The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1912-10-18
THE BULL MOOSE PROTEST

the progressive party of Florida will
be. in relation to the certifcation of
nominees of the democratic party for
the general election, is a question
that only time will decide. The lead
ers of the progressives have made
their protest in nearly every county
OF the state, declaring that the law
requiring certifcation of all nominees
for state onces to the secretary of
state sixty days prior to the general
election has never been complied
with.
Further than that, it is avowed that
under the law it was the duty of the
canvassing committee of the state
democratic party to certify to the
vote of the last primary following the
canvass, but that the canvassing COM
mittee disbanded without performing
that duty They also declare that
Chairman Fearnside of the democrat
ic executive committee has no legal
right to certify TO the nominees chos-
en- at the democratic primaries, mas
much as his official duties did not
commence until after the vote was
canvassed
The protest will be looked upon as
a mere attempt to raise a legal tech
nicality such as have developed in
nearly every general election of past
years, and that in reality the protest
carries no weight Such a view is
too optimistic, considering the many
changes that take place from year to
year, both in the management of po-
ltical questions and the construction
the judges may put on new PROPOSE
tons.
Whatever may be said we must not
overlook the fact that there was an
error committed or permitted. The
law reads plainly that a certificate
must be filed with the secretary OF
state sixty days prior to the election.
We also know that no certificate was
filed in conformity with that law, as
letters from the attorney general to
the secretary of state will show. 1t
is a plain case of someone's blunder.
Whether the blunder will prove de-
CITY ~ in in hic
state remains a question that the
courts will perhaps have to solve.
Here, then, is another example of
laxity on the part of our party lead
ers They should have known the
requirements of the law and should
have been keenly alive to the neces-
sity of following the statutes TO the
letter. The most trivial requirement
as laid down in the laws governing
elections demands obeyance if we are
to be free of these frequent protests
and legal controversies. The grave
danger in an election is that demo
cratic success might be nipped in the
bud, should the vote be close between
presidential candidates. The pro-
gressive leaders, in event that Roose-
welt needed but six electoral votes,
would concentrate the whole force of
their powers on Florida. and the
question of obeying the laws of this
state would be threshed out to al
minute end
1t is too late now to correct the
mistake. if any has been made, but
the lesson stands for the future, and
it teaches this: That the men chosen
TO lead the democratic party in Flor
ida must make a deeper study of their
duties, and must pay a closer atten-
ton to the laws governing the state
elections. We hope that the protest
filed today with the county commits
sioners will amount to nothing in the
end, but we regret that such an open
ing was left to attack the democratic
ticket of the state. -JacksOnville Me- |