The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-02-14
PRIMARY FOR ALL
STATE OFFICIALS
TUESDAY, AUG. 8
Prospective Candidates Must
Have Hats in Ring by
Friday. June 6
NEW PARTY PLAN
FORMALLY APPROVED
State Central Committee Also
!. Adopts Amendment to the
Party Plan of Organ
ization

The primary for the nomination Of
State elective officers Will be held
Tuesday. August 5th.
Candidates who expect to have
their names on the official ballot used
ia that primary must file written de-
cIaration OF candidacy not later than
Friday, June 9Th.
So ruled the State central committee
in official session last night and with
its ruling the campaign of 1913 Is
formally open.
Purpose Of Meeting.
The only other purpose OF the meet
ing. which WIS called 10 order at 3
!. o'clock In the parlors of Murphy &
hotel WAS to pass upon the new party
plan. as revised by the subcommit-
tee To conform To the primary law
of March IL, 1919, and this. with one
slight change, was adopted as sub
rnitted
At the suggestion OF Chairman Ely
son the committee further adopted an
important amendment to the party
plan of organization. fixing the basis
OF representation on county and city
committees upon the Democratic vote
cast In the preceding congressional
election.
New Plan Approved.
In opening the meeting Chairman
]. Taylor Ellyson read the resolution
adopted by the hast State convention
authorizing the State central commit
tee TO undertake the task of harmonic
ing the Byrd law and the party pri-
mary plan. and then he read the fun
text Of the new plan as framed by the
subcommittee, of which he was chair
man. The committee voted upon the
adoption of the plan paragraph ny
paragraph, and then voted for the
adoption of the new plan SIS whole.
IL being adopted without "a dissenting
voice
The only change made was in the
concluding paragraph of the section
relating to State senatorial primaries.
making the district committee hav-
ing jurisdiction the court of appeal
in contests instead of the State CEN
trail committed Otherwise the COM
piete plan, AS IL has been printed in
The Nlrginian. stands.
An Unexpected Debate.
The clause in the plan providing
for the duties of county and city com
'mittees in the conduct of primaries
precipitated lengthy and lively de-
hate at the outset. One committee
man complained of the difficulty in
securing "A quorum of county COM
.mittee to canvass the returns after the
primary was over, and wanted some
thing more explicit in the clause
something that would give the faith
ful few who did respond to the call
a right to certify the returns Sng-
.gestiens FOR coping with Such sitssa4
tons came thick and fast. betray
ing many men of many minds. Sew
erai committeeman pointed out the
fact that primary law embodied pro-
visions for meeting this contingency.
but Il score or more of eqhaliy earnest
committeeman insisted upon some pro-
vision in the party plan. These sug-
gestions narrowed down finally to two
--os1e offered by General w E. Sale
and the other by I. T.. Whitehead, and
both TO the same purpose--tlat S he
deemed sufficient to constitute quo
rum for certifying returns. but before
either could be brought to a vote
Judge r. T. W. Duke moved that all
the amendments and provisions be
thrown to the winds and the section
adopted as read. and this motion pre-
vailed. That was the only ripple on
the surface and the reading of the
plan was not further halted by OBJ
Jections or amendments.
Organization Plan Amendment.
The amendment to the party plan
!. OF sdrEaDlxa tinn Ia IN seefian 4. undes
the heading, County and City Com
mittees."
Each county and city by popular
meeting after due notice or through
may appoint a city or county commit
tee to consist of two or more mem
bers from each district or ward in
each county or city who shall be elect
ed by the Democratic voters of the
respective districts o. wards tho mum
Der of committeeman to be proper
toned upon basis of the Democratic
vote cast in the next preceding con,
greasional election.
: DR.. +. S. Hope. of Portsmouth, ex.
planning that the people of his city
were unalterably opposed TO the Byrd
law as undemocratic, in that by Its
provisions candidates were chosen by
plurality, presented resolution
which he asked the committee to
adopt just to give assurance to his
folks that their right to hold pri-
maries under the special Act of ass
sembly of 1892 would not be denied
them. Their primary act provides fol-
a majority vote for the successful
candidate and after twenty years trial
they were well satisfied with Ii and
wanted no change. This is the reso.
luton, which the committee adopted
without comment or objection:
That the action OF the State cen
trail committee Is not construed Il
abridge. modify or interfere with any
local law governing the holding of pri.
maries in cities or counties heretofore
provided for by special act of the gen.
eral assembly,"
Primary Date Fixed.
Then. somebody moved adjournment
but State Chairman Ellyson reminded
them that the very important matter
OF fixing the primary date had not
been discussed. Committeeman Clyde
w. Saunders suggested Tuesday, Au,
CONTINUED on Third Pago.)