The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-02-10
STATE CAMPAIGN
WILL BE LAUNCHED
Democratic Committee Meets
This Week to Call Primary
Election.
SIGNS OF POLITICAL TIMES
Only Fight Now in Progress Is
for Office of Commissioner
OF Agriculture.
SIGNS OF POLITICAL TIMES

OiiiAi OpShhHS VI SiiC POheiNttA Sati-
paign of 1913 will take place Thurs
day night &C this week. when the
Democratic State Committee will call
a primary election for the nomination
of party candidates for state elective
offices. The committee will hold it's
meeting at Murphy's Hotel, in this
city.
BY the terms of the party plan. the
election must be held between August
3 and September 3---not less than sixty
nor moro than ninety days before the
November election. The committee will
fix n time limit for filing notices of
candidacy and for the payment of en-
trance fees into the public treasury.
Choose Principal Officers.
Under the jurisdiction Of tho COM
mittee will be the nomination OF can
didates for Governor, Lieutonant-Gov-
crnor, Attorney General. State Treas
urcr, Secretary of the Commonwealth.
and Commissioner OF Agriculture and
Immigration. Should but one candi-
date appear for any one or more of
these offices, as would seem probable
in at least two or three cases. such
persons will, after the time limit for
the party nominees by the committee,
and will not be voted on in the pri-
mary.
A House Of Delegates is also to be
elected in November. In perhaps a
majority OF cases, city and county
committees Will decide to nominate
candidates for this body at the same
time with the State primary, this be-
ing optional with localities. Where a
primary is to be held. this will save
expense, since but one primary can be
held in advance of regular election
at the public expense. In some places
for local reasons. primaries Will be
held earlier than the general State con-
test-notably In Franklin County.
where one has already been called in
March to name a candidate for the
House of Delegates. Others will hold
primaries later. In good many cases.
particularly In the Southwest, senti-
ment favors conventions rather than
primaries, and nominations will be
made in this manner.
In every city of the State this year
there will be elected those city OIL
GERS with State duties-treasurers.
sheriffs, attorneys for the Common
wealth, commissioners of revenue. con-
stables. Justices of the peace. and
where they exist, overseers of the poor.
1t is likely that nominations for these
offices will be made for the most part
at the general State primary election.
for the reasons already adduced as ap-
plying to selections for the House OF
Delegates.
Only one Senator. so far. is to be
elected-in the city of Richmond.
HevIew of Situation.
The situation is still uncertain re-
garding tho governorship. Henry c.
Stuart is an avowed and active candi-
date. It has always been supposed
until the beginning of the year that
Harry st. George Tucker would be in
ln f,,,t t,is p.ta,
guine that he may be placed in Mr.
Wilson'S Cabinet. which would elimi-
maze him. Some statement is expected
from him at an early day regarding his
position.
All incumbents of elective State Of
dates for reelection. No opposition
has been suggested as yet to ]. Taylor
Ellyson for acknowledgements, Ii. o.
James for Secretary of the Common
wealth, and Asher w. Hartman for
State Treasurer. and no recent report
Stearnes for Superintendent OF Public
instruction.
There has been n good deal Of talk
of opposition to Attorney General Sam
uel w. Williams. Judge Il. T. w. Duke
was asked to make the race. and de-
clined Floyd w. King, of Clifton
Forge. has been suggested, but has
made no statement of any sort regard
ing the matter.
The one real fight now on is over
the Office of Commissioner Of Agricul-
ture. Both George W. Koiner, the
incumbent, and J. Thompson Brown,
of Bedford, Mr.. Koiner's opponent four
years ago. are actively fighting. and
their friends are rapidly organizing
for them. In 1909 Mr.. Koiner held the
position by majority Of 1888 i'm a
total vote OF 70.657. Both men now
Cl i'm, -frn f,trfI
not possess before. Both are at work
at this moment. and no vegetation of
any sort Is prospecting under their feet
Whether or not there is fight over
the governorship. the campaign will
possess plenty of interest in this con-
test alone