The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-05-24
MILTON SENDS
OPEN LETTER
TO CANDIDATES
SUGGESTS THAT ALL cANDI-
DATES FOR GOVERNOR TAKE
SPACE IN A BOOKLET AND
PLACE THEIR CANDIDACY az.
FORE THE VOTERS BY THIS
MEANS.
Mariana, Fla. May 2s, 1911.
To the Various Democratic Candidates
for the Office Of Hnvar,oo,. - ~ =

state or Florida.
Gentlemen: In Oregon there is a.
law which requires that the secretary
Of state shall prepare and mali to
every registered voter a campaign
booklet before each general primary
election. In this campaign booklet
each candidate may purchase space
| and therein set forth his claims, his
PLATFORM etc. the money so derived to
De used to reimburse the state treas
ury for the expense incurred In pre-
pairing and mailing the booklets.
Inc chief objection to the primary
system is, that 1t is so expensive that
the man of average means cannot
carry his case to the voters, so that
the man who has an abundance of
money at his command has a tremen-
dous advantage Nevertheless the
primary system OF making nomina-
tons is 50 good in so many WAYS that
1t Is not likely to be abandoned when
once tried. The Oregon Plan" as it
Is generally called, was devised to
meet this objection Under this plan
every candidate is placed upon equal
terms with every other candidate. so
far as thorough presentation of his
candidacy is concerned, and this pre-
sentatlon can be had for a moderate
outlay.
In Florida we have no law similar to
the oregon law, nor is 1t likely that
the present legislature will enact such
a law, although there has been some
agitation tending in that direction. II
mas occurred to me. however, that, in
the absence Of a law of the kind here
referred to, the various Democratic
candidates for the Office of governor of
FLORIDA might very conveniently, and
with immense advantage, adopt this
cooperative plan among themselves.
with this brief preface, I respect
rully invite each Of you gentlemen to
cooperate with me under the follow
Ing plan: All the candidates to con-
tribute to joint fund for the purpose
or getting accurate lists of the regis
tered white voters, of printing and
mailing joint booklet setting forth
the claims and platform of each can
d1date separately, including half-tone
cuts and other illustrations, and for
the incidental expenses attendant upon
the carrying out Of this plan. My idea
is that space in the booklet should be
| allotted to each candidate in the same
order as his name will appear upon the
official ballot, and that each candidate
snail use as much space as he deems
necessary to the proper placing of his
candidacy before the voters. Each can
| d1date would be at liberty to supple
| ment this general mailing of pam
phlets by sending out such letters.
| either written or autographed, as he
might deem necessary, but I think It
ought tok be agreed that no candidate
should send out any additional book
let's or printed circulars, without first
giving each of the other candidates ten
| days notice of his intention to do so
! and inviting each to join In the prepa-
ration or the proposed booklet or cir
cular upon the same terms as govern
/ first booklet
The advantages Of this co-operatfve
4 \
or the candidates must If he enters
the race with any hope of success,
make some kind of q general mailing
| OF literature to all the voters. There
are approximately eighty thousand
registered white voters IN the state
ana to prepare and procure accurate
| lists of these with their postofice ad-
| dresses, will cost about a thousand
dollars. The printing of the requisite
number OF folders or booklets will cost
at least two thousand dollars, incIud-
Ing the covers. And the clerical as
sfstance required to expeditiously adj
dress and mail this enormous volume
| Of literature will cost something like
another thousand dollars. In addition
TO these expenses, the postage must be
paid, and this item will amount to
sixteen hundred dollars The items
| here enumerated amount to five thou
| sand six hundred dollars. Some of the
think they are all approximately cor
rect. But let us say that the total
| cost will be five thousand dollars. I'm
der the plan have outlined, the en-
tire cost will not exceed seven thou
sand five hundred dollars. II five can
oldates should cooperate, the cost to
each would only be fifteen hundred
| dollars, thus erecting saving OF thir-
ty-five hundred dollars to each, and at
the same time placing his case before
the voters in an attractive. novel and
compact form which would insure
their careful consideration. Seventeen
thousand five hundred dollars would
thus be saved to the men who partici-
pate in the campaign.
The consideration such a booklet
would receive, would promote the prin-
cipal object of the primary system: a
well considered selection by the people
of. the candidate whom they think
would best serve them as governor
In addition to the enormous saving
OF money, such a cooperative plan
would be a precedent which would al
ways be followed SO long as we retain
the primary system, thus opening a
door of hope and aspiration to men
successful campaign. Under the pres
ent condition of affairs, a man who
aspires to state or national Office must
have at least five thousand dollars in
order to get one printed statement of
his case before the voters, to say
nothing of the great number of other
expenses to be met. My plan saves
him thirty five hundred dollars of this
amount, with which to write letters,
pay travelling expenses, etc. In fact
under the plan suggested a candidate
can send his printed message to each
of the voters write several thousand
letters, and make thorough personal
canvass Of the state, at an expense no
greater than is now required to send
his pritned message.
After the general mailing of the
booklet, the lists Of voters would be at
the command of the candidates. or
their campaign managers, for use In
mailing letters, so that the initial
outlay for these lists would be all that
would be required.
Assuring you that Will await with
interest your decision in this matter.
and that / VIII highly appreciate your