The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-11-09
|CITY COMMITTEE
RETAINS MONEY
Refuses to Return Any Part of
Administrative Board
Entrance Fees.
CANDIDATES WERE PRESENT
Lively Debate Before Darlington
Motion Refusing Petition
Was Adopted:
CANDIDATES WERE PRESENT

Motion Refusing Petition
Was Adopted:
BY a vote OF nfteen to ten. the CITY
Democratic Committee last night re-
fused to return to candidates. Tor the
Administrative Board In the recent pra-
mary any part Of their entrance fees.
request for such refund was made
BY ten Of the eleven men who met
defeat In that race. One. Marx Gunst.
declined 70 sign the petition. having
played the game ana lost. and being
willing to pocket his losings.
Six of the defeated ones appeared
before the conaxpittee when It met last
night at Murphys Hotel. and pre-
sented the petition. They were Edgar
II. Ferguson. A. w. Bennett. William
IL Zimmerman. Graham B. Hobson.
George Paul and John w. Moore. The
Other signers were Charles E. Rich
ards. Charles F. Taylor George b.
Davis and w. p. Knowles.
Their petition set forth tho fact that
they had paid $3.50 each to become
candidates in the primary OF Septem-
Der 10. This made total receipts from
the sixteen candidates OF $4,000. II
was understood that the cost OF the
primary did not exceed $1,000. which
would leave some $4,000. Agreeing
the committee should have some money
for campaign purposes. the petitioners
thought part should be returned to
them. They asked for $3.50 eacn
Opposes Refund.
DR. Charles v. Darlington then pre-
sented the following resolution. which
man. Ar odnnfAA.
Whereas all candidates in the prim-
amy for the selection Of nominees for
the Administrative Board voluntarily
entered the contest, without solic'ta-
ton: and
whereas the City Democratic Com
mittee fixed the assessment on the
various candidates at the sum required
to be paid into the treasury OF the city
under the Byrd law; and
Whereas by entertaining the petition
filed with this committee by the oe-
feated candidates in said primary
precedent would be set, throwing open
all primaries held b. the City Demo
cratic Committee with the tacit un-
derstandinx that a part. II not all.
OF the assessments for said primary
paid in by the defeated candidates
would be returned to them. the natural
consequence being that every primary
would be reduced to q game OF chance
where the defeated man, II he lost the
ONCE, would get back his deposit
Therefore. be 1t
Resolved. That the request embodied
in the petition of Iessrs. Ferguson.
Zimmerman and others be refused
woala Retsrn e1ee Eaeb.
As q substitute. ". B. jennings
moved that the prayer OF the petition
ers be granted. Later he Withdrew
this in favor OF q substitute by J. IL
Blanks. that each should be gwen
500. including those elected NJ.
Blanks thought the committee owed
it TO the candidates to give back part
Of the money.
Mr.. Jennings said It would only be
a matter of time until the committee
would be leg4slaeed entirely out of
business unless II wouh agree to this
proposition He thought 1t a hofd-up
game on the candidates
Replying to these arguments. DR..
Darlington contended that the COM
mittee had only charged the candi-
dates what they would have been re-
ou:red to pay under the Byrd Law had
there not been two primaries N ad-
vance of this election. and that they
had no right to complain They could
have gotten no money back from the
city under these circumstances.
CLYDE w. Saunders also spoke against
the Blanks substitute.
Vete Against Wishes.
C. W. Hodges made q remarkable
speech. He would vote to give the
money back, he said. but hoped the
motion would be lost This was be-
cause he thought there was pubic
demand that II be returned. while per-
,onauy he did not want to do u
He would vote aye" on the substitufe
a. q representative.
Oxher members Of the committee
AhouRhf the candidates were not same
in going Into the fight and then coming
around and asking for their money
back after the game Secretary wal
ter d Duke also opposed repayment
On a recorded vote. the Blanks SUB
stitute was lost ten to fifteen noes. ana
the Darlington motion was adopted
The candidates who presented the
petftson then left the room. MI Hooson
remarking that he would be siad 70