The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-08-29
FORTY PRECINCTS
NEVER REPORTED
Brenaman Unable to Find Com
plete Returns From Twenty
Five Counties.
SENDS APPEAL TO ECHoLS
Counters To-Day Begin Work
OF Fabulating Those
Now III Hand.

In opening yesterday official returns
from the Democratic primary under
the direction of Secretary j. y. Brcna
man. the fact was disclosed that re-
turns in Twenty-Five counties and one
city are still incomplete. although 1t
is within n few days of four weeks
since the day of the election. Forty
precincts in the State arc missing, the
Judges having failed TO carry out the
provisions OF the new primary law and
to mail the returns 10 the secretary of
the State committee on the night OF
August >.
Secretary Brcnaman Will get into
communication to-day with Acting
Chairman Echols and obtain instruc-
lions as to the mode OF procedure to
be adopted now. 1t is probable that
Mr.. Brenaman will be authorized to
use every possible means OF getting
the official returns from the missing
precincts ut once in order that the
counting of the vote may not be longer
delayed. Chairman Echols will issue
the call for the state Democratic Com
mittec as soon as the returns from the
delinquent precincts reach Secretary
Brenaman.
TO BcEin Count.
Having sorted the $50 precinct re-
turn blanks according to counties and
searched for the missing returns Sec
rotary Brcnaman decided last night to
proceed with the work of tabulating
the returns to-day without waiting
longer for the elusive forty precincts
The missing totals will simply DO
added TO the figures already in hand
before the meeting of the State com
mittee- Secretary Brenaman has no
authority TO canvass the returns pre-
vious TO the meeting OF the committee,
and. accordingly, will only sum up the
county totals for the various candi-
dates and tabulate them for ready ref
erence by tho committee. His figures
for the individual county returns will
be authoritative and will give the first
official result Of the primary 1t is
expected that the work OF taHulation
Will be completed tonight and that the
oihciai returns can be published, all
except the forty missing precincts. The
vote in the missing precincts will not
be heavy enough to affect the final
count materially.
Examination of the precinct returns
have shown clearly how slight was
public interest in the State over the
Democratic fight In several precincts
only half dozen votes were cast.
while one Washington County precinct
with three paid election officers. polled
four votes. and still another precinct
poiled only three votes. 1t is consid
cred possible that in some of the miss
ing precincts no one but the election
oi'lcers voted. and the returns were NOT
sent in because it was deemed unnec
cssary.
Inv misunderstood.
y misunderstanding OF the now pri-
mary law, as amended by the General
Assembly of 1912. is held responsible
y Mr. Erenaman for the DELAY in
knowing the result of the primary. In
former years it was the custom for
precinct judges to make their returns
|" The county chairman. who. in turn
communicated the county totals to the
state committee; this time, however
each precinct Judge was required to
forward sworn record of the vote to
The secretary OF the State committee
While the law does not forbid the open-
ing oil these precinct returns By Mr.
Brcnaman, neither does 1t authorize
such action. and the secretary obtained
the consent OF al candidates concerned
before proceeding with the task of
tabulating the vote.
Assisting Mr.. I5rcnaman yesterday in
the tabulating OF tho precinct returns
were Davis Bottom. William a. Crcn-
shaw and j. II. Sheppard. Jr., for John
Garland Pollard; a. NJ Cannon and J.
w. Gordon. for JOHN Thompson Brown;
+. l.. G. Scott. for Lieutenant Governor
Ellyson; j. g. Minor and J. J. owen,
Cor Mr.. Cumming.