The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1917-07-31
LEGISLATURE APPROVES
COUN TY UNIT SYSTEM
BILL AIMED AT "BOSSISM" IN
CONVENTIONS GIVEN LARGE
MAJORITY IN HOUSE.
STEAM ROLLER WILL BE
THROWN In THE JUNK PILE

SSSOhU FAmdry is PROVIDED + or IN
Event No Candidate For Governor
Or United States Senate Receives
a Sufficient Majority.
BY vote of 112 to 40 the lower
house of the legislature has passed
the Neill primary bill, which was
passed by the general assembly dur
ing the gubernatorial campaign last
year and was vetoed by Governor
Harris. AS the bill was one of the
issues on which Governor Dorsey was
elected, all that it needs now to be-
come law is senate action. Friends
OF the measure have every assurance
that it will pass that body with as
large a majority, proportionately, as
it had in the house.
The bill writes into Law the county
unit system in operating party pri-
maries, system which has long been
IN force as a party rule by the action
of the state executive committee. 1t
further provides for second pri-
mary in the case Of elections for gov
ernor and United States senators,
where no candidate has a majority
of the county unit votes in the first
primary.
County Pays For Second Primary
The expenses of the second pri-
mary are to be borne by the counties
and only the two candidates receiv-
ing the highest number of votes in
the first primary. In the case of Off
GERS other than governor and United
States senator the candidate receiv-
ing the highest number of county
unit votes in the primary, whether it
be a majority or not, shall be de-
clared the nominee.
Mr. Neill, of Muscogee, author of
the BILL was the first to take the
floor in its behalf after the measure
and amendments approved by the
committee which reported it had
been read. Mr.. Neill said that it was
not proposed to abolish party con-
ventions, but merely to take from
conventions the right to name condi-
dates for state offices, a right which
belonged to the people.
when you nominate a candidate
by convention" he said, what as
surance have the people who vote for
the candidate that the convention
delegates will vote for him through
out the contest?"
The speaker called attention to a
number of incidents that had occur
red in recent democratic conventions,
when scenes were threatened that
would have disgraced the good name
of the state. The people demand an
end of convention juggling, he add
ed, and this bill, providing as it did
for second vote of the people when
no candidate received a majority of
unit votes in the first primary would
end it.
A committee amendment to the
bill provided that in the event of two
candidates having an equal number of
county unit votes, the one who had
q pun ALy VI JilS pOputdT NOJG WOuIQ
run in the second primary with the
high man. An amendment, offered
by the author, provided that the sec
ond primary should apply only to
candidates for governor and United
States senator.
Pledge to Party Nominee.
An amendment was offered by Mr..
Fowler, of Bib, provided that no
man should be allowed to vote in a
primary unless he were a bona fide
member of the party holding the pri-
mary and would pledge himself when
challenged to support the party NOM
inee.
Mr.. Fowler opposed as unconstitu-
tional the provision charging the
taxpayers in the respective counties
with paying the expenses of the sec
ond primary. 1t would apply alike to
all parties, he said, and might lay
heavy burden on the taxpayers in
favor of small minorities of the vot-
ers.
Mr.. Hall, of Bibb, opposed the
measure on the ground that it was
contrary to the principles of demo-
cracy and fair representative gov
eminent.
Mr.. Pickett, of Terrell, replied