Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-06-17
Ministers Oppose Hemphi|I
Speaking at Randolph Macon.
STUNG BY HIS CRITICISMS
They Resent Editorial Attack on DR..
Blackwell.
PUNISH ELECTION
FRAUDS
Speaker Byrd Plans to Make Vir-
ginia Law Puncture Proof.
Judges Have Disagreed.
Special Correspondence of the Star.

Special Correspondence Of the Star
| RICHMOND, Va. June IL, 1911
| Methodist ministers of the city and
| state entered a strong protest against the
action of President 4. +. Blackwell Of
Randolph Macon College in inviting Mai.
j. {. Hemphill. editor-in-c chief of the
Times Dispatch. TO deliver the annual adj
dress before the graduating class at that
| institution. The invitation was extended
more than month ago, and Maj. Hemp
| hill accepted the compliment.
| No sooner had the formal invitations to
| the commencement been placed in the
mails. however, than protests began TO
come back to DR.. Blackwell, and he was
taken to task for his act.
| 1t seems that some months ago the
Times Dispatch carried an editorial ar
ticle which did not mince words in an
arrangement of the Rev. DIR. James Can
non one of the ministers of the Methodist
Church. and who has been somewhat in
| the public eye as result of his denun-
citation of every newspaper and every
newspaper man who did not agree with
him in his views on all questions. DIR.
Cannon is the principal owner of a publ
cation here designed to foster the prohibit
| ton cause. Some of the ministers sent
cards to the organ of the church and
voiced their views in plain language.
| The attention of Maj. Hemphill was
called to the matter. and he at once sent
a note to DIR. Blackwell informing him
| that he could not attend the commence
ment One minister, in voicing his pro
| test declared that If Maj. IIemphill were
allowed to speak in the college he would
refuse to do the bidding of the confer
ence in regard to soliciting support for
the college which is required by the con-
ference. Maj Hemphiil merely laughs
when the matter is referred to, and ap-
pears to be content to let matters take
their course.
Strengthen Election Laws.
Horse high, bull strong and pig tight
will be the election laws of the state of
Virginia after the next session of the
Virginia general assembly if the body
will pass the bill affecting elections which
Speaker Richard F.. Byrd is engaged in
preparing at this time. 1t is even
more comprehensive and plain statute
than he offered last session. and which
died in the closing hours of the session.
Mr. Byrd i'm discussing the proposed
measure, said that he had given the mat
ter considerable attention, had consulted
prominent jurists as to its clearness and
validity and without dissent they had
agreed that the law would stand the test
| of any court and would make II absolute
| ly impossible for any person to engage
| in irregularities or fraud of any kind in
any electibn-regular or primary-and es-
| cape a term in prison. There has been
| a double construction of the statutes by
different judges. and, while three judges
| in one section of the state have held
| them invalid three others have held them
valid, and the validity has been affirmed
| by the supreme court The demand
| throughout the state is that the laws
shall be plain and unmistakable and that
violations shall be punished
Disagree on Registration.
Some months ago Judge Frank +.
Christian of Lynchburg, in passing on
the validity of a prohibition election in
Lynchburg, held that he had no power
to review the work of the registration
officers, they having duties to perform
which made them the sole judges Of their
acts. 1t was held that many voters had
gotten on the books who had not made
their applications in their own handwrit-
ing a protest being made against the
result of the election there on that score,
when 1t was shown that many voters
had been put on the books and changed
the city from dry to wet. That decision,
| however. stood.
| The same question has arisen in the
| city OF SUFFOLK. ana Judge II. L. MCIe-
more of the circuit court holds that every
| voter who failed to make out his own
application and that without assistance
| Is illegally on the registration books. Just
what he will do in the matter of pass
/ ing on the validity of wet and dry
election with that condition of affairs re-
mains to be seen, but he announces that
/ he will hear the case on its merits at
an early day.
Must Protect the Highways.
State Highway Commissioner Wilson
has issued a formal notice to the sew
eral counties which have expended large
sums of money in building modern high
ways that they will be required to keep
| the roads in perfect order at all times
and not TO allow them to go TO ruin
after they have been provided. He calls
attention to the fact that the state has
| a right to demand this. seeing that the
commonwealth has contributed either
funds or convicts 10 build the roads.
| Mr.. Wilson, in making his report to
/ the governor, asks that recommended
ton be made for legislation, which will
take every short-term man from the
state prison and all Jail inmates from
those institutions and put them on the
highways. This will be opposed by the
sheriffs and jailers, who increase their
revenues by having the men remain in
prison and feed them at the expense
of the taxpayers. The road fund SO far
this year has been increased by S3O.-
S74 from the special tax on automobiles.
| chauffeurs and motorcycles. this being
a considerable increase over last year.
To Be Guests of President
| Gov and Mrs. Mann will leave here
| Monday at noon for Washington. where
| they will be the guests of President and
| Mrs Taft In the White House and will
attend the silver wedding of the Presi-
dent During the visits of President
| Taft to this city he has several oc-
| casions been the guest of Gov. and Mrs.
| Mann, and they have grown to be close
| friends
| President Taft likes to visit Richmond,
| where he enjoyes the hospitality for
| which the Old Dominion is known far
| and wide, and where he is received with
| all the Difference due the chief mags-
| trate.
Will Raze Old Hotel.
The property which has for some sew
| enty-fve years been known. as the Ford
Hotel square and which was up to
| twenty-five years ago one Of the leading
hostelres of the country, has passed to
the city and will be RACED before very
| long.
The city will build an Office building on
the site, and whether Ii will be for uses
of the courts of Richmond or for some of
the municipal departments has not yet
been determined. The site 10 Immediately
opposite the Capitol Square and Is across
Hba Straet from the new city hall.