The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-10-06

80 lkkeK8uy VeEmittSu 10 vote TOT the
said Walter A. Watson.
In City OF Petersburg.
At one of the wards in the city OF
Petersburg tyour petitioner being UNI
able to give the numDer OF the ward
for want Of access to the poll books)
Spooner Epes and M eweefnh,r
although possessing the legal qualifi-
cations, were denied the right to
vote. Both offered TO vote in said
primary and intended to vote for
your petitioner,
fc) That in the said Instructions
the judges at the several precincts OF
the said congressional district were
advised that the payment of the poll
taxes required as a prerequisite tu
the right to vote in the said primary
would be sufficiently evidenced by
"the poll tax list'' furnished the said
judges or by the exhibition by tho
electors Of receipts showing payment
of the said taxes
1t has been jujicially determined
by several nisi prius courts of this
State, notably the Circuit court Of
Lunenburg county. in the case of
Stoves and others VS.. Hatchett. re-
ported in the August number of the
Virginia Law Register, 1912, that the
absence Of an intending voters name
from such lists disentitIed him to vote
unless he were within the definite ex-
ceptions Of the constitutional pro-
visions in certain cases. But IL the
said instructions of the said commit
tee were in this respect correct, and
the payment of the said poll taxes
were in fact and in law sufficiently
proved by the exhibition to the said
judges Of such receipts. the said IN
structions of said committee In this
particular were not uniformly and inn
partially observed. but were de-
liberately disregarded. particularly at
Edmunds Store precinct, in Bruns-
wick county, at which precinct divers
and sundry persons, possibly ten In
number. among them J. E. Taylor and
Ashby Taylor. although they had paid
the requisite poll taxes at least six
months prior to the Tuesday after
the first Monday in November. 1919.
were denied the Fight to vote. and
your petitioner AYERS that all said
persons who were in all otner re-
spects properly qualified to vote In
said primary election at said pre-
cinct. intended to been thus preeiaded
therefrom by the action of the said
judges at said precinct
These Paid Poll Taxes.
At Yale precinct, In the county OF
Sussex. o. C. Harrup and ]. c. VIII
liams, who became Of the age OF
twenty-one years sometime during
the year OF 1912. were permitted to
register on the said 21st day of Sep j
tember, 1912, and to vote for the said
Walter A Watson in the said pri-
mary. upon their paying the sum of
$3.50 each to the registrar OF SAID
precinct. he being neither treasurer
nor deputy treasurer, nor otherwise
author lied to AplfeCt or Ereceive
capitation taxes required to be paid
as a prerequisite TO the right TO vote,
and the said o. c. Harrup and ]. {.
williams having not otherwise paid
+ their capitation taxes.
At said precinct also one ". I. Blow.
former resident Of She State or Cali
fornla, and who had not resided in
the state of Virginia for a period of
two years before the general cleo
ton TO be held en- Tuesday after the
first Monday in November. 1912. and
who was. nevertheless. permitted to
register on the said 2lsr day of Sep
TENDER. 1912, and vote in the said pri-
mary election for the said Walter A
Watson. and that. too, without pro-
| ducing any evidence as TO the pay
| ment OF his capitatfon taxes.
Not Satisfactory With Nottoway.
| Your petitioner, from the informa-
ton he has received. feels justified In
| charging that the same kind Of dis
elimination had prevailed TO his preju-
dice to a large extent throughout the
whole of the said Fourth congressional
district.
Made Out No. Certificate.
That your petitioner is informed,
and, therefore, charges, that the judges
OF eiecaion in Amelia county did not
make out and certify to this commit
tee until September 26th and 27th. the
| M iad nF no
cast in said primary. and at the time
of making the said certificates. the
poll bools used in said primary cleo
| ton were sealed and the said certif-
Gates. at best, could only have been
made from memory. and without ac-
cess 10 the poll books, The facts as
to the dates of said certificates. in
only one or two Of which, as your pc
titioner recalls. the dates are left
blank. will appear from the fact OF the
certificates themselves.
The circumstances under, which said
certificates were made are set forth
| in the following affidavit of Writ Rob-
ertson, which Is hereby adopted and
made specific allegation of this petit
| ton:
| This day personally appeared before
me, c. II. Bird. notary public, in
and for the city OF Petersburg. in the
Stat0 or virginia WIFI HoDeftSOu. OF
| the county Of Amelia. Va. and after
t iirst being duly sworn, made oath as
| follows:
| Tpaat on Thursday. the 2eth day OF
September. 1912. he was at Amelia
Courthouse. and on that date the coun-
| ty committee met ~ said courthouse
for the purpose of canvnssing the re-
turns Of the congressional primary held
on the 21st day OF September. 1915,
and that he was told by one Garland
Jefferson. ST.. a member of the county
committee. that 1.-THE poll books of
Amelia county had been sent to Robert
Gillian. district chairman. at Peters,
burg, along with the ballots, and that
the same had been returned and that
the county committee on that day un-
dertook to canvass the returns, the
said committee having met for that
purpose. but that the committee was
unwilling to open the poll books and
ballots. and that thereupon several of
the judges of election stated that if
the said poll books and ballots were
opened that they would never again
serve as judges of election. and there
upon certificates were made out and
forwarded to the judges OF election,
who made mp the said certificates en-
tfreiy From memory. the said poll books
having not been opened !?
NOttoway's Big Vote.
:. Your petite ner calls attention to
the fact that the county OF Brunswicts;
tn xx-tsa ~t& h