The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1914-05-01
SENATOR BRYAN STATES AN I'M
PORTANT MATTER

Washington, w. c., April %, 1914.
To the Editor Ocala Banner.
The election of members of the
state, congressional and county execu-
tive committees is provided for by
section of the Primary Law of 1913,
and is of so much Importance that
trust the papers of the state will point
out that it is very desirable, from
party standpoint, that members be
elected in the June primary.
The state committee is required to
be made up of one member from each
county, and the congressional COM
mittee of one member from each
county in the congressional district,
and the county committee of one
member from each election district or
precinct. OF course these are largely
honorary positions, but not to the ex-
tent suggested by some of the papers.
1t is true that the election will not
hereafter be held by the committees
but, aside from this, they have all the
powers heretofore enjoyed. Good men
will be required upon these commit
tees as much as ever, and for the fol
lowing reasons:
1. In the first place, Section Is of
the act enables the state committee
to declare the terms and conditions
on which voters may be members of
any political party. This is a special
ly important provision for the demo
cratic party, in view of the race
problem.
2. These committees are authoriz-
ed to levy assessments upon candi-
dates of not exceeding 2 per cent. for
the purpose of meeting legitimate
party expenses and maintaining party
organization" This is also an i'm
portant matter 1t may very easily
happen that opposition to candidates
of the democratic party, for instance,
may be such in a given county, as to
render necessary united and official
SUPPORT. l believe it would be a good
plan for executive committees to as
sist the candidates in providing meet
ings for the public discussion of the
issues always arising in a campaign.
3. 1t has been the custom of gov
errors, in recent years, to call upon
committees for recommendation
where vacancies have occurred. If that
policy shall obtain hereafter, it is in
the interest of the people to have re-
liable men on the various executive
committees.
The primary act requires the nomi-
nation of officers to be elected by the
people, but it leaves discretionary
with the state executive committee
the selection of national committee
man, delegate to national conventions,
and direct nomination OF president
and vice president, and also leaves
to tie discretion of the state COM
mittee the question of whether state
officers appointed by the governor
shall be nominated. Judges of the cir
cult court, criminal courts of record,
state attorneys, county solicitors, and,
perhaps, other officials of Importance,
will be nominated or not in primary
elections, in the discretion of the
state executive committee
Surely these matters are of great
Importance to the people, and mem
bers of these committees will render
valuable service to their party, and to
the state, congressional districts, and
counties as well.
The fact that the holding of the
election, the fixing of the date, and
the paying of expenses is otherwise
provided for, ought to be relief to
the executive committeeman, and the
fact that hereafter, they will only be
called upon to shape the larger poll
cies of their party will, | believe, if
the matter is understood, serve to at
tract rather than repeal service upon
the committees.
Yours very truly,
n. p. BRYAN.