The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-01-20

cent resolution adopted by the State
Democratic Committee prescribing
the test of a Democrat to vote in
the June primary:
You say the resolution applies a
religious test. Let US see il it does.
The fourth condition prescribed is
that voter will not be influenced
for OF against any candidate by any
religious test, which is exactly con-
trary to your Interpretation. AS l
understand it, that requirement
means that a voter should not vote
for candidate because of his relig-
ious belief, denomination or sect. 1t
means that a Catholic will not vote
for Catholic, because of his relig-
ion. 1t means that Catholic will
not vote against a Protestant, be-
cause of the Catholics religion. In
means that a Protestant will not
vote for a Protestant, because of his
religion. 1t means that Protestant
Will uOl NotC d6diuol q SdtIOllC, DC-
cause of the Catholi's religion. In
other words, 1t means what it says,
that a voter will not vote either for
or against a candidate. because of
the candidates religious belief.
The fifth condition prescribed is
that a voter in the coming primary
shall not belong to secret political
organization, which will approve of
the voters action in refusing to sup
port candidate in whose nomina-
tion the voter has participated. AS
understand this fifth provision for
voting in the primary, the State
Democratic executive committee
availed itself of the privilege given
it by law, of determining the terms
and conditions upon which legal
electors should be considered proper
members of the Democratic party.
it is indefensible and intolerable
that secret political organizations,
whether claiming to be Catholic or
Protestant, Jew or Gentle, should
undertake to prescribe Democratic
candidates or electors. l suppose a
Democrat cannot very well find
fault with the third condition of this
resolution, to the effect that he in
tends in good faitl. to support the
nominees of tha party. And yet,
if you grant that THIS is good Demo
cratic doctrine, how can you toler-
ate secret crsaI.aation which
would advise it, members in secret
session to knife democratic car
diGate? Politiea: organizations
ought not to be secret A fraternal
or benevolent eocis.v. MOI dca!iu,,
with politics, may be so without sub
,ecting itself to adverse criticism
but when an organization enters the
political field, where it has to deal
with the peoples Offices, its objects
and purposes should be publicly pro-
claimed and universally known.
understand that Democrats can
not join these secret political or
CARNATIONS, except upon invitation,
which might be. and probably is ex-
tended only upon a unanimous vote,
or nearly SO, by those who arc al
ready members. If this be so, then
we have this condition, that some
men who intend to vote in the pri-
mary for certain candidates and
against others, are unwilling to let
other Democrats know the purposes
of their organization, or the reasons
which control them.
All Democrats ought to go into the
primary on equal terms. But how
can they do so. if some of the Sc
,cretly organize to nominate one can
didate and defeat another candid
ate? Who can defend the injustice
of permitting the members Of secret
organizations to participate in the
primary, and then not be bound tC
support the nominees. unless they
were endorsed by the secret organiza
tions?
You ask me for my views as tt
the propriety of the Democratic exc
cutiye committee injecting a relig
ious issue into the primary. 1 woult
object to that, but they have no
done so. They have done their leve
best to keep a religious test out o
the primary. The resolution car
convey no other meaning to an hon
est mind 1t is too we'll known fol
discussion that there are at leas
some members of a secret politica
organization who have publicly an
lnounced their intention to do tn,
things forbidden by this resolution
In think the state committee did ;
wise, a patriotic, and manly thing
when they said that the Democrati
party will not allow itself to be use'
as a medium to carry out the pur
poses of secret political organiza
tions 1t may be that some other pc
litical party would approve of sucl
tactics as are involved in secret pc
litical organizations, but the Demo
cratic party never has, and | trus
never will. Secret political order
have tried to control politics be
fore. They never have succeeded