Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-07
IN THE OLD DOMINION
REVIEW OF FORTHCOMING LEG
ISLATURE-RATE CASES.
Special Correspondence of The Star.

opeclal correspondence OF The Star.
RICHMOND. Va. July 6.-From this
view of the legislative situation the be-
lief is that fully one-half of the body to
convene here in January next will be new
| members. There have been nine former
senator's already renominated and who
have no opposition for the nomination
There are nine Of the former members of
the senate who have a fight on their
hands. and the fight is not OF the per-
functory sort. 1t can be seen that more
| than half of the senate will be new men.
except that in some cases the men who
are to wear the toga have had experience
In the house. and some have formerly
served In the senate. The opposition. too.
Is against the men who have been con-
spicuous in legislation Senator Sadler of
the sixteenth district is being opposed by
j. B. Watkins. Senator Strobe of Am
herst nineteenth distric) is opposed by
w klnckle Allen, and reports are that
Allen will win: In the twenty third dis
trict senator W. A. Garrett Of Henry is
being opposed by Dr. Smith. while George
I. Rison Of the twenty-fourth Is having
campaign against W. T. Wilson
In the twenty-fifth Senator Roberts Is
having his troubles with ]. D. ELAN of
brunswick. Senator A. r. Hobbs who
has represented the twenty eventh dis
trict for years. has opposition but the
name of the candidate is not known at
headquarters. f.. P. Wallace of Lunen-
burg is making a hot campaign against
Senator William Hodges Mann Senator
Lasslter of Petersburg is opposed by John
n. Doyle. a temperance candidate in the
twenty ninth district, Col. w. w. sale of
Norfolk, for years the senator from the
city OF Norfolk, is having a fight on his
/ hands this time. Z. M. Peterson being his
opponent. Henry I. Wickham. vice pres
ident of the senate. who has represented
the thirty second district since the death
or his father some twenty years ago has
an opponent in the person of DR.. Charles
U: Gravatt. a former United States naval
ofilcer. and who is held to be- under the
new constitution. ineligible for office in
Virginia Senator J. Boyd Sears of the
thirty ninth district is opposed nv John
R. Saunders of Middlesex
In case all the men nominated are elected
and those who have no opposition should
be declared the nominee, the thirteen Old
men who have opposition will have to be
chosen in order to give the old-timers con-
troll of the senate. There are thirteen of
these old men who have opposition and
they are all elected that will give the
old men only twenty-five of the forty
composing that body. 1t can be seen that
the old men will have to do some good
work in order to maintain their prestige
and control of the next senate.
OF the % men nominated for the hous4-
one-fourth of the total number in that
body-13 are old and u are new men. In
the house districts in which the old mem
them who will likely return to the halls
of legislation. That will make a total
of SO old men in the house-conceding the
election of all those nominated and who
have no opposition at this time. That
leaves 81 seats to be filled, and in that ca
there are possibilities for the election of at
least ~ republicans from the southwest
section of the state There were some
democrats in the house from the ninth con-
gressional district last session, but the
belief is that this Is the year for the
voters of that district to switch and the
result may be that about II of the follow
ers of Col Slemp will show up here In
the remaining % districts the democrats
will have TO get only about 90 votes in or
der to be in full control of the Legislature
and there is no possible hope for the re-
publicans to get either branch of the gen.
eral assembly. In the districts in which
old house members have opposition. the re-
ports that the old men are showing
up strong. and the belief is that the house
will more readily fall into the control of
the former members than will be the case
in the senate.
Byrd Leads for Speaker
j The struggle for the speakership of the
house is already under way, there being
several candidates for that honor. Richard
f. Byrd of Winchester Is accepted as be-
ing far in the lead, and he is conceded
to be a winner. Mr.. Byrd served his first
term last session. and he at once took po-
sition one of the strongest members of
that body He was prominent in all the
great debates and headed several of the
big committees. Edwin P. Cox Of this city
is also mentioned as candidate for
speaker. though 1t is not known that III is
making a canvass for the position. In
Augusta county John w. Churchman. fo-
many years a member or the house. Is
known to be an aspirant and he Is re-
ceiying the cordial support of those who
have served with him for years. Capt w
w Baker of Chesterfield and Upton D.
Jennings of Lynchburg are both mentioned
for the honor of presiding over the hous.
but they have not made formal announce
ment of their candidacy.
The primary held here few days ago
disclosed a surprise to some of the poll
ticians. What is said to have been a
SLATE" in interest of the saloon people
was gotten out early in the day, and it
was kept secret for several hours, when
the bulk of the vote was DOlied The
word was passed around. and the result
was that the slate was given a black eye.
What is said on good authority to have
been the saloon ticket defeated for
the house. The candidates themselves |
were not regarded as In the deal. but the
candidates were centered on and were |
supported by the saloon men. The result |
was surprise to the saloon men.
Expect State to Win.
Lawyers here express the belief that |
the state Of Virginia will win in its fight |
for the two-cent rate on the railroads |
The case is now before Judge Pritchard !
at Asheville. and the ruling of the court |
in the North Carolina case cannot apply |
to the Virginia case. In the North Caro- |
lima case it was held that the commission |
was not court and had not given the |
railroads day to be heard. that the COM
mission is not court of record and has
not and cannot discharge the functions of
q court in dealing with the railroads. In