The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-03-29
Another Arrogant
Assumption of Authority.

In q circular letter issued to county
chairmen and published elsewhere in
The Journal this morning, Chairman
w. H. Price Of the state democratic
executive committee makes the yelled
threat that IL county committees in
cfude the offices of circuit Judge and
state attorney on the primary ballots,
the state committee may refuse to
canvass the returns even on the other
candidates from such counties.
To reinforce his position, Chairman
Price quotes from the rules made by
the present state committee which pro-
vide that on these ballots there shall
be printed only the names Of such can
didates for Office" ETC.. as may be oer-
tilted by the chairmen Of the state and
congressional committees.
Has there ever been In Florida a
more arrogant assumption of authority
than that by which Chairman Price
and his state committee are now at
tempting to throttle the desires OF the
democrats of this state?
Not content with eliminating the Of
fees Of circuit Judge and state attor-
ney from the primary. so far as certi-
flying any returns for those Offices are
concerned, Chairman Price now seeks
to dictate to the county committees on
all the rest of the offices. Put these
circuit Judge and state attorney candi-
dates names on the ballots" says he
In effect, land we will not certify the
Jeturns on any Of the other candidates
which would otherwise be lawfully on
A ticket"
Ms readily conceded that the coun-
ty committees are bound to include on
the ballot all of the offices named by
the state committee. It is admitted
that the state committee has the right
to say what offices the county commit
tees shall print on the ballot, but by
what right does Chairman Price or
the state committee assume to say
that the county committees shall not
take the sense of the democrats of the
respective counties on any other office
not named by the state committee?
No previous state committee or
state chairman has ever attempted to
do that. No other state committee or
state chairman has ever assumed to
dictate to the counties what they
should do or should not do on ques-
tons not Included in the state primary
call. NO other committee or chair
man ever attempted to restrict the &C
ton OF the counties to only such of
fees as we're designated by the state
committee.
Chairman Price may be able to
make his threat effective in some
counties but, unless We are greatly
mistaken, he will not do so in Escam-
bia county. This county is going to
take the sense of the democrats of the
county as to whom they want for cir
cult judge. These democrats are
going to vote on the question in the
coming primary. The county commit.
tee is going to certify the result to the
governor direct. The county commit
tee is also going to certify to Chair
man Price the result of the vote on
the state Offices named by his COM
mittee. Neither he nor his committee
can prevent the county committee
from taking either or both OF these
actions.
Now IL Chairman Price maintains
that his committee will not receive or
certify the vote Of this county, which
has been regularly certified UP to him
by the Escambia county committee, he
is assuming a position dangerous in
deed to democratic policy and as IN
warranted and unusual as it is dan
gerous.