The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-11-12
GOVERNOR GIVES
! REASONS FOR
CHANGES N LAW
ISSUES STATEMENT RELATIVE
TO CERTAIN CHANGES MADE
IN PRIMARY LAW
Gives Reasons for Amend rent Pro.
viding for the 0,ening of
Registration Books


Tallahassee, Fla. Nov. 12.-Gov.
ernor Park Trammell, In reply to an
article recently in the Jacksonville
Metropolis, relative to certain ce the
chan es made in the Brvan primary
law, issues statement as follows:
81 plead guilty to at least partially
being responsible for the amendment
to the Bryan primary law providing
FOR the registration books to be open
In each Of the voting precincts for
two months preceding the primary OF
1914, and for the books to be open
for one month in each voting pre-.
nct preceding each general primary
election thereafter. I did prepare
this amendment and advocated its
adoption by the lie islature. 1t was
adopted by a majority of over two
thirds of the members of the House,
althoueh 1t was opposed by the mem
bers having Senator Bryan's bill In
charge.
81 also prepared an amendment to
the measure providing that after the
new and complete registration In
1914, that registration should not b..
required every two years thereafter
by the voters who properly registered
in 1914, except in the lar"e cities.
1t being provided in this amendment
for transfer from one political par
ty to another If the person desiring
the transfer maNe application for
the transfer at least ninety days
prior to a general primary. This
was voted for by good
of the members of the
House, but failed Of adoption on ac-
count of a two thirds vote being nec-
essary.
81 have no apology to offer for my
part In connection with either OF
these amendments. believed when
the LEGISLATURE was in session, and I
nm still Of the opinion now, that
fhese two amendments were desir-
lble.
"The Bryan primary measure az
originally prepared and introduced
n the LEGISLATURE. only required that
he registration officer should omen
he registration book for as much as
me day. In each election precinct be.
ween Nov. I, and Dec. 81, and that
rom Jan. to May 1, the books
should be open at the county seat.
vs. originally introduced, the meas.
ire prescribed only one registration
,ook and duplicate thereof for the
'ntire county. To register the voter
,ad to write his name in this book
It the time Of his registration, there.
ore making It impossible for regis.
ration to be carried on in more than
me precinct on the same day.
ut was my opinion that the meas
ire did not afford reasonable oppor.
unity for convenient and inexpen-
I've registration to those living in
lection precincts other than those
n which the court houses were To-
ated. The citizen who happened to
i've at the county seat or near by,
lad reasonable opportunity for con-
enient and inexpensive registration
or four months. On the other hand
1r. Bryan's measure only required
he registration bo'k ~ b,. nren for
s much as one fa-. - e precincts
trou? hout the county, and this only
uring November and December, five
nd six months before the primary.
n other words a citizen to REGISTER
n his own precinct must REGISTER on
uch day in November or December
s the registration officer designates,
r else be forced to lose the time and
ay the expense of the trip from his
ome precinct to REGISTER at the
ounty seat some time between JAM,
and May l.
Thinking a measure which In its
peration would work such discrimi.
ation AGAINST the voters who did
ot live In. or near the county seat
owns was all wrong, prepared the
mendment which now gives a per.
on opportunity to register in his
wn precinct any time during the
Month of January or February.
"The man who lives in a precinct
en-, fifteen, twenty or twenty-five
niles from TIE court house. helps to
ay the expenses of carrying on reg
stration just as much as the man
'ho lives at or near the county seat.