The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1907-07-16
LETTER FROM JUDGE CHICHESTER
In Answer To Capt. Dan N. Lee.


\ reluctance t. enter into newspapar
'nhtr"N"r-i"s makes me hesitate to re-
ply to card in your issue of the. 2ud in.
slant, from the pen ui Capt. H. NJ. I...
Nnd do So now. not becAi-.. of ANY nor
-nnal ie''linv ! may have ON account of
hlr attack upon the committee and its
chairman M connection with TIA. nnmiu,,
tion oi Mr. Moncun for the Legislature
hut hecau-" such publication. unan-
-W"rrd, irpm " hat ought t. lee ~ hiyh "A
source IN Democratic affairs in Stafford
county may perchance. create die sen-ion
and dissatisfaction in the party.
To Democrats who ARE acquainted
with the rules and regulations governing
the primary plan of nominating candi-
dnter iur the legislature. Capt. Iee'-
conception thereof as set out in his card
must seem astounding. aud his garhled
nlrstatrtnent- oi such rules, which from
"a charitable viewpoint hops. h. mad.
ignorantly. would lead one To beIiev,.
that lac gathered his information from "A
iertlle, but unreliable Imagination.
The rule quoted by Capt. Lee applies
only To state Elective Officers" and np-
pears ON page . Of the Primary Plan
tAmphlet, hut in no sense duesit applv
20 primaries Tor the House OF Delegates
he rule regulating primaries for the
ti"use oi Delegates appears on page q of
the same pamphlet, and il as follows.
County and City Committees shar
have the direction of primaries held for
the nomination Of candidates for the
House OF Delegates. county and city Of
ncers, respectively, and shall decide con
Tests subject To the right Of appeal Ia
the State Central Committee. Where "A
legislative district is composed OF more
than one county, the respective commit
tees shall arrange all matters pertaining
10 the election, which shall be- held on the
same day throughout the district"
Ii will thus be seen that Cant lee has
absolutely misstated the rule in reference
To primaries for the House of Delegates.
ana that the committees of Stafford and
hing George counties under the urinary
regulations as enunciated bv the Demo
cratic state Convention at Richmond ON
June 10th, 1904, had absolute authority
to make such rules and regulations ~
they saw iii in reference TO the urinary
ior the nomination Of "a Democratic can
didate FOR the Legislature from their dis
trict. The rules and regulations adopted
10y the committees in reference to such
primary We're fair, ample time was given
any one desiring To become "A candidate
To do So, and the notice of the reuuire
ihents oi the committees WAS published
Tor ten days in The Free Lance news
paper.
Capt. Lee refers To the action of the
of Spotsylva and Fred.r-
icksburg as complying with the pro-
visions of the primary rules. agree
with nun, but IN the very issue of the
paper IN which the Captains card An
pears, there also appears "A card signed
4. X. Massey and T. ID. Cole. in which
only 10 days from the time of the meet
ing oil their committees il given candi-
dates in which To enter the primary. In
other words their action was exactly
similar To that OF the Stafford and KIM
George committees in reference to their
Legislative primaries
10 will thus he seen that the action of
the committees was entirely in incorformitv
with the primary plan, was entirely
Democratic, and that no Democrat can
take Just offence thereat, unless he has an
ak to grind himself and Is in search OF a
grievance.
The recommendation of the Sth District
Chairman that no other primary be held
ON the day of the Congressional primary
j une 18th, was in no way binding ON
the Stafford and King George commit
tees,as county committees are in no way
subject to district committees. As a
matter OF fact, county and Legislative
primaries were held in a number of coun-
ties In the Sth District on the I9th. with
the view, no doubt, of saving expenses
and an unnecessary number Of ELECTIONS
and this was the sole object of the staf.
lord and King George committees in fixing
upon the 10Th Of June.
Capt. Lees msquotation or misannli-
cation OF the primary rules is not the
least glaring ofhis in accuracies. He boldly
declares that he was chairman OF the
Democratic party ofStafford for 3S wears.
when as matter of fact there Were at
least three other II not four other, chair
men during that period.
II Capt. Lee has Legislative ambitions
himself. Mr.. Moncure has called his hand
with "a fair proposition to enter into a
primary with him, in his card lust pub
lished. II his attitude is animated by
personal animOsity to the nominee, all
Democrats will give his utterances only
that consideration due the animus
which proyokes them. Certain il is
That the action OF the Joint committees
was In conformity with the primary
rules, and In line with the action ofother
committees in reference To Legislative
primaries In this section.
Respectfully,
X. III. l.. Chichester
chairman Democratic Committee. stat.
lord County.