The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1920-03-16
EXPLAINING THE TEST OATH

Editor Times Union: At the regu-
lar meeting of the state democratic
executive committee on January 20,
1920, the following resolution was
adopted:
"Be it further resolved by the state
democratic executive committee of
Florida, that in the primary election
tD be held on the first Tuesday after
the first Monday in June. 1920, those
legal electors, and only those legal
electors, shall be declared and taken
as proper members of the democratic
party of Florida, and entitled to vote
in the aforesaid primary election as
members of said democratic party,
who, in addition to the qualifications
provided by law, possess the following
qualifications, to-wit:
"1). That they are white.
"(2). That they are members of
and believe in the principles of the
democratic party.
"(3). That they will vote for all
the nominees of said primary election
in the geenral election to be held on
the first Monday in November, 1920.
"Be it further resolved that here
after upon any qualified elector pre-
sentinG himself to any supervisor of
registration in the state of Florida,
fer registration as a democrat, he
shall be required to take an oath, and
said supervisor of registration shall
be required to administer to him an
oath, that such registrant will vote
fol all the nominees of the democratic
party, national, state and county, in
the geenral election next following
said primary election
This resolution was under the au-
thority fSection 16, of Chapter 6469,
Laws of Florida, 1913, reading as fol-
lows:
Section 16. The state executive
committee of each political party
may by resolution declare the terms
and conditions on which legal cleo
tors shall be declared and taken as
proper members of such party, and
therefore entitled to vote in the pri-
mary election herein required to be
held, as members of that party. 1t
snail be the duty of the supervisors
of registration of the various counties
in the registration of electors to COM
ply with the terms of any such reso-
luton upon the filing with them of
copies thereof duly certified by the
chairman and secretary of any such
executive committee, at any time be-
fore the opening of the registration
| books as herein required"
In view of the fact that the ques-
| tion presented is before the courts, it
would be important to discuss the
law, other than point out that there
is no basis for the contention that the
terms of the resolution apply only to
those electors residing in cities of
more than 10000 population.
From purely political standpoint,
the issue is plain. On the one hand,
| loyalty to the democratic party and
all of its nominees; on the other
hand, the reservation by each indi-
viduel voter participating in the dem
ccratic primary to repudiate. at his
pleasure, the results of the primary.
and then support either democratic
republican, socialist or independent
candidates in the next general elec.
tion. The latter course, if followed
can in time only mean disruption OF
the party in this state.
| Unit lrecently l never heard the
principle questioned that democrat
participating in a democratic primary
election was morally bound to support
and vote for all the party nominees
And further, from a purely polftica
standpoint, the purpose of the reso-
luton in question was twofold: First
to require all democrats participating
in the primary to faithfully abide BY
the results thereof by voting for al
democratic candidates in the genera
election following the primary; anc
secondly, to keep out of the democrat
ic primaries all who belong to othel
political parties. If the first purpost
is not desirable, then what Is the use
of holding a democratic primary cleo
tion at all? If the second purpose il
to be nullifed, how can it be said thai
the nominees of the primary will bt
the choice of the democrats of thi:
state?
i For myself, | believe that the judg
nIent of the democratic voters of Flor.
ida, as expressed at the polls in &
. strictly democratic primary election