Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-06-21
POLITICS IN VIRGINIA
NEW CONSTITUTION MAY BE
TESTED IN COURT.
Some Lively Contests on in the Vari.
Gus Congressional District
Campaigns.
'ecial Correspondence of The Evening Star.
RICHMOND, Va, June 20. L


RICHMOND. Va, June 20, 1909.
Unless all signs fail. the new constitution
will be subjected to the scrutiny and judg-
ment of the federal courts within a short
time after it shall have been recognized as
the law of the state. The republican state
executive committee met here on Tuesday
night and debated the matter at great
length. and while the statement was given
out that no action was taken looking to
testing the validity of the new constitution,
member of the committee from the west
ern part of the state said to The Star cor
respondent that the whole matter had been
placed in the hands of the state chairman.
Park Agnew of the city of Alexandria. with
power to do whatever in his Judgment may
seem best. When asked if the names of
any attorneys had been mentioned in the
case the speaker said: 1.-The question of
testing the whole constitution Is in the
hands of State Chairman Agnew. who Is
given absolute discretion in the matter. 1t
was agreed, however. that Colonel Agnew
should consult several well-known lawyers
and ascertain their views, and, if after they
had given their views and deemed a con-
test necessary, he should employ such
counsel as he might determine
1.-The names of several lawyers were sug-
gested, but it finally narrowed down to three
men or national reputation lawyers
United States Senator George F. Hoar,
ex-United States Senator John M. Thurs
ton of Nebraska and Judge Lunsford l..
Lewis, former president of the state SUI
preme court of appeals.
The idea seems to be to make the test
of the validity of the constitution on one
point especially-the suffrage. There is a
provision in the article on suffrage which
allows a man to vote If he owns a certain
| amount of property and Is otherwise dis
qualified, the ownership of property being
an enfranchiser. The point on which there
will be dispute is whether a man who
owns little less than the amount provided
| by the new constitution, and who cannot
comply with the provisions for voting under
any other clause, will be required to pay
| taxes and not allowed to participate in gov
| eminent. That Is understood to be one of
| the main questions to be raised should the
| test be made.
| by member of the general assembly resid-
| ing In the eighth congressional district is
| not being very generally Endorsed by the
| members of the legislature from this sec
| tion-certafnly not by those who will talk
| about the matter for publication. The gen.
| tleman from whom the letter was obtained
| declined to allow the name of the writer to
be made known. The general opinion here
is that the general assembly will take the
| oath OF office when it assemblies here July
| Is.
Interest in the congressional campaign ts
| beginning to be aroused to a greater degree
| than was supposed would be the case In
| the second. third and sixth districts the hot
| test kind of fight is on. Joseph T. LawIess
ioi Lhei SECRETARY Oh the commonwealth, Is
making an active and vigorous canvass
against Congressman Harry L. Maynard.
and 1t Is conceded that Mr.. Lawless will
| be a winner.
In this district. Jefferson Wallace, one of
| the most active party men in the state is
! forcing the fighting on Capt John Lamb.
according to the friends Of the former
Mr.. Wallace Is meeting Capt. Lamb at
every turn and is discussing the issue in
way that is pleasing to the people and at
tracing good crowds.
The sixth district fight is a hot one
State Senators Glass and Clayton are the
aggressive opponents for the nomination
and several times they have approached
the personal stage. They devote their at
tenton to reviewing the records of each
other in the state senate. while Mr.. Glass
has the united opposition of organized
labor in his district, though he has the in
dorsement of the state commissioner of
labor, union man. Mr.. Glass is conceded
by many politicians to have the fight prac-
tically won. The other districts are quiet.
except in the fourth where Congressman
lasslter has an opponent in r. c. Southall,
but this is not yet worrying the member
from the fourth district