The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-07-19
FUS|0N|STS FILE
CONTINGENCIES
Attorney Moves That Contest
of Straight-Outs be
Thrown Out
THEN ASKS THAT HIS
MOTION BE OVERRULED
Subcommittee Declines to
Act at This Time, but
Will Give Decision
on Thursday

= Especial to The Riehmorfd Virginianl
PORTSMOUTH. VA, July IS.-
Norfolk county Fusionists to-day FL
ed with the ubcommittee Of the couu-
" Democratic executive committee
their answer and counter-charges to
the allegations presented by Straight
outs in their recent appeal In the
primary of June rs. The subcommit-
tee VIII announce a. ruling Thursday.
Captain John w. Happier presented
the answer of the Fusion candidates,
and read a motion asking that tho
Straightout petition be thrown our.
because it had not been sworn TO- ana
had not been signed by two Wit
nesses. as provided In the primary
plan.
Wants Adverse Ruling.
captain Harper said that. although
ne asked that the Straightouts con-
test be thrown out he wanted the
committee to rule against him This
the committee. after an executive ses-
sion, declined to do. 1t announced
it would present the ruling Thursday.
The Straightouts attorney asked
for an immediate ruling
Chairman Sylvester offered to call
the county committee, together to pass
on an appeal to the State committee.
nut ]. Lindsay Heard, for-tHe
straightouts, declined to request the
full committee sessiar He said the
State committee had full authority
to take up the dispute over the head
or the county committee
Chairman Sylvester. nevertheless
called the county committee to meet
Thursday. 70 rule on whether an an
peal Will be sanctioned
Most or the Straightout candidates
and nearly all the members of tho
county committee. attended to-day-s
hearing
The answer and counter-oharges
require several columns. and allars
that the proposal to take the case
direct to the State cornmitte was arr
after-thought, suggested probably by
some one not living IN Norfolk conn.
y, In addition to making n number
OF charges OF irregularities and citing
me record of each Straightout the
following was presented.
Special Plea.
Before the Sub COMMITTEES ~ .ba
democratic Executive COMMITTEES of
Norfolk county:
answer 70 special plea Of contest
anus ASKING for a removal Of the con-
rest 10 the State Democratic Frec7,
tive Committee.
For answer to the said special plea.
the undersigned contastees. by their
attofneys, come and say that the sub
committee should take no cocnixancs
OF the said special plea, hut should re-
1ect the same for the following rse,
sons:
~ On June 3oth. 1911 attorney
Tor the contestants and coutestses an
peared before the Democratic Execu-
tive Committee OF Norfolk county. at
"hich meeting the following resoIu-~
ton was adopted.
Resolved That the chairman or the
committee appoint sub committee of
hNe. OF which he shall be a member.
Resolved. further. That the said com
mittee meet on the sth day o, July
at eleven O'Clock A NJ. at the court
+4eaaa In the city OF Portsmouth, ~,
which may be preferred and filed by
the contestants.
Resolved further, That the sub
committee shall meet on the 18th day
OF July at eleven O'Clock A. NJ. at the
court house. In the City OF Portsmouth.
TO receive the contestees' answer and
counter charges.
Resolved. further That rho sub
committee meet again on the goth day
or July. 1911. at the same hour, to hear
such evidence as the contestants and
contestees desire to present in their
behalf. .......
Resolved. further. That the sub
committee. after having gone fully into
the evidence in this matter shah re-
port with reasonable dispatch to the
County Committee their findings. to-
gether with the evidence submitted to
them. All the pieadings shall be in
duplicate.
And that the said resolution was
passed without protest by counsel for
the contestants except az to the date
when said subcommittee should re-
port.
t2} That the committee, under
the resolution itself, has no authority
TO pass on the removal OF this con-
test it's sole authority being to allow
the filing OF the petition of contest by
the contestants and the Ming or the
answer and counter charges by the
contestees. and the hearing OF the evil
dence in the premises.
ca That the said attorneys for the
contestants acquiesced and consented
for the sub committee to hear evidence
In the matter. and it is evident that
they had no Idea of g. removal OF the
cause, but that the same was an after
he, x5,t r,rxshafJu