The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-09-02
Secretary Brenaman, in Public
Statement, Explains Cause
of Long Delay.
PRIMARY LAW DEFECTIVE
Change OF Dozen Words in
Law Will Remove the
Difficulties.

In statement in which he takes
the General Assembly to task for snap
legislation, ]. y. Brenaman. secretary
of the State Democratic Committee.
last night made public the reasons for
tho delay In obtaining the official re-
turns OF the State primary held on
August 8. There is no evidence to
show that the unreported precincts
have been fraudulently held out. says
MIR. Brenaman, as some are credited
to Pollard and some to Williams.
A defective primary law which names
no central head. imposes no penalties
for nonperformance of the functions
ordained and provides no cohesive
plan. 10 held responsible by Secretary
Brenaman for the chaotic conditions
surrounding the recent primary. While
not specifically making the recommen-
dalton, Mr.. Brenaman says that the
next General Assembly can remedy the
defect in the primary law by making
precinct Judges report to county and
city chairmen instead OF directly to
the State Democratic Committee
Mr.. Brcnnman's Statement.
under the primary election law was
held. Nearly all. II not all. new laws
are amended by the Legislature fol-
lowing their enactment, made neces-
sary by defects discovered when put
into actual practice. The primary
election law approved March a. 1912.
has proved to be no exception to this
rule. Naturally any defects in the
law would develop in it's first trial.
so long as our Legislative bodies
are composed Of majority of new
members-men without legislative eX-
perience-and limited to siXty-day ses-
Ia ha Il
without careful consideration. am in
formed that from indications the House
of Delegates Of 1914 will he composed
of forty-nine members who have at
some time In the past had Legislative
experience and nfty-nine members who
have never had such experience. 1t
takes a new member at least half of
the session to become familiar with the
rules. regulations and routine Of the
body. The consequence is rush in
the latter half of the session. resulting
liz much defective and imperfect legis-
lation. Defects in the election law
which cause any delay, and which are
often construed by the minimizing to
indicate fraud. make more impression
on the public mind than the defects
il. most other laws Every man has an
interest in safeguarding his own vote
81, we'll as that of others. and therefore
any abrdgment of his rights as voter
VIII DC promptly rcScn Ieu-
New Primary PInn.
There has never been an election in
Virginia, general or primary, in which
the judges of election We're required to
certify the vote direct to the State au-
lhorities. In general elections alb
stracts of the votes are made out by
the judges of election and delivered
by one Of their number to the clerk of
the county or to the clerk OF the cor
poration court as the case may be. In
turn, they are certified by the respective
court clerks to the Secretary of the
Commonwealth and canvassed by the
BOARD of State Canvassers.
ut will be seen that the Secretary
OF the Commonwealth will receive In
an election 40 returns. there being 100
counties and twenty cities in the State.
In tho recent primary election the
judges of nearly 1900 precincts were
required to report direct to the State
chairman.
IF the judges OF any precinct. under
the general election laws, should fail
20 deliver the returns to the clerk of
the court. the said clerk is empowered
and directed to dispatch special mes
senger for them. In case Of irregu-
larlties or informalitics, the city and
county canvassing boards may sum-
mon the judges and clerks of election
to appear before them for the purpose
OF amending such returns. But In the
recent primary there was no central
head In the cities and counties. and
therefore. the irregularities, informali-
Ties and failures to report, amended
End corrected Mt homo by tho boards
OF canvasscrs under tho general cleo
ton laws. were dumped on the State
chairman. Heretofore. under the
Democratic primary plan, the city and
county chairmen, after receiving re-
ports from all precincts, would certify