The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-10-08
MUST PLAN MEANS
. TO BRING OUT VOTE
Lack of Republican Opposition
to State Ticket Makes Elec-
ton Perfunctory.
EFFECT ON EXPENSE LIMIT
Byrd Law Limits Primary Can
didates to IS Cents for
Each Vote Cast.

Unless the Socialists have had n State
convention somewhere without telling
any one about it, the entire Democratic
state ticket Will be elected without op-
position on November d. Henry c.
Stuart will be the first Governor of Vir-
ginia to go into office without opposi :
ton either in his own party or from
some other party In the case OF Gov
ernor j. Hoge Tyler. sufficient num-
Der OF votes were pledged in advance
TO secure his nomination by the Demo.
cratic State Convention. and no other
name was presented there. but he faced
Republican, opposition in the general
election.
Neither the Republicans nor the Pro-
gressives has put State ticket in the
field this year. The election from pres
ent prospects, Will be a purely perfume
tory occasion, save in those counties
where there is Republican opposition
TO the Democratic candidates for the
House OF Delegates. In some sections,
where the parties are about evenly bal
anced, this will lead to spirited con
tests.
Many Will Not Go TO the Polls.
In Richmond the talk of independent
opposition to the party nominee for
the state Senate seems to have died
out, and the City Democratic Commit
tee is now facing the problem of how
TO set the voters 20 the polls With
no contest on, and the act of voting a
merely perfunctory casting of the party
ballot. il is feared that large numb crs
Will not take the trouble to go to the
polls. While the party ticket will be
elected. however small the vote, the
small number voting will be used
against the party in various ways
one of the immediate effects of an
unusually small vote throughout the
state Will be To place an unexpectedly
low limit on the expense accounts of
candidates for the next four years The
Byrd primary law provides that: mo
candidate for any Office at any primary
shall spend for any purpose whatever.
exclusive of the entrance fee provided
tor in section ], a larger sum than
an amount equal to 10 cents for every
vote cast for the candidate of his party
receiving the largest vote at the last
preceding Subernatorial election within
me territory the qualified voters of
which have the right to vote for the
office for whose nomination such per-
son is candidate at such primary
Violation of this clause not only car
ries heavy fine but disqualifes the
offender from holding Office
Effect on Expense Accounts.
Ihat Is 10 say. should only 1000
| Richmond voters take the trouble 70
80 10 the polls on November 4. candi =
dates for office in any Democratic pri-
mary held in Richmond during the next
four years will he limited in their
expenses 10 not more than $500. This
amount would not prov ide for hall hire
and printing IN heated campaign for
Mayor. Every one of the candidates
Tor the Administrative Board last year
spent larger sum. and there will be
n primary 10 nominate two members of
| that board next summer.
| Four years ago Richmond cast $685.
votes for Judge Mann, to Sis for the
! Republican nominee. Mr. Kent Under
the Byrd primary law, therefore,, can
didates In Democratic primaries I'm
| Richmond have been authorized since
! the passage of that act to cxpcnd, not
counting their entrance fee. not more
than S55il0 or a maximum of 10 cents
| for each vote cast for Governor Mann
In Richmond four years ago.
AS the vote for Governor is taken as
the official index OF the strength OF
the party in the community, II is cX.
pected that the City Democratic Com
mittee will be called together shortly
TO devise plans for bringing out the
vote on November I, regardless OF the
fact that there is no Republican oppo-
sition.