The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-02
LETTERS TO EDITOR
Primary Elections

To the Editor of The Age-Herald:
In the outset II may be we'll to state
that the primary election law of 1911 is
intended to follow and conform to the
general election law of the state; like the
general law it provides that the expenses
of the election shall be paid by the
counties of the state and not by the can
didates for office. thus making the pri-
mary election expensive TO the tax
PAYERS the general election. The party
receiving the plurality of votes in the
state election gets the office, and as the
primary law is to conform to the gem
eral law this should be the rule in all
primary elections unless the executive
committee of the party orders a secord
primary, with the ulterior purpose of Civ
| ing the nomination to the person wi h
| ability to defray the expenses of such
law should settle the question o. second
primary as there can be no reasonable
contention that a different rule should
prevail in nominating election from
that which obtains in the election which
confers the office.
| The primary law was made for the
benefit of every political faction or party
| in the state, ana not for the political
advantage of any one party
1t should be considered and acted upon
| from this viewpoint and not for the p,,r-
pose of overreaching or overriding the
wishes of the people and thereby OBJ
tanning what must in the end be a tenn
porary advantage for the party holding
the election.
primary election as defined by the
| statute is: "An election held by qualified
voters who are members of any political
party for the purpose of NOMINATING; a
| candidate or candidates for public o.
fce.' Remembering that the primary law
| is intended so far as possible to conform
with the general law. this definition
should be conclusive as to two questions
| viz AS to who can vote in such elections,
| and the authority of the executive COM
mittee of the party holding such primary
! election. The law is that only qualified
voters, who are members of the party
| holding the election can vote therein, and
| therefore the executive committee of the
political party holding the election can
| prescribe no rules or qualifications as to
who shall participate in such elections
! other than that they shall be those belong
! quently there is no such thing as put
ting up the bars" except as to mem
| bers of the party holding the election, as
such executive committee can make nc
4 rules or regulations permitting members
of other parties to vote.
| If democratic primary election is to
be held In Alabama, for the nomination
of state and county officers, my con-
| tentlon is that only democrats can vote
| in such election, and that the executive
| committee of the democratic party has
no authority to permit any person t.
vote in such election who is not a auali-
| fled voter and a member OF that party
The mattSr to be considered then is to
| ascertainEvho are members of the DEM
The ~ finds out who can vote by
having Registration of ali qualified
voters, abd no person can vote in cny
general afeetion who is not registered.
| 1t is then the plain duty of the execu-
\ tive committee of the democratic PARTY
TO order an enrolment or registration
of the democratic voters of the state. tc
| should one be ordered.
| The law provides for such enrolment
| and registration, the counties pay the
! expenses and when made only those who
are enrolled can vote. In other states
having primary election law no person
cdl Nott Ol even cUtT IOf OItlct In Sucn
election unless he is registered as a men,
| Ter of the party before such election,
end the same rule should obtain in Ala
ba ma.
II the democratic party is the only po-
liricai party in the state and other parties
are mere negligible quantities. then no
primary election is necessary and the peo.
pie should not be burdened or annoyed
| with it. but If such other parties are to
| be considered the executive commit ae
of the democratic party should order IN
| enrolment of democrats and prescribe
such rules and regulations for such en-
rolled voters they may deem proper
i Certainly no man who is democrat will
| object to making a public declaration Of
! bis party affiliation by such registration
and one who refuses SO to do should nGi
| be and is not by law permitted to veto
| In such election. .
| WILLIAM Il. SKEGGS.
Decatur, December 81. 1919.