The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-02-09
Violated Law.

state Democratic executive commit
tee, Governor Gilchrist points out the
mistakes said committee has made in
call for a primary election. The
governor notified the committee,
through the chairman, that the prim-
airy law has been violated, and that
said committee most emphatcally
transcribed its legal authority.-De-
Land Record.
The Committees Errors.
The Democratic state executive
committee, at their recent meeting In
Jacksonville. appear to have under
taken to emulate the Florida leglsla-
which they ought to have done and
in doing those things which they
ought not to have done. For one
thing, they left the candidates. for
United States senator "out in the
cold'-omitted them from the prim-
airy, and now those eminent aspirants
are doubtless standing around with
their mouths agape and wondering
where they are at" They don't
know whether to continue election
eering with the dear people or to
address their Establishments to those
influential, but incompetent gentle
men who are likely to contribute by
their membership to the disgrace of
the next legislature. If they spend
the next several months in attempting
to cajole the people for votes only to
find in the end that their fate rests
exclusively in the hands and rapacity
of a heartless as we'll as incapable
Legislature, it will be a sad case of
loves labor lost" as well as consid-
cradle cash.
If, on the other hand, the candi-
dates for senator, deluded by the be-
lief that the executive committee in
tended to subject them to the tender
mercies and mercenaries of the legis-
lature, thus saving them from the
statewide graft alleged to bourgeon
and blossom in the primaries-if the
candidates believe this and proceed
to ignore the people and to court
prospective legislators, they may
wake up in November only to find that
the wrong fellows, as usual have
been elected to the legislature.
The only exit, so to speak, from this
dilemma, in The Herald's humble
opinion, is for the senatorial candi-
dates to hold an Indignation meeting
and adopt resolutions demanding that
the executive committee re-assemble
at once and open the doors of the
primaries for them.
The committee rescued the circuit
| judges and states attorneys from the
humiliation of asking the people for
| votes, which is all right but the in
| timatiOn that the lawyers of the vari-
Gus counties are the proper and most
! competent persons to choose our
| judicial officers is an insult to the
| intelligence and an outrage upon the
| rights OF the merchants and others
who support both the courts and the
| lawyers. All the brains and honesty
of the commonwealth are not mo.
nopoliZed by the lawyers. We should
| think, though, that the lawyers would
| not like to be embarrassed by having
| to choose between rival aspirants and
would be glad to leave the decision
| solely to the governor. who usually
| has no axe to grind or favors to
| seek.
| Another thing which the commit
! tee did which is Objectionable was tC
require candidates for state auditor
| to run in the primaries. The OBJ
| lection to this is that it makes the
| present incumbent of the Office vir.
| tually impregnable. His duties bring
| him in intimate contact with the
! county officers of every county, the
moral effect of which is evident. Tho
| officers in combination can direct the
votes of their counties; and if any
| of their books show errors or dis
| crepancies, they, being human, vii
| be tempted to support the auditor III
return for any leniency he may show
| them. And he in turn may be tempt
| ed to wink at irregularities for the
sake of the. influence that he may
| gain. At the same time, while he
is examining the books of the county
officers and ingratiating himself II
! their favor, the state is paying his no
| tel bills and railroad fare. This is
all right, but it puts his competitor
| for the nomination at a great disad
vantage. for the latter must pay his
! travelling expenses out of his owl
| pocket, and these will amount to a:
much as the salary of the office fol
two or more years.
We said it is all right for a mar
who is travelling at the states ex
pense to electioneer for himself (o1
for a friend, for that matter) and it i.
all right, provided that he does not ne
glect his official duties. 1t is Otter
the case that, when he gets through
with his work. he has to wait six tt
twelve hours for train to go to his
next place, in which case it is per
fectly legitimate for him to use tina
spare time for his own benefit.
It should also be said that the pres
ent state auditor is a thoroughly com
netent official Maybe it was for thi
reason that his friend, the Journalistic
cavalier of the Pensacola News, ha'
him included in the primaries, il
which only man of means and state
wide fame and influence can defea
him. But It is not right to give on
man such a great advantage owe
all others who may aspire.
The governor approves of the aud