no Democratic
party in the State OF Florida. In on.
years there Is no organization 20
speak Of ard little interest in party
affairs: aud. In primary years, the
party becomes n veritable free-for,ali
in which every member has a knife
or a brick handy for some other mem.
Der. and in which the only platform
and policy In evidence Is how to get
more votes than the other fellow and
how TO land the sWag' before the
ether fellow gets to IT,
What l. a Democrat Is. in Flor
Ida. a question without an answer
The so-called Democracy OF this State
has neither a leader nor a principle.
Every four years II succeeds In mani
testing some sort OF cohesive strength
in climbing on a platform adopted az
a national convention In which Florida
has little voice ana in supporting a
nominee Ia whom Florida has little
real Interest Within the borders of
the commonwealth. however. there is
only rivalry. factionalism. throat cut.
ting partisanship. the scramble for
/ place and pelf When the Legislature.
elected at Democratic primaries and
supposed To be actuated by Demo
cratic principles meets in biennial SEES
sion, not one member knows just what
tn" Democracy OF Florida stands for
in matters OF State policy. because
there has been no means OF express.
ing such policy The Democracy OF
Florida simply goes TO the polls and
decides whether Bill Jones or Jim
Smith shall BE- clerk OF the court OF
sheriff or member OF the Legislature
deals out the spoils. as It were. puts
some fellows In office and puts other
fellows out of Office. makes It.
marks on ballots yard LONG
and there's an end to H.
III Florida is to remain a Demo
cratic party. In the correct sense OF
the word. I: must get It's leading Dem
ocrats together In convention and
take stock II must map out a line
OF campaign and enunciate a declaTa