Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-06-23
WANTSLATE PRIMARY
CHAIRMAN WALLACE PREFERS
SEPTEMBER TO JULY.
WILL CALL COMMITTEE IN AUGUST.
This His Present Intention, which
May he Changed-senator Martin
Says He Has No Preference as TO
Date.
Date.

In the last few days the probable date
OF q primary election for the selection OF
the five Democratic candidates for the
House Of Delegates from this city has
been the subject of much discussion and
the action OF tho City Democratic Com
mjttee has been awaited with much in
Ierest.
There has been a well-detned rumor
that the committee would meet at an
early date. probably this week, and order
"a primary for some day in July On the
other hand. II has been known that Mr..
Jefferson Wallace. the Democratic chair
man, does not favor an early primary
Mr.. Wallace was approached yesterday,
and authorized the following statement;
'In view of the recent publications IN
regard 20 the probability of an unusually
early primary election for the selection OF
Democratic candidates TO represent Rich
mond city in the House Of Delegates, l
think 1t may not be improper for me TO
say q word or two
A LATE DATE SATISFACTORY.
personally, l think a September pri-
mary will be satisfactory to a majority OF
the party. but confess that this is mere
iy my personal view. and there may be
vsner gentlemen III the cOmmltJee wno
hold different opinion, and who are bet
ter Informed than l am as TO the wishes
of the people We represent. The rules of
the committee provide that the committee
may be called by the chairman whenever
he deems 1t proper, and must be called by
him upon the written request of five men,
bers. My present intention is not to call
the committee together 10 consider the
primary question until some time in Au-
gust, but If l become convinced that there
Is general wish in the committee that
q meeting shall be held earlier than Au-
gust 10 talk the matter over l shall not
compel those who differ with me to as
sumo the entire responsibility OF a meet
Ing, but Will Immediately convene the
committee
but whenever the committee does
meet. feel sure that tho people Of Rich
mond may be satisfied that the committee
will not act hastily, bur viii consider the
matter calmly and with all deliberation,
and will have a full regard for the best
interests Of the party. One thing l do
know, and that is the body Of which
have the honor TO be chairman is com
posed of fair-minded, representative men,
who will not suffer themselves to be led
away by inter-party spite or personal feel
Ing.
Now that the senatorial question has
been totally eliminated, / think 1t makes
but little difference whether the primary
be held early or late. and / believe the
great mass Of the people will take that
view of II. If l understand the temper
of the Richmond people. they care little
about the date of the primary, but they
do feel an interest and rightly so. in the
plan. They eXpect-and they shall have
plan that will be fair so all; a plan that
Will enable them 90 register their will
at the polls. with the assurance that
their votes will be counted as cast; a
plan that will ensure a fair fight and a
square fight. with favors for none and
justice for alto the enc that when the
contest is past there viii be no sores TO
heal nor wounds to cover
SENATOR MARTINS POSITION.
There has been a rumor to the erect
that the friends of Hon. Thomas S. Mar
tin. who constitute large majority of
the committee. were determined TO have
July primary. AS TO this, / can only
say that l presume Mr.. Martin himself
will, perhaps, be considered tho best
authority on that point. j met Mr. Mar
tin this morning as he was on his way
90 the train, and had short conversation
with him. He said TO me, most emphatl-
cally, that the date of the primary was
matter that gave him no concern; that
any date fixed by the committee would
be satisfactory 10 him. This. trust, will
effectually dispose of the impression-if
such impression exists-that Mr.. Martins
friends are clamoring for an early pri-
mary.
THE demand for an early primary, I
think, comes chiefly from the friends OF
some OF the gentlemen who are aspiring
TO the nomination. who plead that "A long
canvass will be irritating TO the people
and wearying TO the candidates This
may be true, but If so, IL Is an unfortu-
nate condition that grows out of the
fact that the canvass has opened very
much earlier than usual The candidates
have no one 10 blame for this state of
affairs but themselves. and the fact that
they have opened the canvass three
months earlier than any apparent neces-
city demands. does not. In my judgment
furnish sound reason for departing from
established precedent and holding mid
summer election"