The Nevada County picayune., 1920-01-22
SENATOR KIRBY
 ENTERS DEBATE
Offers Letter From Cun1mins Saying Election of Dele
 gates Not Required.

state primary. said i'll q letter re- ceived yesterday by the Gazette that Homer <. Cummings. chairman of the Democratic National Committee. has informed him that it is not necessary to elect delegates to the national ing up the date urge that the pri- mary must he hel dearlier than Au- gust 10. the date fixed by the last legisla ture. if Arkansas is to be rep resented at the San Francisco pow wow June 2S
 The question of changing the pri- mary date was raised several months ago by Congressman T. H. Caraway. who said that the rules of the Demo cratic National Committee require delegates to the convention to be elected by the people. Several poli- ticians. who opposed the change. took excffieptions to the congressman's as sertion. Joe w. House ,Jr., chairman of the Democratic State Central Com mittee, is of the opinion the commit tee has the right to name the dele gates, it is said.
 MT. Kirby's Letter.
 Senator kirby's letter to the Ga zette follows
 'I notice your editorial of the 11th inst. relative to the sending of delegates from Arkansas to the Dem ocratic national convention and en- close copy of correspondence had with the chairman of the National Committee after I saw that the agi- tation for the change of the date for the primary and that it was being insisted that the extra session of the legislature would have to advance it from August to March to insure the party representation in the national convention.
 "The chairman says there is no rule of the National Committee or conven- tion relating to the matter and that it would approve of the credentials of the delegates from your state in prac- tically any form they might be pre- senfed in the absence, of course. of a contest. Says further after mentioning the primary date that he tions relative to a matter so fully within the control of the people of your own state and that he had not communicated with anyone in Arkan sas about the matter
 The State Committee has inherent power to perpetuate itself in the usual way and take all necessary ac- ton for the transaction of the party business. unless il has been deprived l understand is not the case. l have not seen our last Primary Election Law. but it douhtlcss leaves the com mittee full power to make all neces- sary regulations. etc. under which il could hold a primary election for dele gates to the national convention only, earlier in the year or it could have them selected hy the old convention method. if there is no prohibition in the law about the matter
 "The state has not heretofore been paying the expenses for holding pri- mary elections.
 II thought the legislature acted wisely in fixing the date of the gen eral primary for August. when all the people will have an opportunity at a time of leisure to ascertain the fitness of candidates and take proper thought about the selection of their officials. and the extra session of the legislature now specially called to consider road Legislation should certainly not be ex- pected. under the circumstances. to change the date of the primary cleo tion back to March.
 No necessity requires such change and it ought not to he made now to accommodate the selfish wishes of any candidate, nor upon the false claim that otherwise the Democratic party of Arkansas can not he represented in the national convention
 The states of Texas. Oklahoma Kansas Mississippi. Missouri. Tennes- see. Kentucky and South Carolina held lsiRaries in Augu@G and Georgia in September
 Mir. CumHhngs' Letter.
 Senator Kirby enclosed letter he reteiven from Mr Cummings, in which he savs= the National Committee has made no ralinc relative to tle Ar u sas si uatian. Following is Mir Cum milses letter to Senator Kirby:
 T have your lelter of yesterday.