The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-05-18
THURSDAY, MAY IS, 1905.
To the City Committee.

To the City Committee.
The Times Dispatch maintains that the
City Democratic Committee has trans
cended its authority In ordering that n
form Of pledge be printed upon the bal
lots to be used in the forthcoming local
primary, to 10 held on June Goth, binding
the voter beyond the simple support Of
the nominees OF that primary in the
regular election to follow
The source of nll power vested In the
City Democratic Committee is derived
from the primary plan adopted by the
Democratic State Convention at Rich
nlond, June 10. 1904 On page Of that
plan, after prescribing what Democrats
shall be permitted to vote. 1t is added:
..And all persons participating in any
Of said elections shall thereby be con-
sidered as binding themselves to vote
for the nominee, or nominees IN the
ensuing general election.
That is the only provision made any
where in the plan for a pledge, and 1t
will be observed that nothing is said about
printing a pledge on the ballots. The
ballot itself is a pledge within Itself, and
1t simply binds the voter to support the
nominee or nominees of that primary in
the ensuing general election. What right
therefore. has the City Committee to go
beyond that plain instruction and print
on each and every ballot to BIO used In
the local primary an ironclad and for
reaching pledge, binding the voter ito
support the Democratic party In city,
State and national electons?'
It matters not that the plan provides
further on that THE county and city
committee shall have the direction and
regulation of primaries held for the
nomination Of candidates for the House
OF Delegates. county and city Offices re-
spectively."
That provision relates merely to details
such as time OF holding elections, hour
Of opening and closing the polls, appoint
ing election officers. etc 1t does not,
of course. affect the fundamentals of
the general plan. The plan provides that
any white Democrats who shall be quail
fed to vote in the general election TO
follow shall be entitled to vote In the
primary. Does the local committee dare
assert that 1t has any right to alter
that clause and admit negroes and Re
publicans, or even white Democrats who
have not paid their poll taxes? If, then,
1t cannot violate the terms of that clause,
what right has it to go beyond the fol-
lowing clause prescribing the pledge? II
has no right to impose upon the Demo
cratic voters of Richmond any pledge OF
restriction whatsoever other than tina,
required by the convention. Manifcstly
one pledge is not to be required of Demo
Gratis In one county or city. and another
pledge In another county or city: ye
this would be the effect II each count.
or city committee were left to prescrib,
such oath as It saw fit. The Democratic
State Convention never intended other
wise than that uniform pledge shoult
be exacted ~ every Democrat through
out the length and breadth Of Virginia
to-w!t: "All persons participating in an.
of said elections shall thereby be consid
cred as binding themselves to vote 70
the nominee or nominees in the ensuing
general election"
Finally. gentlemen of the City Com
rnittee. let us call your attention to III
legal consequences which VIII probabl
result from the pledge which you hay
seen fit to prescribe as prerequisite I
voting at the primary election on Jun
20, 1905:
Section l22a. Code 1904 provides: I'm n
cases where. by It's plan OF organiza,io
or otherwise, any political party in tn
state requires its candidates to be nom
mated by primary elections. such ele
tons shall be conducted und,
such rules, regulations and Requirement
as may be prescribed in the plan adopt,
by suchSparty."
In the present case VIC have the pl
mary plan adopted by the Democrat
party Of the State OF Virginia at a co
vention held in this city less than ye
ago, set at naught and disregarded
the City Democratic Committee, and tn
IN the very teeth Of n mandatory statu
requiring that the party rules, regul
tons and requirements" shall be Il
lowed in all primary elections
The result OF this action is that y
are violating a statute OF the State
Virginia. In consequence Of which VOL