The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-08-01
who receives the most votes shall have

who receives the most votes shall have
the returns.
"You viii remember that you represent
no candidate and are not trying q. con-
tested election, but simply lnanirring
whether or not any fraud has been COM
mitted and II 80 by whom.
You are the representative OF the Ia ia w,
and as such will guard It's interest.
No Great Scandal.
The recent election was frelueitl y dis
cussed informally in the corridor Of the
!, i,alll7h. spectators the trend Of opinion
4 being That there was little probability OF
ANY rta,tlng discoveries growing out
ofEthe election. A we'll known and prorfnnl-
nent lawyer expressed the opinion 1ha t
one OF the precincts to be investigastt e s
was "stralght ns @ string, as ne eS-
pressed 1t. Generally among those
around the hall the impression seesn rs
- he TINT the Jurors would find that the
election had been t;yrly and honestly
conducted and accurately returned N
general, and that the grand Jury would
h discover only such mistakes as are COM
mon in elections iSai. = ~ a.
It Is recognized, of course, that the
#i,1ry will exhaust all sources Ct inforn1isll-1
ton bearing on the election and the man mar
Gner OF its conduct, and 1t now seems llRely
that the payment Of poll taxes will also
be made subject OF inquiry before tne
Investigation Is completed.
n OF course, II the Jury find any glarinG
evidence Of fraud or any striking dis
tcrcpnncies between the vote as returned
and that shown by the recount and poll
being made itawIll inquire into that m t.
ter and seek all the information attain.
able Among those who It Is said, nave
been summoned as witnesses are Treas
urer c. H. Phillips, Mr.. w. 2. Knowles
superintendent of the gas department;
Commissioner OF the Revenue O. A. l1aw-
kins and Mr.. e. c. Ebel, n member of
the electoral board. Messrs. Phillips and
Hawkins were tunopposed candidates q IN
the recent election. and 1t Is not believed
that they have been called to TESTIFY
because thew were candidates or as vot-l
crs. but as officials likely to have knowl-
edge OF public affairs generally.
It is also surmised that the possl DC
violation Of the law with reference to pre-.
payment of poll taxes is to be inquired
into. The law provides that the voter
shall "personally pay" his poll taxes
The attorney general has construed this to
mean that he shall pay out6of his own
funds this tax. This construction would
make 1t unlawful for any one else to fur
nish money wherewith to pay capitationl
fax other than his own. There ls5consid-!
cred strong probability that this law has
been violated by many. In the event
Of the discovery Of any specific case, me
court would at least make a test OF the
construction OF the constitutional and
statutory provision It Is charged that
This was done prior to the general cleo
3tion last year in the Ninth Virginia Dis
trlct. but no arrests or prosecutions have
followed si- {4 A5 e.
First Jefferson.
Many of the voters in the line yester-
day without hesitation proclaimed for
whom they voted for attorney and tor
sergeant "a most Of those from First JEFF
ferson who were heard to state declaring
that they had supported Colonel George
WAYNE Anderson and Mr.. James G. Smith.
one man Is quoted MS saying befo1 ems
terine the Jury room that he had voted
for John Lynch but as Mr.. Lynch was
not 81 candidate this ardent adAlrer must
have substituted his name for some other
candidate. II no voted as lie claims.
Not a few Of the voters who deposed
Yesterday, responded reluctantly to the
summons. some expressing the belief that
hev would not run tho risk Of having to
Quit business and go before the grand
I,ry and SO would avoid primaries here
liter. These expressions were few, how
aver. though many were impatient at the
delay In awaiting their turn to testify.
So far as could BIO learned oil who tes-
titled stated for whom they voted.
There was little curiosity manifested
as to tho proceedings of the grand jury,
almost every one realizing that the tes-
tlmony up to this time was little more
than poll of the vote, with a view q
contrasting the poll with the returns OF
the election. Something startling may
develop at any, time, and 1t Is this pos
sibllity that keeps alive and acute pub
lie Interest in the inquiry,
There Is much speculation ms to the
scope Of the courts powers and Its prob
able action In the event errors or frauds
sufficient to reverse the result In am
case be uncovered. Lawyers familiar
With elections and the powers Of courts
with relation thereto, express the opinion
that the functions of tho court In thls
case are purely to seek out fraud and
10 punish the same SO far as possible
In the event Of the discovery OF frauds
Sufficient to change the result-a remote
rrohabillty-the City Committee Will act
l8If the fraud or gross error 'be confined
Ito ono or. two precincts, and the returns
Low RATE WEEK END EXCURSIONS
r o NEW JERSEY sEAsHoRE RE.
SORTS-R,, r, & F, r, II,
\ d r.. o.