The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-02-08
THE COMMITTEE
Is NOT THE PARTY.
miami News-Record.)


The Tampa Tribune, usually one of
the soundest and most reasonable pa
pers in the state, takes the astOnish-
ing position that the state Democratic
executive committee is the authority
of the party and that it can call prim-
airy elections or not as it sees fit; that
it can leave off one set of men from
the ticket or all if in its pleasure it de-
sires to do so.
1t bases its claim upon section 225
of the revised statutes, which gives
authority to any party to hold prim-
airy and have it conducted conform
able to law, whenever the executive
or standing committee of that party
shall decide to hold a primary for
nominating candidates.
The Tribune confuses the source of
power with the instrument used to ex-
ert that power.
The Democrats of Florida have dele
gated certain powers to their party
executive committee. Within the Iimi-
tations of that delegated power the
committee is supreme while its mem
bers hold office. But it's actions may
be changed, modified or annulled by
! the party. and even the committee it.
self NAV be abolished.
The Democratic party has said in
unmistakable terms that il desired to
| select all its candidates by the prin-
! airy system.
| It has gore so far as to REQUIRE a
| pledge from its own candidate for gov
| erDOr that he would, If eletced. make
appointments only of those who had
| been selected by a primary, where
such an election had been held
| Furthermore, it requires every can
! didate for the Legislature to pledge
| himself to vote in that body for the
candidate for United States senator
! who has already been selected by a
| primary Of the party.
! The executive committee has no
| powers not given to it by the par
! ty.
! The party having settled its pol
| lev as to the manner Of selecting can
| djdates. the executive committee usur-
| ped powers not given to t when it
| presumed to declare that certain Of
| ficers should rot be recommended 20
| the governor for anDOintment by the
| members of the party.
! i matters not that a majority of
! the committee deemed it an unwisa
| and unidentified policy to subject a
| candidate for a judgship to the neces-
| sity of soliciting votes from the pe0-
! ple. The party at large has declared
! that all candidates shall go before the
voter and his qualifications be pass
| ed upon by his fellow citizens.
| That declaration has been reversed
! bv the committee, and the reversal
was made without the slightest init
| nation from the party that it had re-
| coded from its position.
| AS has been said. and as the Trib-
! ure comedies. if the committee can
! Of its own motion omit one officer
/ from the list. it can omit all. It can
! refuse to call a primary at all if it
/ so desires.
| But when It has carried its usurpa-
! ton to that point it will find that
there is a great party vet to be reck-
| oned with that will not hesitate TO
sweep the dere1ict committee out ~
| evistence and select men to conduct
| ITS affairs who will not assume that
| thew are the whole party
| The committee is merely a conven-
lent instrument of the party and is
| not the marty itself.