The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-03-06
Two Features Advocated
by Secretary Bryan Go
Down in Defeat.
ELLYSON BREAKS
TIE AS TO FRAUD
eatherston Amendment to Pun
ish Guilty Voter Wins When
Put Up to Presiding Officer.
Definite Time Is Fixed
for Holding Primary.
Long Contest Ends.

The Senate at 6:15 o'clock yesterday
afternoon passed the Holt primary bill.
which had been on the calendar since
February % as special and contin-
uing order. and which, for the past
four days. has had the almost e2clu-
sive consideration OF the Senatcs day
sessions. The vote was 36 70 .
The task was completed after a
strenuous day OF debate. In tho course
OF which no less than score Of amend
ments were sent To the desk, only to
lie moved down by the majority, which
stood by the Committee on Privileges
and Elections. Amendments offered
10y the committee leaders. with only one
or two exceptions were carried hy
substantial majorities.
ON only one amendment OF compare
tive Importance did the minority
triumph over the committee forces.
Senator Featherston's amendment, de
claring IL To be rnisdeueanor pun
ishablc by fine or impri sonment for
any person IL commit fraudulent act
in connection with a primary election.
tenant-ciovernor TclIySon voted aye
and the amendment won.
KIN Mandatory Feature.
Among the amendments that went
down in defeat were at least two
which are regarded by advocates Of a
thoroughgoing primary law as or the
tirst magnitude. Senator Gravatt in
trodnccd an amendment under which
the holding OF primary elections would
have been made compulsory. II was
defeated by vote of 81 to &. The
mandatory primary, il was brought out
In the debate, WAS recommended to the
General assembly last week by no less
liam Jennings Bryan. Senator Pauls
amendment providing for the election
United stRes-a reform likewise ad- M
rocntod here by Mr.. Bryan-was de-
featcd by narrow vote OF le to is
The last important primary issue set :
tied by the Senate was the Gravatt
amendment adopted on Friday. fixing
4 definite time Tor holding primaries
simultaneously throughout the state.
The definite settlement OF the question
had been deferred from day 10 dav
since Monday, when Senator Rison
moved that the Senate reconsider the
vote by which the amendment WAS
adopted. The motion which was passed
By was renewed yesterday by Senator
itison, but the Senate declined, by n
vote of Is to :. To reconsider, and the
Gravatt amendment remained a part
Of the bill as passed.
How They Voted.
On the passage of the bill the Sena
tors voted as follows:
Aycs--Blanks. Bowers. Brock, Buch-
anan. Cannon. Catron. Crockett, Drew.
ry. Early. Echols. Edmondson. Fcath- :
erston. Fletcher. Garrett. Gayle Har-
man. Hart, Holt, Lesner, Mnpp. Massie,
Moncure, Montague, Parr, Paxton,
Rinehart Iuson, Royal. Saunders,
Smith. Sowder. Tavenner. Thornton.
Walker Waudnr n
Noes-Gravatt ana Paul..
With the exception of the changes
noted and one or TWO material amend
mcnts incorporated during the earlier
days OF the debate. the Senate passed
an amended measure. which does not
differ materially from the bin as it was
reported by the Committee on Priv
!ieees and Elections. Ii differs In sew
eral important particulars from the
primary law now on the statute books
Tue passage of the bin narrowly es-
capped being deferred until to-day The
rules under which the Senate was
working called tor the vacatiug of IN.
struck the body was engaged in de-
bate over an amendment offered by
Senator Paul. The chair much To the
relief OF Il Senate which had grown
thoroughly weary, automatically ir-
nored the clock and withheld the -avel
until the mca sure was passed, iiftcen
minutes later.
New Provisions of Law.
From the primary law as now on
the statute books, the act passed yes
terday by the Senate differs in these
material respects:
1t requires primary elections to he
held on the same day throughout the
state The primary for the regular
November elections must he held on the
first Tuesday in August preceding the
election. The primary for the July city
and town election is required To he held
on the first Tuesday in the April prc-
ccding. Under the present law the tlno
of holding primaries is determined by
the party committees
tt reduces the entrance fee to . per
cent of tho first years salary of the
office To which the candidate asplres
The present law requires 3 per cent
1t provides that no person shall be
named on the official ballot as n candi-
date for any State office or for election
to Congress until petition signed Nv
$50 voters shall first have been sent 10
the party authorities asking for his
candidacy. In the case OF candidates
for the Legislature or county ana city
offices. only fifty signatures to the pc
tition are required The genuineness
Of MI signatures must be attestcd by
lfludVltS executed by the persons who
circulated the petitions.
Duplicates Primary Judges
IT provides separate sets of primary
election judges I'm all cases where two
or moro parties hold primary elections
at the same time, such Judges to be ap-
pointed by the respective party authori-
ties. Under the present law tho judges
OF the general election preside over
joint primaries.
IL gives the local electoral boards the
right to require majority instead Of u
mere minority vote for amy one candi-
Continued On Third Page)