Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-12-03
OUR ELECTION LAWS.
Bris History snd Outline Of the Anderson.
Mccormick Net.
LIST OF THE BOARDS.
Those Who Compose These Important
Bodies and the Duties That They
Have 10 Perform.

The ears OF some $50 or more worthy
| citizens OF this old Commonwealth will
certainly tingle between now and the
lst OF April next II there be still truth
In the old adage that the itching OF auri-
cular organs indicates that the possessors
OF said organs are being talked about.
These citizens constitute the greatly
abused Electoral Boards OF the various
counties and cities, OF whose acts so much
has been written In condemnation by
Populists and other editors who find fault
with virginIa's election-laws and the man.
ner OF their application. The fight on
these boards--or on the act that provide,
for them-has. up to now, been made
in one or two papers, but 1t will soon be
| transferred 10 the legislative halls az one OF
the important duties OF the General AS
sembly which meets next Wednesday
VIII be to elect these boards.
The Anderson Mccormick BILL as the
Electoral Board act has become famll-
iarly known, was one OF the principal
issues on which the Populists recently
| made their aggressive but very unsuc-
cessful fight in Virginia. Their speakers
denounced il, and their party organ
poured out it's Walls Of wrath upon the
measure. but IL was Of no avail. Since
the election, in which the Democratic
party won the most signal victory in the
States history. there have been loud but
| indefinite and as yet unsubstantiate'
cries Of fraud" machine methods &C.
In view OF this continued criticism Of the
manner in which our elections are con-
ducted It may be both interesting and
profitable Just at this juncture to review
the history and give a brief outline
OF the law OF which complaint
has been made.
NAMED FOR ITS PATRONS.
The Anderson Mccormick law takes It's
name from the two gentlemen who con-
ceived the idea Of having electoral-boards
| prepared the bill, and engineered il
| through the General Assembly, each TAX
| ing charge OF II in the branch OF which
he was member.
Hon w. A. Anderson then represented
the county OF Rockbridge in the House
mick, Of Clarke. was the senator from
that district These gentlemen were
recognized as party leaders, and az among
| the ablest and most ready members of
| the Legislature Of 1854. The law had to
| be enacted twice before 1t became opera
| tive.
Having made big fight TO compass the
,,,H f.fI ba h
| licans resisted the enforcement OF the
new law. and took It into the courts.
Here it's constltutionality was attacked on
the ground that the provision that all
members Of the boards should be free
holders" was repugnant TO the Constitu'
ton Of Virginia, which guarantees equal
rights to all citizens. The Supreme Court
sustained this contention and the act
was declared void. Governor Cameron con-
vened the General Assembly In extra
session in August. 1S4,-having been pc
titioned go 10 do by the number Of mem
bers required TO call the body together
and the law was re-enacted with no other
alteration than the omission of the word
freeholder.
No material changes have been made in
the statute since its approval the second
time. In January. 1890. two amendatory-
bills were passed. one provided for the
termination OF the terms Of Office OF the
boards elected In lSs7-SS, and the other
stipulated that the terms Of those then
lust elected should continue until Decem-
Der 81. 1898. or until their successors were
duly chosen, and qualified. The General
Assembly will therefore have to select
new boards at the approaching session
unless the law is repealed, and this does
not seem at all HLcly.
WHAT THE LAW PROVIDES.
The Anderson Mccormick act is quite a
long one. covering five full-printed pages,
but its provisions are simple and easily
understood II provides for the election by
the General Assembly every four years
either in one Joint resolution or In sepa-
rate ones, Of an electoral board for each
county and city, to be composed of three
citizens Each board elects its chairman
and secretary and fills such vacancies as
may occur in its membership during
the recess of the General Assembly.
Where all OF the members Of board
fail to qualify in the prescribed time, it
shall be the duty of the circuit judge.
upon the written application of five citi-
the duty of the boards to fill the offices
Of registrars and judges Of election. ap-
pointing the latter annually and the
former semi-annually prior to the first
day Of March. The three judges at each
precinct appoint two clerks. wherever
ii is possible to do So" the act says, "the
persons SO elected and appointed as Judges
Of election shall be chosen for each voting
place from persons known to belong to
different political parties. and each one
OF whom shall be able to read and write"
A fine Of not less than 800 nor more than
$500 Is imposed upon the members of any
board who wifully fail TO comply with
this requirement The remainder Of the
laws simply defines the duties of the cleo
ton officers and direct how the voting
shall be conducted. The members Of the
boards receive s. for each day of actual
service, provided their compensation shall
not exceed so any one year.
THE PRESENT BOARDS.
The Dispatch presents below complete
list of the boards elected four years ago.
There is no record here of the changes
That have taken place, but Il is not likely
that there have been any great number:
Accomac-S. ". Matthews, Frank NJ
Boggs and Joseph j. Wescott.
Albemarle-T f. Powers. James n
Marshall and j. y. Faris
Alexandria-George w. Neitch. Thoma,
Delashmuth. and G. w. Salisbury.
Alleghany-John a. Carson. a. A. Nc.
Allister, and John l.. Irvine.
Amelia-John Wingo. Robert G.. South.
all, and Lemuel III. Vaughan.
Enthusiastically X. Harrison w. T.
Watson and Joseph II. Massie.
Appomattox-John II. Nowlin. T. w
Johns, and John II. Robertson.
Augusta-Willam F. Smith. c. Benton
koiner. and Samuel II. McCue.
Baths. w. Anderson, George Wood.
zell, and w. NJ. McAllister.
Bedford-John H. Hopkins, Robert S
Quarles, and j. L. McCabe.
Bland-H. c. Groseclose, II. G. Hicks
and j. II. Bruce.
Botetourt-Cary Breckenridge, William
B. Bowyer, and John J. Allen
Brunswick-J. w. Palmer, DR.. w. f..
Price and w. r. Sledge.
Buchanan-Spanell Ratcliff, NJ. T. Jack
son, and Thompson Elswick
DISCRIMINATION G. Turner Charles
r. Irving, and Samuel A. Spencer.
Campbell-W. V. Canada, G.. w. Car
rington. and Stephen Adams
Caroline-John II. Martin. James C.
DeJarnett, and DIR. y. ~. Corhn.
Carroll--John Wilkinson, J. w. Greene,
and Adanijah Linebury.
Charles City-EdWard Wilcoy II a