The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-11-11
FRIEND Of
THE FARMERS
Primary Law Amended at Tram
meIFs Request to Give a Square
Deal to Country Precicts


Jacksonville, Nov. 11.-In an in
terview yesterday with a Metropolis
reporter, Governor Park Trammell
gave the following reasons for the
amendments to the Bryan primary
law that require registration officers
to be employed sixty days in each
precinct this year, and thirty days
each year after. The governor said:
Il plead guilty to at least partially
being responsible for the amendment
to the Bryan primary law providing
for the registration books to lie open
in each Of the voting precincts for
two motnhs preceding the primary of
1914, and for the books to open for
one month in each voting precinct
preceding each general primary cleo
tion thereafter. | did prepare this
amendment. and advocated it's adop-
tion by the legislature. It was adopt
ed by a majority OF over two-thirds
of the members OF the House, al
though it was opposed by the mem
bers having Senator Bryan's bill in
charge.
Il also prepared an amendment to
the measure providing that after the
new and complete registration il
1914, that registration should not be
required every two years thereafter
by the voters who properly register
ed in 1914, except in the large cities.
1t being provided in this amendment
for a transfer from one political
party to another il the person desir-
ing the transfer made application for
the transfer at least ninety days
prior to a general primary. This
amendment was voted for by good
majority of the members of the
House, but failed of adoption on &C
count of two-thirds vote being nee
essary.
4 have no apology to offer for my
part in connection with either of
these amendments. | believed when
the legislature was in session, and /
am still of the opinion now, that
these two amendments were desira-
BILE.
The Bryan primary measure, as
originally prepared and introduced
in the legislature, only required that
the registration officer should open
the registration book for as much as
one day in each election precinct be-
tween November 1 and December
and that from January 1 to May 1
the books should be open at the
county seat. AS originally introduc
ed, the measure prescribed only on'
registration book and duplicate
thereof for the entire county. tt
register the voter had to write hi
name in this book at the time o
his registration, therefore making i
impossible for registration to be car
ried on in more than one precinct o1
the same day.
1T was my opinion that the meas
ure did not afford reasonable oppor
tunity fer convenient and ineXpens
i've registration to those living i
election precincts other than those i
which the court houses were located
The citizen who happened to live 4
the county seat or near by hal rea
sonable opportunity for convenier
and inexpensive registration for fou
months. On the other hand. NJ
Bryan's measure only required tn
registration book 10 e oDen Tor :
much as one day. n the precinc
throughout the county. and this on1
during November and December. fl
or six months before the primary.
other words. citizen 10 register
his own precinct must register c
such day in November or Decemb'
as the registration officer designate
or else be forced TO lose the time al
pay the expense OF the trip from h