The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-09-17
Extremely Small Vote I ~: t,ltjl,
Bototourt Primary
REFUSED no co & lNTO K 3 9. .,
The Viva vocs Plan and the Mann W
quor law Rsspon slbIe for : Revolt
II the PArty-W,ll Result IL
Many Ind dependents.

a FINcASTLE. VA, & September It'll ne
condition Of political affairs In Botetourt
countyeis as remarkable as that which On
existed In gAmhsrnt prior to the defeat 'N OF
Judge Campbell though not IN any way
similar. am not. sure. however. that.
viewed from 4 party standpoint, they
are not more dangerous. Il. y, Is
There were only 2s5 votes cast in the the
4 primary election held Saturday for the
nomination 81 candidates for county / q Of
fIces. There have been cast as mi many as
100 or more. The great majority OF the the
I Democrats refused positively to go Into
the box as they termed voting IN the
primary. A Democratic candidate toid
me to-day. that he exerted every effort 70
induce his followers to vote, but TOT the
\ first time In my experience" ne sale SAID,
..they refused TO follow mo step
n The viva yoce system and the Mann
liquor law are sald to be responsible Tor
the revolt Ia the party
In The Dispatch CORRESPONDENCE
from Washington I recently quoted Hon.
H. D.. Flood Con gresham from, TINS as
trict, concerning the deep seated OPPOSE
ton to the VIVA voce system IN THIS
county. He did not exhggerate It: indeed,
ne underestimated the case. This Is read
1 fly seen by the fact that only about one
at1th OF the Democratic voters took part
In the primary.
Every effort was made by leading
Democrats to como into the primary
This was after the county executive
], committee had declared Fl. A. Latane, OF
I Buchanan the Democratic candidate Tor
the House OF Delesates, to succeed w. r..
Z Allen, and had also decided that the
7 voting should be viva voce. There was
strong opposition TO this method before
5 Il was decided upon, and there was a
storm when the committees decision was
announced Every argument OF the
\ friends OF the candidates was useless.
& The people refused % participate n the -
4 primary, and the result was tho smallest
i vote ever cast at a primary election In
Botetourt. An 70 u w.
II an Informed that the strongest OF the
I prohlbltionists In tho Democratic party
y refused 70 participate In the primary be-
: cause they thought sorne OF the cnndi-
Z dates at least we're opposed to the Mann
law Some also thought the candidates.
or some OF them. favored tho granting Of
license for the sale OF LIQUOR There rs
no liquor sold in the county.
This & tAnEle over, the primary
7 Il going to, result In q number OF indepe n
: dent candidates for ONCE. Judge w. d.
Simmons will run against Mr.. Latane
for the House OF Delegates. People arc
4 a unit here In expressions OF regard for
4 Iatane, commencing his record IN politics
and his general character. But many OF
1 them Will vote for Judge Simmons. Judge
O simmons is q man OF unimpeachable char
acter. He stands as high probably as any
mar. In the county But the time was,
and that not many years ago. when he.
running against the declared nominee
OF the Democratic party would not have
mustered corporals guard OF Demo
u cratic voters at the polls. He will re-
COUNTY CANDIDATES.
Il Hon. 4 X. B. stoner.s once member
OF the House of Delegates. is a5candi-
date for the office Of county treasurer.
Z N. IS. Cahoon was nominated at the pri.
mary Saturday Mr.. Stoner told me today
the people did not recognize the pri-
4 mary: the Democrats OF the county
would support him he said; he thought.
and others we're OF tho same opinion.
that he would get the bulk Of the Demo-
cratic vote. There Is great difference
between the normal Democratic vote Of
the county 1900 and 235, the vost cast
& az the primary Saturday. Those who did
not vote can elect candidate without
the help OF those who did. or the Re-
publlcans either. Mr.. Cahoon, who was
nominated has withdrawn, and wants
tho county Committee TO declare one OF
his deputies the party nominee. The COM
mtttee may do this. but It will not sim
plify matters. Many Democrats have told
mo they would not regard such action
i a. making tho new candidate regular, as
the people voted for Cahoon and not tor
tho deputy, and would not be under any
obligation, moral or otherwise, to sup
bort the new man. The authority Of tho
committee to make the change 10 flatly
i. denied by many who voted in the primary
and denied BY all who. did not.
THE ATTORNDYsH1P.
Frank Woodson, young lawyer OF this
place. la q candidate for the office OF
Commonwealth Attorney against w, r.,
Allen. who was renominated Saturday.
WoodsokS Democracy, nor Aliens EN-
cheney. Is not questioned. but unless SOME
settlement OF this n,us.-.e Is arranged be-
fore election, Woodson. or Republican
OF that party should name a candidate.
viii stand q good change OF winning. Just
az Joseph G. Huhrman, Republican,
ana the present treasurer. OF the county.
viii feel pretty cure OF holding the once
ii Cahoon's deputy and 6toner are DOTH
ia the field. It should always DO borne
in mind, however, that the Democrats
z
people says up hare. oan elect their can
dldsts II they stick together,
I have no disposition to cFlticlse the
action Of the Executive Committee 81
Botetourt county. Their characters, and
their party loyalty, - far above cues,
tion. but to the impartial outsider " wou!o
seem that they made a mistake N ADOPT.
ipr the viva voce system IN SELECTING
candidates for county and district OF,
fices. But even had they not declared
II. Latane the nominee 4or the House
Judge simpons would not have entered
the primary, The dislike OF the viva voc'
method, which ID mandatory IN the pri
mary for legislative candidates y toe
PLAN UNPOPULAR.
The primary plan OF selecting Demo
cratic candidates IS popular In Rotetourt
Il has been In vogue IN tho county 10
many years. It was the custom TO h1v'
the ballot box carried to the voters Q,
tie county by',riders appointed by thu
County Commute, and selected because O.
their rsputs ton tor fairness and integrity
tneo ,oht