Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-09
POLITICS IN VIRGINIA
Last Congressional Primary
to Be Held Thursday.
SYSTEM WORKS WELL
REPUBLICANS STIRRED UP BY
PRESIDENTS CRITICISM.
Senator Martin is Expected to Have
Hard Struggle for Re-
Election.
SYSTEM WORKS WELL
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
RICHMOND, Va, September s, 1902.
The last of the democratic congressional
primaries in this state will be that of
thursday, when the third (Richmond) dis
trtct chooses its candidates. The fourth
sixth and second districts, In the order
named, have chosen their candidates by
primaries, and the plan of nominating. used
this year for the first time, has generally
proved satisfactory Voting is viva voice.
and where there Is but one aspirant the
Formally of an election Is dispensed with
| and the candidate proclaimed the nominee
by the district democratic committee. In
only four of the ten districts were pr-
| maries necessary, and this district is the
latest Of the four to nominate.
The candidates are Captain John Lamb,
now serving his third consecutive term, and
Mr.. Jefferson Wallace, a type Of the ag-
gressive younger element. who has been
prominent in the party councils for years,
but has never before aspired to office. The
two have been conducting a stump canvass
with joint discussions at the various county
seats, and the campaign will close In this
city with speaking almost nightly Con-
siderable feeling has been engendered in
the contest, and friends of both men are
claiming victory. The district embraces
besides the cities of Richmond and Man
III,
land, Hanover, Henrico, King William and
New Kent. This city casts about 90 per
cent Of the vote Of the district usually, and
In this primary the proportion will be even
larger, so that Richmond Is the pivotal
point of the contest. The result will prob
ably be definitely known early Thursday
night.
Stirred by Presidents Criticism.
The criticism of the supine submission of
the Virginia republicans, made by President
Roosevelt recently, has had the effect of
goading the party to action. 1t now seems
probable that republican candidates will be
nominated in all or nearly all the districts.
1t is conceded that the republicans have
better prospect of winning in the ninth and
tenth districts of the state than in any
others. Now that Jacob Yost has consented
to be a candidate for his party's nomination
in the tenth district, it is practically GER
tain that he will be the nominee Mr.. Yost
mas served two or three terms in the House.
having defeated Captain James Bumgard-
ner of Stanton fourteen years ago and
later having beaten the incumbent, Mr.
Flood. Mr.. Yost is an effective stump cam
palgner and man Of high standing, promi-
nently identified with the material develop
ment of the state. He has always been a
republican, but of recent years has not been
identified with the dominant Agnew- Bowden
faction. He will have the united support
of his party, however. and may be depended
upon to make the race decidedly interest
ing.
1t is predicted by good judges that Cen
eral Edgar Allan, the district attorney for
the eastern half Of the state, will be re-
appointed, though he has an influential op-
ponent in Ex-Representative r. T. Thorp
formerly OF Petersburg, but now of Nor
folk. The withdrawal of Mr.. Groner and
the merely nominal candidacy of Mr.. Hugh
Gordon Miller of Norfolk, practically leaves
the competition to Messrs. Thorp and Allan
Mr., Allan has the prestige of incumbency
hut G dant fad IL
the dominant faction Of Virginia politics.
Anent Martins Successor.
Vtrginians are already looking forward to
the senatorial contest to succeed Mr. Martin
In 1907. Already it is known that Mr.
Martin is q candidate for reelection and
that Gov. Montague will be his opponent
for the honor, though neither has made for
NAL announcement, Both, however are
losing no opportunity to strengthen their
prospects. Gen. Fftzhugh Lee, 1t is I'M
derstood, will not again aspire though again
a resident of Virginia. Some contend that
he is ineligible by reason of the fact that
he Is a retired officer Of the United States
army.
Registration under the new constitution
al restrictions is in progress in many of
the counties and will soon begin in this
city. In those country districts wherein
the registration has been completed only
about 10 to 20 per cent Of the negroes en-
rolled under the old constitution will be
voters. Hardly more than 20 per cent of
the white vote in the same districts is en-
rolled. owing chiefly to the apathy of the
voters. The negro vote under the new reg
istration will hardly be more than 10 per
cent Of the old registered vote
No Test Of Constitution.
1t is not anticipated that the validity of
the constitution and Of it's proclamation
will be subjected to judicial test The in
strument was drawn by some of the best
constitutional lawyers Of the state and is
regarded as impregnable. Even the talk
of contest is dying out. The provisions OF
the suffrage article were drawn with
great care and with due regard to all the
decisions of the federal supreme court and
every endeavor was made to avoid any
thing like contraventon of the federal Con-
stitution.