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ST. Pmnsauac z. FLORIDA .3
Q December 15, 195:.
The Hon. Farris Bryant
Box 80h
Ocala, Fla.
Dear Farris:
Thanks for yours of the 13th. The question of handling the
Renublicans is one that has kept me from sleeping. There has

been so much publicity in Pinellas County about having a "two-
party ayatem" everybody has been given the impression that the
cure for all our problems is a two-party system. Neither paper
has ever stopped to explain what the two-party system really
means and what it would mean if the Legislature adopted it.
people understand it.

Few

I have written a series or three pieces in three-letter words

which one of the papers is now considering. It tells what the
two-party system really is and makes clear that what the Republicans
are doing is talking two-party system at election time but screaming
for a bi-partisan setup once they are in office.

I think there are several possibilities. The first is for someone
like yourself with stature and a reputation for honest and conserve-
tive thinking, to point out the fact that we have an increasing num-
ber of Republicans coming to the Legislature and that with Florida's
growth the Legislature can anticipate the possibility of more as

the years go on. That the Legislature should begin to realize now
that some provision must be made to allow the Republican minority
its proper place and to recognize their party as an honorable in-
stitution and as a loyal opposition. This conld be followed by a
proposal that they be given their own section of the House and

that the? and their elected minority leader be given all the stand-
ing and respect due a minority apposition party. From there it
could be stated that the Legislature, not being experienced in the
rules of twoparty functioning, adont precisely the same procedures
in dealing with the honored minority, as the American Congress has

adopted.

Under this arrangement they would be given minor places on unimportant
committees. Their bills would be referred to appropriate committees,

and if considered to be good the chairman of the committee would
take over the legislation and give it his name as is done in
Congress (this was the Republican practice in the current
Congress) allowing the minority member to join with the other
committee members as a co-introducer. Local bills would, of course,
be given special "understanding" but be introduced by a Democratic

committee chairman and tagged with his ggg'.

I firmly believe that the local bill privilege should be a oarty
matter and not a rule of the Legislature. I likewise believe that
only those local bills that have county-wide application should be
given favorable consideration and that the "private" bills should

be so tagged and ignored. In other words, these lads should be
helped with what is good for finellas County but denied the privilege
of helping Republicans. Cramer did a great deal of the latter.

If the Legislature is unWilling to make the private bill rule a
party matter pending "home rule", them it should face the fact
that it is going to allow a danger to continue until a number of
the large and growing counties are represented by Republicans.

I recognise it may slow us here for awhile, but it may save seats
in other counties and good legislation can be passed as required.

If the Legislature will simply follow the system used in the Congress,
their position would be thoroughly justified. The Republicans call
themselves a minority, elect a minority leader and they should be
given a _roup of seats in the House and treated as a minority.

Vermont ndles Democrats in that manner.

In the reports of committees, statements of Republican members

from the first "sham" should be recorded and made part of a minority
report unless they are in full accord and vote with the majority.
The reports should state that minority Representative so-and-so
voted "with the majority. Every process and line of type should
list them as minority members.

Am most anxious to talk with you at any opportunity on have.
Listening to your talk here and watching you at the aucus, I con-

cluded that you were the person to give this matter substance and
provide leadership for a clear program. Hope you will let me know
when you are going to be this way and I will make it my business to
be on hand. I am working on numerous technical changes in the
registration and election laws that we have found desirable in this
two-party business. I would like time to go over with you what.I

have done so far.

Sin rely,

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Wm. .nge Stephenson
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