The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1912-10-10
TURNALL WILL
CONTEST ELECTION

RIG III MON ID. V A, Special
Letters received this morning
by Democratic State Chairman
EIiyson from Edward II. Turn
fbulf, DR., counsel for Congressman
Robert Turnbull, plainly indi-
cate u purpose ON the part of the
latter Co appeal from the decision
OF the Fourth District committee.
which awarded the certificate for
tho congressional nomination 20
Judge Walter A. Watson.
But they do not specify i'm de-
tail the plans of the contestant,
nor can they be accepted in their
present form as notice of contest.
They might rather be described as
requests for information as to the
methods of procedure.
Evidently the TurnbulI faction,
like pretty much everybody else,
Is I'm the dark as TO the exact
meaning of the So-caIlcd Byrd
primary law and the extent of the
powers it conferS upon the state
committee.
In an effort to accelerate mat
tiers rs much as possible, Mr.. ELY
son, Immediately after receiving
the communication from Lawyer
TurnbuII. wired him at Lawrence
Vile as follows:
"Your letter received. III You
will be ready and desire II, Il VIII
call meeting of state commlttee
for next Tuesday night in Rich
mond to hear appeal of Hon.
Robert Turnbull. Answer quick
ut my expense"
Up to noon no reply had been
received nor was one expected I'M
til the afternoon.
Lawyer TurnbuIi addressed two
communications to the State
chairman. One, signed by Mr..
TurnbulI as counsel, was marked
personal" and hence Mr.. Ely
son does not feel at liberty to
give il TO the newspapers. He is
willing, however, TO let reporters
see it, since IL pertains TO party
affairs and was signed by the
writer in his capacity as counsel.
This letter briefly sets forth the
fact that Congressman Turnbull
expects to file his notice of con-
test with the Fourth District COM
mittee tomorrow. 1t then asks
tee will demand an inspection of
the ballots and poll boOkS-a
rather neat question whose answer
may not be readily aScertained
from a reading of the statute.
The second letter is as follows:
October I'd.
Dear Mr.. EIlySon,-No doubt
you have seen The journal of
yesterday and the Richmond Vir-
your attention to the fact that
certain rulings OF the District
Committee were appealed from,
and we were informed that a
COPY OF the minutes would ut
once be forwarded to you and
that you would call the commit
tee together at once for the pur-
pose of passing upon the queS-
tons raised. Now the Virginian
states that you say you will "call
the committee as soon as con-
kind enough TO write me fully
by return mail your views on
calling the committee and what
rules and regulations govern a
cOnteSt-in other words, what
modes have been prescribed by
the committee for contests and
in what manner.
Surely the committee must
have performed this duty i'm some
way, but IL seems from the
papers that the matter is i'm the
air and that no persons In au-
thority and who ought to know
have been able TO throw any
light on this subject of contest
or matters of appeal from the
District Committee to the State
Committee. Now 1 am asking
this information as fellow
Democrat, not in behalf of any
person. want information, and
you are the proper person TO give
it to me, as you arc i'm possession
of all the matters pertaining to
the conduct of primaries, appeals
and contests. You have always
been extremely kind in giving me
the desired information, and i
will more than thank you for a
prompt reply to this letter.
Your friend,
EDW. u. TURNBULL, JR.
Chairman Ellyson, as yet, has r
,eived no minutes Of the Fourth Di
.n-hicl, held La