The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1910-09-01
FIND PLENTY LAW TO
SUPPORT A CONTEST
Statutes of State AS Much AppIi-
cable to Crookedness in Pri-
maries As In General Elec-
tions-Col. Days Friends
Irritated.

c II M ID, VA.-Special.-
oiuclahS nereaDouts are evincing
the hveliest interest in the outcome
or the Second District Democratic pri-
mary, which has brought Congress
man Harry l.. Maynard and his op-
ponent, William A. Young, so promi-
nently to the front and one hears
many open hints about crookedness,
,hough these sinister suggestions are
launched indiscriminately at the
friends of both candidates. In other
Woros' some appear to suspect that
the irregularities are in the Young
camp while others think they are
chargeable to the Maynardites.
Some surprise is occasioned by the
puoilshed statement that District
Chairman G. Fenton Day has said that
congressional primary contest is un-
precedented and that he knows of no
provision Tor such in the general
party plan.
1t may be that contests of this sort
are unprecedented, but the possibility
OF thelr occurring appears to have
been recognized by the convention
which sat in Richmond on June 10
1904. for the party plan enunciated
oy that body has a distinct reference
TO such contests.
This plan, in referring to congress
si0nal primaries, uses these words:
n Inc district committee shall decide
All contests, subject to an appeal to
the State Central Committee"
That line is sufficiently uneuuivocal
10 meet the understanding of all. Col
oneI Days friends think he has been
misquoted. They do not believe he
said any such thing as that attrib
uted to him.
And, by the way. the coloners
friends here are somewhat irritated
that the papers should go out of their
way 10 say he is the father-in-law of
senator Martin, which, they think in
Inmates that the Senator has been
meddling in the fight
IL is assumed, of course, that Colo
mel Day was for Young, but II is
pointed out that his countv-Isle Of
Wlght-cast less than thirty votes for
that candidate, while IL gave several
hundred to Maynard. This result. saw
LAY friends, shows that he didn't
try much TO defeat Maynard.
II seems to be the general impress
SION here that a contest is bound TO
follow the Second District primary.
ana certainly there is ample machin-
cry for it.
An investigation would make every-
BODY sit up and take notice for the
"Sht between Maynard and Young is
ahother case of ring" against inde-
pendents.
Maynard is believed to have been
marked by the organization ever
since he declared against Judge Mann
and voted for Tucker And even he
fore that he had the hostility OF
Irehy, who holds Norfolk in the palm
Of his hand.
Law as to Primary Frauds.
politicians hereabouts are COM
planning because editors never get
straight on their ideas as to legalized
primaries. They say that as a mat
ter OF fact. al primaries are legal
lzed to the extent of being subject
20 all the laws forbidding fraud or
irregularities. Apropos OF this atten-
uon is called to the following from
the election laws:
Sec. 1920. 1.-NO person shall
vote at any legalized primary
election for the nomination OF
any candidate for office unless
he is at the time registered and
qualified to vote at the next sue
ceeding election.
2. In all cases where by its
plan of organization, or other
wise, any political party in this
State requires its candidates to
De nominated by primary cleo
tonS, such elections shall be con-
Quoted by the judges and clerks
or other officers designated by
The proper committee or other
proper authority of any such
party, and under such rules, reg
ulations and requirements as NAV
be prescribed in the plan adopt
ed by such party.
3. All laws intended to secure
the regularity and purity of gem
erai and local elections, and to
prevent and punish any corrupt
practices in connection Herewith,
and the penalties and punish
mentS now or hereafter pre-
Scribed by law for such ofTenses.
shall. so far as they may be ap-
Phcable, apply to all primary
elections. whether the same be
held under any statute law of
this State or under a plan pro-
V1ded by some political party.
IL the statute quoted above is not, |
Tor all practical purposes, broad
enough to prevent irregularities, then
some good citizen should step out in
the limelight and show it's defects.
What Are Legalized Primaries?
A reporter Tor this paper who has
become somewhat befuddled as to the
precise meaning of the term legal
lZed primary" today asked some of
the wise ones to tell him the differ
ence between "legalized primary"
and one not '1egalized."
He was informed that the cities OF
Richmond and Norfolk already have
"iegalized" primaries-that is. prima-
ries provided for by special acts of the
Legislature. These statutes, it ap-
pears, were passed before the new
Constitution became effective.
In other communities the primaries
are worked out by the party man.
ayers, acting through the State, dis
trlct or local committees.
But in all events crookedness In
any primary, whether in Norfolk,
Richmond or elsewhere in Virginia Is
punishable according to the ! aw
quoted above.
For some reason, never clearly ex-
planned, the Legislature has stead
fastly refused to pass a general pri-
mary bill, and more than once It has
been hinted that this obduracy has
something behind 1t.