The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-03-05
OPPOSITE OPINIONS


Gratis all over the state, and if they
do not vote in the democratic pri-1
mary it will be because they are pre-
vented" says the Ocala Star. And
they will be prevented. Why? Be
cause the law of the democratic
party in Florida distinctly and un-
equiVocary declares for white pri
maries. A negro who registers as a
democrat is certainly endowed with
sense, but sense doesn't change his
color. What is the matter with these
democratic editors who fear the
black mans control in the democrat
Ic party? Are they afraid that the
state democratic executive committee
and the several county committees
are about to betray US? A white
primary means a white primary. 1t
doesn't mean a mixed one Why
should negroes not be prevented
from voting in a democratic pri-
mary in the year of our Lord, 1914,
as well as they have been in the pre-
ceding years? The party law has
not been changed. Quit yer kiddin'
show us the law.-Palatka News.
1t is stated by the registration Of
ficers in this end of Pinellas county
that many negroes have registered
as democrats. VIII they be allowed
TO vote in the democratic primary
in June?
That is a question that is being
asked all over the state and being
answered in various ways. The
primary is intended to be and is
called white. 1t was designed to
shut the negro out as a factor in
politics and to allow the negro no
chance to influence the choice of
county Or state officials. But the ne
gro vote is desired by certain inter
~ests or men and to that end the ne
groes have been registered as dem
<ocrats and it is likely that an effort
viii be made to vote them in a So
called white primary.
This brings up the question, what
kind of a primary would it be if
some of the negroes are allowed to
Tote? 1t would seem that the word
1hite could no longer be used, and
1t would be a badly mixed primary.
The lawyers claim that under the
state law man must be registered
if he is qualified as a voter, and the
registration officer must register him
q RI Wh hn
to affiliate. IF this is the law it is
likely to cause a result that was not
intended by the trainers of the stat
ate The negro has been eliminated
long ago as a controlling factor in
politics in Florida. Nobody except
man who can use the negroes wants
them to have a voice in the choice
OF officers, and it is by no means
certain that the negroes who have
registered as democrats will be al
lowed to vote in the June primary.
st. Petersburg Independent.
Sorry to have to say it, but our st.
Petersburg contemporary, the editor
of whom has been in Florida only a
few years, takes a more practical
view of the matter than the News.
The primary to be held in June is
greatly different from those that
have been held in Florida heretofore
Our previous primaries have been
for democrats only and were strictly
party affairs.
The state controlled primary is
one in which all parties may take
part OF course, each party is to
vote only for its own candidates, and
at this writing it does not look like
any but the democrats will enter the
primary; however, the others may
If they desire to.
AS for the negroes voting, under
the law negro may vote as a dem
ocrat unless he is challenged, and il
he is challenged he may still vote
IS democrat, if he takes the neces
sary oath. Some twenty or twenty
five negroes have registered as dem
ocrats in Marion county; and, &C
fstered, or tried to register, as dem
ocrats in Putnam. According to tn,
Independent, which is on the ground
aad should know, number hav,
registered in Pinellas. This is tn
thin edge of the wedge some of then
hope to drive.
The Star is not afraid, and hasn'
said it was afraid, that negroe
would obtain control of the demo