The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-05-21
MR.. KELLEY
ON The VETO
Committee Chairman Dis
cusses Norfolk Primary Bill.
OBJECTIONS DO NOT EXIST
Richmond Delegate Calls Attention to
Provisions Of Bill, Portion of Which
He Thinks Governor Overlooked.
Asked to Be Excused.

Ihe Governors veto OF the bill provid.
ing for primary elections In the city OF
Noriolk has been the chief topic in pc.
litical circles since the veto message
was sent in.
In returning the bill to the Senate,
where 1t originated, Governor Montague
thus stated his reasons for vetoing the
measure: n
Section prescribes that In primaries
majority Of the candidates for the
Offices to be voted for at said ensuing
general election or for delegates 70 city,
senatorial, district or State convention,
committee shall elect an electoral
board, who, in turn, shall appoint the
judges and clerks of the precincts and
wards to conduct the election.
he chief vice of the amendment con-
sists IN allowing a mere majority of such
candidates to provide the election off,
GERS without safeguarding the rights of
the minority candidates. In the repealed
section 1t required q two-thirds vote of
such candidates, but In the amended Sec
ton majority alone of such candidates
have the sole conduct of primary cleo
tons. Therefore, the plan admits OF the
control OF elections by nominal candi-
dates. The section repealed Is not very
we'll safeguarded. but 1t does not seem
consonant with the Legislatures efforts
to reform the elections of the State to go
from bad to worse
THE BILL QUOTED.
Section three of the amended bill does
provide for q two-thirds vote Of all the
candidates who shall have been listed as
a condition of the election of any voter
to act as q member Of the electoral
board. Here is the language Of section
8 of the bill vetoed
'eNfa said local eyecutiya committee
shall receive the names of all persons
who propose to be candidates for the
Offices to be voted for at said ensuing
general election, or for delegates to city.
natorial district or State convention,
or for members of the city executive
the lists Of the same ten days Qncluding
Sundays) prior to the date on which 1t is
to hold the same. and shall call
a meeting of candidates to assemble not
later than three days after closing said
lists to elect by ballot eight qualified
from each ward and one ut
large-who shall act as m electoral
board. and who shall appoint three
Judges and two clerks for each pre-
cinct or ward, who shall be voters In
their respective wards in the said city,
at which 1t Is proposed to hold said city
or ward primary elections. No voter
shall be qualified to act as n member
OL SdlS cleClOIdl DOdiQ w III SIlilA 10
candidates for Office or position. or be
holding any office or position, or who
shall receive less than two-thrds Of all
the votes of all the candidates who shall
have been listed"
Mr.. S. L. Kelley, chairman Of the
House Committee for Privileges and
Elections, which reported the bill, pointed
yesterday that what the Governor char
acterlzes as the chief vice Of the amend-
ment does not exist, viz: that the amend
ment does not change the existing law
in the requirement that it takes the votes
or two-thirds Of the candidates to Sc
lect member of the electoral board. and
not a mere majority, as stated by him.
The last sentence Of section 3 Of the bill
vetoed leaves no doubt on this point.
CHAIRMAN KELLEY'S VIEWS.
Mr.. Kelley. in stating the reasons
which actuated the House committee in
reporting the bill, said: THE party plan
OF primary directs that members Of city
and county committees be elected at
the same time that nominations for mem
bers Of the House OF Delegates and
other offices are made. Under the legal
lied primary now in force In Norfolk
this could not be done, as that law pro-
vided that the committee should be Sc
lected at different time. Under the
law as it now stands one of two things
- C-N''''''' A-t''-i sAV ~
the House must be selected outside Of
legalized primary or the party plan pro-
mulgated at Norfolk in 1900, and which
directs that candidates for the House
and members of the city committee shall
be elected at the same time, must be
violated.
"The sole object of the bill vetoed by
the Governor, MS ] apprefend 1t. was
to provide that members of the city com
mittee of Norfolk might be selected at
the same time and under the Same re-
strictions as members Of the House OF
Delegates and other officers. The point
on which the Governor lays stress In his
veto message. that change is made In I
the plan whereby majority. instead Of
two-thrds of the candidates in the pr-
mray shall select the electoral board,
which In turn selects the Judges Of clec-
ton, really does not exist, for no such
change was made as stated In his mes
sage.
None of the objections urged by the
Governor in his veto OF the bill We're
made before the committee, which, In
reporting the bill, acted In line with
declared party policy and to secure cleo
tons under the safeguards of the law,
] do not think the grounds stated for