The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-10-17
,,r roURTu DISTRICT RESULT.

Give election laws ana Oh
:, ,re1ect.ve election laws Is the e."
:o-.sr.rt OF the ineffective laws. Inc
.,ost in,portent test In the WATSON
.r,,nnuu contest was not OF inc
strength OF the candidates. but OF 'he
.6enuscy and efficiency OF the bsto
nrirarv law. That law carried with
a, Oh. multitude Of election statutes
enacted from time TO time ana 'h'
,uhole situation was one OF hopsie
confusion O, laws. Both the Old ana
m. new primary law governed the
,.,,ss, and both were not equal 70
IRE effective law. A primary la" as
s,n,o,e as the First Reader. as clear
rs daylight and a. incapable Of misin-
serorets,ion a. the skull and bones
an . Wal Of carbolic acid Is required
"a meet such q situation IS was de-
re,epsd in the Fourth District contest
roncluded yesterday. The imperative
necessity for such law cannot he over
stated: II there is any law which the
people must have. II is primary law
,oophoie-proot. politican-proof. jag.
Sler-proof, q law that will not mean
one thing in ono place ana another in
another. bat one that will mean the
same thing at all times in all cases
irresrectivs Of person or circumstances.
q law too strong for manipulation and
too plain for misunderstanding. 1t Is
not 80 much fraud that We have to
fear, II is mistake and demonstration
that most menace the Just enforcement
Of our primary Law.
The Tiraes-Dispatch finds no fault
with the Judgment Of the Democratic
State Committee declaring Walter y.
Watson the nominee. No other opinion
seemed possible after the opening o.
the returns increased the lead OF the
contested. Judge Watson. Mistakes
were made on both sides: Persons who
ought to have voted were not per-
mitted TO vote. and persons who ought
not TO have voted were permired TO
vote. There were many election ohi-
ciais who deserve the severest censure
for their inexcusable unfam.liarity
with the election laws. and for their
misconstruction OF them. Entirely TOO
much partisanship was shown by
refrained from officially aiding at the
polls the candidate they personally
favored. II there had been time to
make minute examination of the
charges On both sides and Investigate
every !nfractIon Of tho law. the re-
suit might CT might NOT have been
changed, but IN the limited time it
had between the primary and the
FINAL date for fling the name CT the
nominee in tine to get IL On the OFF
c:aI ballot, the Fourth District Com
1,l;ttee die what II could The erief
interval IN which the contest he'd 10
Be made demonstrated the danger OF
such late primaries. for IL is physically
impossible properly to iavestigat. a
contested election IL SO short period
Ths.resait naturally disappo:nts the
supporters of Representative Turnbuil.
but they doubtless avail themselves Of
the philosopbic consolation that both
candidates are men srinentIy qualified
10 represent them IN Congress. Either
So amply capable OF rejecting credit
upon the district
II the people o: the Fourth District
would forestal repetition CT the mis-
takes 0; this primary. let them see 10
~ tina, the representatives wnom they
send 70 the next General Assembly
arc committed to the enactmen. o.
an effective primary law. Until there
50 placed u2on our statute books a.
tmpreGnAbls law, our primaries VII!
continue to create Dissatisfaction and
6istTust On tie part OF the people
10 secure such q law there raust p,
q ptsiic demand fc- II. = public de.
Di2nd that will not be satisfied witl
a. srnasculatsi statute but insistan'
upon q law with q backbone, witnout
ambiguity, without omission and with
cut defect Such q law can b. dTawr
ana In It's framing. ,;r. Bird shouIt
be GALES upon for much assistance
for though ne 6I.cia!ras the p-i-rar,
statute ss his legitimate Offspring
he should f-eo himself cf pu;ativ,
parentase ~ drawing = statute -
eEeetiv. that Z, cog.d kro~ 10 brother
That no fraud was foBad i a uotagI
aHd cresi;ab.e tact. bit - gEe yrcsea
eonf-see and os:ectiv" condition o
SIr Law, governing e.e,Ji"as. there .
entirely TOO great al opportunity 20
the future practice Of ;r,sS statute
eess;rued one way a, one psce.rc
asi another a. sno;hsr are cayab.e Q
sss most eoTTup; manipulation. II
bars are down IRE experience ., a.
Fourth District nsst c!;uc! the co..
vicsson 81 the peop.e that an 'na.zibI
0pd strong primary isw - isGig9er
Doble 20 sypreesio- % to- popular WI