The St. Lucie County tribune. (Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Fla.) 1905-1920, 1910-01-28
PRIMARY DATE
IS MAY...10TH
The Executive Committee Names
June 9TH for Second Primary
MEETING WAS SPIRITED
Without Authority Committee Removes
Circuit Judges and State Attorneys
from S, lection by Primaries

The following account of the meeting
Of the State Democratic Executive
Committee in Jacksonville appeared in
The Times-Union Thursday.
With forty-six of the forty-sever
counties of Florida, including the new
county of Palm Beach, represented by
membership, either in person or by
proxy, the State Democratic Executive
Committee met in that city Thursday,
and selected May 10 and June 7 as the
official dates for the spring primary
election. Other salient features con-
sisted of the adoption of a resolution
eliminating the Offices of Judges of the
Circuit Courts and State attorneys in
the judicial circuits of the State from
election by the primary system, and the
adoption of a resolution providing for
a submission of the question of State
Convention to the qualified elector to
determine.
Announcement was made that rep
resentative of the new county of Palm
Beach was present, and upon motion
Hon. q. C. Butler was seated. Having
not been elected by direct vote of the
new county, Mr. Butler could not be
accorded the privilege IF voting, al
though enjoying the courtesies of the
floor. ~. -.
Gambia county, offered set OF resolu-
tiOns providing dates for the two spring
primaries, and eliminating circuit judges
and State slattorneys from the progress
of election by the primary system. or
direct vote of the people. The reading
of the clause bearing upon the manner
of electing the circuit judges and States
attorneys precipitated a spirited discus
sion, in which third or more of the
active members of the committee took
part.
The argument started when Hon.
Frank Walpole of Manatee bounty offer
ed motion striking out that clause or
section of the set OfresOutions except
ing such Offices.
Hon. M. d. Price, of Dade county,
gained the floor, and in logical and
convincing manner represented the
merits of such provision. Mr.. Price
showed that by eliminating the two
Offices from the primary system ele-
walton of the Offices above politics would
be the result. He knew of several mem
bers of the judiciary who showed hest
fancy in becoming candidates for re.
election on account of the necessity OF
an indulgence in politics by the primary
system. He suggested that the section
in question be so amended as to provide
that the candidate for each of the offices
of circuit Judge and States attorney
shall have to receive the recommends
ton of the members of the bar practic-
ing in the respective CIRCUITS; such re-
commentator to be- made to the Gov
ernbr, who shall be requested to give
his earnest consideration to same. Mr..
Price stated that the members of the
har were best qualified to judge the
ability of a person for judicial honors,
and he believed much good would accrue
from the adoption of such a course OF
electing persons to fill these two import
ant offices. -, "a 1
Hon. Gus Long, of Starke, opposed
Mr. Prices plans. He read the resolu
tiops adopted by the last Democratic
State Convention, pf0hiding for the
election of men .to.fjll ,such officers by
direct vote of the people. Z -,
Hon. W.T.. Watson Of Orlando, casually,
remarked that the resolutions referred
to had been radopted by, the largest and
most representative gathering of Dem
ocrats in the history of. the State,
and that he believed in ''stricking' to
the sentiment prevailing upon that oc-
casiOn. ga ,.se
Mr.. Price offered an amendment to /,
the motion to strike the section from
the resolution, so as to include the re !
commentator by the bar Of. persons
for such offices. His amendment was,
in substance. as follows:
That the judges and State'sattorneys
of the several ldicial circuits be noml- /
mated by a majority of the votes OF the
members of the bar.in the respective
circuits, and that the Governor in APP
pointing be guided by such recommen-
dations of the members of the bar.
This amendment lost by a viva voice
tie vote l8 to IS.
The question then required upon the
motion to amend resolution by strlcklng
the clause relating to the selection OF
circuit judges and States attorneys,
and allowing the present system to re-
main in force. This motion lost, Il
to 10.
The question then went to the orlgl-
nal motion to adopt the set of resolu-
tions fixing the dates for the primary
election and providing for the elimlna
ton of the circuit judges and States
from election by the primary
System. The motion prevailed, u to 10.
This set of resolutions is as follows:
"Be 1t resolved, That the attached
call for a Democratic State primary IL !