Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1912-01-29
FOR 4 PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY
The Peoples Rule League Will Fur
nlsh Blanks and Present Petl-
tions to State Committee.
To the Editor of The Bryan Eagle:

To the Editor of The Bryan Eagle:
There has been considerable discus
sion pro and con of the ACCESSIBILITY of
holding presidential primary in
Texas. Under the law as it is written
(section 1879, Terrell election law the
only legal way to select delegates to
the national convention Is for the pri-
mary convention to be held on the
first Saturday in May 10 select dele
gates to a county convention to be
held on the following Saturday and
the county convention to elect dele
gates to the state convention which
meets on the fourth Tuesday in May
to elect delegates to the national con-
vention. This is the plain mandate
of the law. Under section 140 of the
election law is full and complete au-
thority for 10 per cent of the demo-
cratic voters in any county or precinct
to demand that the names of the sew
eral candidates for president be print
ed on the primary ballot and that each
voter be given the right to vote his
choice for that office and the delegates
elected at such primary or primary
convention will be considered instruct.
ed to vote as majority of the voters
desire. While it has been contended
by some high in authority that this
provision of the election can be util-
lied to force a statewide primary, yet
a careful reading of the law does not
justify that construction. | wrote it in
the law and did not have the state
wide plan in mind. But four years ago,
by unanimous agreement as it were,
a primary was held for the election
Of delegates at large and it has been
thought that If sufficient number of
democrats would petition the state
committee to order a statewide pri-
mary to instruct the delegates, if not
to elect them, that the committee
would no doubt see its way clear to
order the primary if the expenses
could be arranged for. To the end
that concerted action might be had,
the organization which represent, the
Peoples Rule (Democratic) League,
has undertaken to print and circulate
petitions asking the state committee
to order a presidential primary. The
supply to date has far exceeded the
demand. So we have plenty to send
to all who want them if they but en-.
close self-addressed stamped envel-
ope. We have no funds to pay postage
and clerk hire. We believe that per-
haps as many as 100000 democrats in
the state have had an opportunity to
send for these petitions since the an
nouncement was printed in probably
$50 papers in the state. These petit
lions read as follows:
ITO the Honorable State Democratic
Committee
I'VE, the undersigned democrats,
being qualified voters of the county
of .............. and state of Texas,
do most respectfully request that your
honorable body provide for a presi-
Dental preference primary for the
purpose of determining the choice of
democrats for the democratic nomi-
nation for president. And that your
committee prescribe such rules and
regulations as in your judgment will
secure fair and free expression of
the democratic voters of Texas. AS in
duty bound we shall ever pray"
To this should be attached an aft
davit showing that each name signed
is democrat and legal voter Those
who prefer to can copy this petition
and get as many signers as possible
and send to me and when the state
committee meets | will present them |
to the committee. / desire to ada that
II the people really want a presiden.
tial primary they must get busy in the
circulation of these petitions. The
state committee will not and should |
not be expected to change the past |
way Of doing things unless the demo |
cratic voters show that they want a
change. Besides this the means must |
be supplied. Anyone interested in the
matter should address me at Mart,
Texas. A. VI. KENNEDY.