The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-01-16
White, Paul and Gravatt
Offer Carefully Pre-
pared Measures.
MEMBERS DISCUSS
CHOICE OF JUDGE
Coordinate College for Women
Bill Offered in House-Myers
Wants State Appropriation
for Jackson Monument.
Land Proposes State
Poor Farms.

The machinery Of the General As
scinh]y was perfected yesterday, when
Speaker Cox announced the House
committees. In both Senate and
House, bills poured I'm by tho score.
and when the committees hold their
organization meetings, they will find
papers on nearly every important mat
ter of legislation 10 come before this
session ready for their consideration.
Three elaborate primary bills went
into tho hopper yesterday, Delegate
Hugh a. White Offering q measure In
Tho House, while Senators Paul and
Gravatt presented bills 'on the subject
in the Senate. Bills CARRYING out the
amendments to the election laws rec
ommended by the Pure Election So
riety of tho Ninth District were of
fered in both houses. series OF bills
recommended by the Virginia Press
Association. including new libel law.
were offered. as waA the bill for the
coordinate woman's college at the
University OF Virginia and II bill APP
propriatinE $4,000 toward the erection
OF an equestrian monument TO Stone
wall Jackson In Richmond.
The Supreme Court JudEcShip.
Among members generally the mat :
ter most frequently discussed and ap-
parently of the greatest interest is
the contest for the Supreme Court
=
of opinion. The candidates themselves
arc keeping a diEnifcd silence, but
their friends are AT work In both
houses. No date has been set for a
joint caucus on this matter
The appropriation bin continues un-
der scrutiny OF the Senate Finance
Committee. that committee having de-
tcrnincd further to pruuc the total
amount provided in the bill as first
drafted by Il subcommittee. State in
stitutions which advanced large plans
for extensive improvements and new
buildings. when they heard that there
was surplus. are TO find their re-
quests severely censored before the
bill even comes out of committee.
The new House Appropriation Com
nittee, not having to worry with rails
ing revenue. will go over the bill item
by item. and the word has gone out
that the committee expects TO make q
record both OF economy in the total
and OF wise discrimination as 10 the
allotments that will justify it's crca-
ton by this session.
The White Primary Dill.
The White primary bill differs in
many respects from the original prj-
mary measure offered Mt the last ses-
sion BY Richard Evelyn Byrd, which
was so hammered about that since its
passage II has proved almost un-
workable monstrosity, which Mr. Byrd
himself has disowncd. The features OF
the White bill are: Making primaries
compulsory on political parties instead
OF at the option of the party commit
tees as at present: making nomina-
tons apply to all elective officers, party
committees, presidential electors, dele
gates to State and national conven-
tions. except that the party may de-
clare that In the case of officers for
towns and magisterial districts there
nced be no primary. 1t provides for
RI ats~f Ton, ,I,p
be conducted. fixes a definite time for
holding all primaries. requires notice
OF candidacy to be given by nomination
papers certified by a certain number of
qualified voters. provides for a state
primary board OF canvassers," con
sisting OF the Auditor, Second Auditor.
Register of the Land Office. Clerk OF
the Senate and Clerk of the House OF
Delegates, none of whom Is elected by
the people. to canvas the returns.
Must Declare Pnrty AmlIation.
1t requires declaration OF party
affiliation to be recorded in the regis
tration books, thus checking the evil
most generally charged against Demo-
cratic primaries, that large numbers
of people participate in Democratic
primaries, and yet in the elections Join
hands with other parties
The White bill also provides for first
and second choice voting, and requires
Il majority vote nominate. Tnc
names of persons aided in preparing
their ballots are to he noted on the
poll books with the name OF the officer
who aided them. All expense OF pri-
maries is to be paid as in the case of
general elections. and no fee is re-
quired from candidates. Contests are
to be decided by the courts y plat
form convention is required.
The Paul bill is worked out in equal
detail and gives specimen ballots and
forms. on his sample ballots the
Rockingham Senator has supplied fan
ciful names by way of illustrating how
one shall vote. the names ranging
from Tyrus r. Cobb and John L. Sulli-
van to John y. Rockefeller and David
Copperfield.
The Paul RilI.
The Paul bill makes primary elec-
tions compulsory on all political par
ties prescrbes the day on which they
shall be held, and the methods OF pub
licity; it takes the conduct of pri-
naries from party committees ana
provides for their conduct by the prop
er legal authorities. Nomination of
minor local officials by this method is
prohibited, 1t being the object of the
patron to encourage the selection Of
minor officials from II nonpartisan
standpoint Contests are to be de-
termined by the courts. and party COM
mittees are made legally constituted
bodies with clearly defined powers
Party platform conventions are pro-
nro limited, and provision is made for
independent or nonpartisan nomina-
-tions.
In line with the suggestion In tho
message of Governor Mann, Delegate
Land, OF Nottoway County, offered a