The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-06-11
GAVE NO. NOTICE
OF CANDIDACY
Evidence Piles Up Of IRREGULAR
ties in Conduct of
Primary.
BYRD LAW NOT OBSERVED
Chairman Martin Believes Honest
Expression OF Peoples
Wishes Will Stand
BYRD LAW NOT OBSERVED

Complex situations in tho local pri-
mary continue to grow Not only did
tho City Democratic Committee fail to
give notice to the Secretary Of the
Commonwealth OF Its intention to hold
legallzed primary, but many of the
committee themselves, now candidates
for re-election, have not filed any no.
tice OF candidacy with the clerk OF the
Hastings Court az required uby the
Byrd law The committee is going
ahead with the primary, notwthstand-
ing the Irregularities. Chairman Mar
tin holding that IL is extremely i'm
probable that any court would invali-
date q primary which honestly OK
pressed the wishes Of the voters \
primary election. he believes. could
only be set aside on the ground of
fraud.
Signs of Temper.
Imbued with the idea that holding
tho primary under the general pro-
the committee went ahead with it's
plans for an annexation referendum,
and in other ways took tho general
ground that as It was paying for IT, 1t
could run the primary as II saw fit.
The decision of Judge Crump in regard
TO the annexation referendum came as
distinct surprise. and most of the
members have not yet gotten over their
temper that one member of the com
mittee should have raised n point which
served to restrict the scope OF the com
mittees action.
Section "a OF the Byrd primary law
requires the party authorities holding
primary to notify tho Secretary OF
the Commonwealth thirty days before
such election. No such notice of tne
primary OF tomorrow has been served
On Colonel Il. o. James, Secretary OF
the Commonwealth. Petersburg, Roa-
hoke. Winchester and alexandria and
the Counties of Orange, Greene and
Alexandria have served formal notice
OF such elections, tho primary in VIM
chester having been held yesterday.
The Petersburg primary is set for June
49, that in Roanoke for June 20. the
Greene County primary OH July 10.
and those in the city and county of
Alexandria on July S.
Did Not Post Their Nnmcs.
Not until Judge Crumps decision did
the committee acknowledge that .his;
was to be IA Byrd law primary, and IL
is obviously too late now to give the
thirty day notice to the Secretary Of
the Commonw wealth, required by law.
Also II is obviously too late for the
chairman of the committee and others
TO post notices Of their candidacy with
the clerk of the Hastings Court sixty
days before the election, as required bv
| the Byrd law.
Among the candidates for the CITY
! Democratic Committee who posted
their names with Chairman Miles NJ.
Martin. but who did not post them with
the clerk of the Hastings Court. arc
clyde w Saunders and J NJ. Purcell.
OF Clay Ward; William Russell Jones,
Waiter {. Duke. Miles NJ Martin.
Charies V. Darlington, Writ f. Taylor
and Frank Ferrandini. OF Lee Ward
w g. Enrisht, Walter Lipford. Thomas
f. Johnson and Charles p. Epps. or JEFF
ferson Ward, and John L. Morris and
W H. Washington. OF Madison Ward
Their names will appear on the au
thoriaed ballot, however. az Ii is claim
ed that the clause OF the Byrd law re-
curing notice OF candidacy with the
clerk OF the Hastings Court does not
apply to candidates for the CITY Com
mittec- For that position the election
tomorrow is not a primary but a final
election.
great deal OF comment has been
created by tho obvious unwillingness
or the committee TO hold a leralized
primary, In which there Is provision
for the punishment of fraud The de-
cision OF the court settles that point.
and any proof OF fraud in Tomorrow 3
primary VIII not only inevitably result
In invaltdating the primary. bur will
also subject tho offender to the PENAL
ties provided for fraud In general
election.
ADDRESS ny HEFLIN.