The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-06-16
SURP RISING
CONDITIONS
Only About Half the White
Men of Fauquier Registered
POLITICIANS ARE PUZZLED
New Conditions Have Entirely Upset
All Their Bases of Making Calcuia-
lions Some Opposition to the
New Constitution.
POLITICIANS ARE PUZZLED

,,,,on, !, star correspondent.)

(lrrom Staff Correspondent
wARRENTON, VA, June bit Will
he a surprise to many Virsinians 10 Know
thar only about one half the qualified white
voters OF Fauauicr county are on the new
registration books. This statement was
made to me to-day by county otilciai.
could scarcely credit the assertion but
he showed me the figures. They CID not
fully corroborate his declaration, out
they did show that nearly fifty per cent.
OF the white mon on the old poll-books
did not get on to the new. When asked
for a reason for this. the official referred
70 said:
"JJnder the now Constitution Fauauier
is an overwhelmingly white county, put
there was and is great opposition 70 me
new Constitution here. Our people were
not willing to undertake to pass the or
deal OF an examination for registration.
have found many who said they feared
they might DO submitted to tho mortiilca .
tior Of failure; some sad they uiu ,,, ~.
think It right In principle that '"hite
men should have to undergo sucn an e .;s
a1ninat ton for the right to eXerclse lhe
privilege OF franchise.
Whatever the cause, 1t Is certain that
s very large percentage OF the whites "
Tho county are not registered voters.
nhere will be another registration he'd
i,efore the election this fall. possibly IN
time for tho primary for nominations "
county offices, and it may be that a soou
norton of the white men who refused 10
make an effort to get on the books iast
fall viii cndeavor to do so this year.
But the gentleman with whom ! talked
said he had not seen any sign that tnose
who refraincd from applying LOT res's
tration had changed their minds. IL IS
very likely that persons VINO ln ,,o,. tra
+ently failed to register will remember the
49,. +i,is 'ycar and qualify themselves to
80 OPPOSE. CONSTITUTION.
Il Is easy to discover great amount !,
Of strong opposition to the new Coiisli-
h triton In this section. In other sectlons
~ Virginia I have found thinking people
X 1yho were once opposed to any change
m the organic law. but who frankly al
nit now that the new Constitution is an
innnroyement on the old. But nave W.
discovered a Fauquier man willing 10
,nsl.a such admission, though. of course.
q large body Of the citizens were orlsl-
nailv'7in favor Of constitutional revision.
Onnosition appears to be based solely
,,non tho franchise clause and the partl-
cilars feature requiring examination Ao'
registration. N
ne ti,at It must be a significant fact. as
,,.s,l tl,ot In this wealthy county, where
,,,an az white blood arc greatly prepon-
Sarant there should be such strong ana
unrelenting opposition TO the organic ia"
OF the State.
a I was told that the number OF negroes
~c,iminated from the electorate by the
application Of the franchise provisions
Of the new Constitution were very few.
Nearly every ono of them on the OLD
registration books appear TO have tried
10 get on the new. That so many OF
them succeeded Is due to the facl that
the examination was conducted with per-
o,,I f1ta flJrfhnr
so many OF the negroes OF the county
served in the Federal army. These and
their sons. of course were not subjected
to the tests provided for their less Tor
tunate brethren.
This falling off in The white registration
has the politicians guessing. it IS I'M
possible to foretel with any degree OF
accuracy the result Of tho election. with
half the white voters gone. The impress
sion prevails that as large, If not a larger
percentage Of the colored vote was regis
tered than OF the white.
MONTAGUE COUNTY.
This has been strong Montague
county. It gave him fine majority over
Mr. Swanson In the gubernatorial contest
OF 1901, and there is little reason to doubt
that a majority of the people would pre-
fer to see hiEa go to- the Senate to having
any other. man SO 'honored. But poltn-
clans are utterly unable to BAY whether
a
tered last fall was for Mr.. Mon taEue or
I, hIr. Martin.
COUNTY OFFICERS
The candidates for county Offices are
also much muddled by reason Of this
great falling off in registration. They
try in vain to figure with approximate
correctness as to their strengths but tho
registration lists present a wholly I'm
familiar appearance. so many familiar
names are missing, The contests for
these Offices arc Just now extremely
warm. The Commemorative Attorney,
Mr.. u. Z. Garrett. seems about the only
official who has no opposition, The fight
for the office of county treasurer Is very
spirited. There arc no less than five
entries in this race. as the people would
gay In lorsey Fauquier. aud they all
appear to be well In tho running. MIR,
y. II. Vandeventer. the present treasurer,
does not want the Office any longer, but
the following gentlemen are very anxious
to servo the people in that capacity,
Messrs. G. W. Popkins, NJ II, Russell
John T.. Gill. w. NJ Powell and w. A.
Mcfarland.
FOR CLERKsHIP
Mr.. Paul Garrett is making a very
spirited fight for the county clerkship
and his friends say he will win. but lie
admits 1t is going to keen him busy TO
beat his competitors. Lsssrs, ~, u
Iempstone and b. Y White. Messrs
Eugene Monroe. Thomas w Edwards
and George W Virts are the three can,
didates for the office Of sheriff. made
vacant by the deolination of Sheriff II, II
Russell TO he d candidate. pleferring &c
stand for the treasurership,
Some of the candidates want the genera
registration before the nominating pri
mary is held but 1t has not been de.
cided that this course win he pursued
LYNN WANTS OLD PLACE.
While am on the subject Of Fauquicl
county politics / may mention that Major
y II. Lynn. who resides IN the adjoining
county OF Loudoun Is candidate for ap.
po!mtmeut 10 the position OF superlnten.
dent Of the penitent!ary to succeed Major
George NJ. Helms. Under the presen,