The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-06-20
SET I'll { DISPUTE
By INJUA CTIO n
Will Ask Court to Prevent South
Richmond People From Vot-
ing in Primary.

| ing in Primary.
n all proba bility the status Of South
Richmond. formerly the city OF Man
chester. as to its representation In the
Legislature. will he settled by invok :
ing the aid of the courts This was
| the semi-hnal tieclsion reached at a
4 conference held yesterday afternoon at
| o'clock in the Office OF Democratic
City Chairman Miles NJ. Martin. in the
| Mutual Building There were present
! members of'the City Committee and of
the Washington Ward Democratic
| Club.
Following the conference Major
| Martin declined to say more than that
he had called meeting of the can
| didates for the General Assembly from
this city at his Office at noon to-day, at
which plans VIII be considered looking
| TO settlement OF the vcxed question.
Candidate Will Sue.
From other sources. however, 1t was
learned that 1t has been practically de-
! cidcd that candidate from the north
| side of the river will make legal
| test OF the matter. and that action will
| be taken at once SO as to secure n
judicial decision In advance of July 4.
! the day on which entries for the Demo-
cratic primary will close.
\
| vtXation to party authorities. although
(! there is no friction over the matter.
! The one desire is TO decide the legal
| status of the affair and to act ac-
| cordingly
| Under the last apportionmcnt made
| by the Legislature of representation in
| It's houses. the city of Richmond has
| five members of the House of Dele
gates and two members of the State
Senate. The city of Manchester. with
the counties OF Chesterfield and Pow
hatan. was given a loater member. The
| incumbent In the present House is d.
H. Toney. of South Richmond, and it
seems to be understood that he is
wanted BY the people of the district
without opposition. The State sena-
torial district is composed OF the same
counties as the House district, with
Goochland added. II is now represen ted
by Senator j. b. Watkins. OF Chester
field. III
Annexation Caused Trouble.
Since the last meeting of the Leg
islature, the city of Manchester has
been ANNEXED to Richmond There
has been no opportunity 10 redistrict
the State so as 20 increase this city's
representation AS a result the Ques-
tion OF representation recently arose
If as contended by one party, inciud-
j..
become a part of Richmond and must
vote us such. the proportionate repre-
sentatlon of this city has been reduced
and the representation OF Chesterfield
and Powhatan cores ondlngly in
creased. Those who hold ,nis view
are strengthened by the fact that the
election laws provide thlt poll tax
lists must be used in Young at reEu-
lar elections. and that these books
n ra ed Nv, IL
urcr. Manchester has no clerk and
no treasurer. Another argument Is
that the Judges of election shall be
appointed by the electoral board OF
the city, and Manchester no longer has
an electoral board
On the other hand. there is a side
which says that Manchester should
Vote as of old In the Legislative dis,
trict with Chesterfield and Powhatan.
until the annexation is formally re-
cognized by the Legislator Further,
they say. the General Assembly is the
Judge of the qualifications of its mem
beers. and Will not turn down an appIi-
cant elected under its own plan. espe-
cially if he has no opposition.
eote With Old city.
The Cir Committee. in arranging
for the ls'imary of September e. took
no official cognizance OF the situation
thereby tacitly including South Rich
mond With this city. for If there is
no change the Richmond candidates
for Senate and House Will be voted
for in The Southsde. The people or
Washington Ward apparently want TO
reflect Mr.. Toney. If 1t can be done
legally.
There seemed for some time to be
no way in which to get an official opin-
ion. Some discussion was had as to
some manner in which to have judy
ment rendered by Attorney General
Williams. but no one was able to ng-
ure out plan by which he could be
officially approached on the subject
until after the November election,
which Will be manifestly too late. In
addition. the same difficulty was found
in trying to get the situation before
the party authorities.
Now, however some one has dis
covered way. The plan. it was
learned yesterday, is to have some
candidate for the Legislature from
Richmond (the north side) sue for
an Injunction before one of the courts
of this city to prevent the Democrats
of Washington Ward from voting In
the September primary on a choice OF
Eichmond's representatives in the
be done to-day. a speedy decision Is
anticipated. and the Judge OF the court
in which the matter Is taken will be
the final arbter, Neither side Will
appeal. since there is no time. and
there is no spirit OF contest-oniy a
desire to do what is legal.
| Assaulted Letter Carrier.
al