The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-06-02
Secretary of Commonwealth
Writes Registrars of This
for Work Done for Akers b.
Hayes
Colonel Assumes
Full Responsibility
Two Forms of Letters Sent.
Out-One Letter Objects to
Amount Charged as Money
VIII Come From Personal
Fund

The lists Of voters for which Chie1
I Clerk Hayes recently wrote to the
registrars of the State in the name OF
the secrasary of tho Commonwealth,
b, O. James. and which we're being
gotten for Mr.. Edward Akers. rep
resenting the liquor people, are to % 4
paid for by Colonel James out OF his
private funds, according to letters bee
ing sent out TO q large number OF the
REGISTRARS by the secretary of the CONS
monwealth.
These letters, of which there seem
To be two forms. are genuine. ColoneTS
I James admits sending them out and
assumes fun responsibility for this
step. He is very retieent when Ap-
I proacf1eri tn connection with the H4at-
ter but Ii is believed that the secre~4
/ tarv. realizing that serious plumbers
/ had been made, resulting in most
embarrassing situation, has for his
own protection and that of his once
decided 70 take the matter in hand
personally. with a view to avoiding
! further complications.
/ The Firginian, soon after exposing
/ the method by which the office Of the
I secretary of the Commonwealth wa&
being used by the LIQUOR people IN
+ securing voting lists which might b 4
used for the distribution of campaign
/ literature. suggested that complicA-
tons might follow the sending In BY
I the registrars of their bills. whicn are
/ naturally made ont against Colonel
! James, as secretary of the Commons
wealth. This prediction is heing verb
I fed. Whether the end IS In sight yet
/ remains TO he seen. There are pos
! a!hiIIlIes Of still further complications
and there may be recourse to tbs
courts
Two Forms of Letters.
C0fnrzJ ic {y,w - rAH
istrars letters OF at least two forms
The Nirginian has come into possess
sion of copies Of these two.
/ One Of the letters, the more inter-
esting Of the two, Is written to
( registrars who have sent in their lists
ard rendered bills at the rate of ten
/ cents per name, which Is the amount
allowed by law for the registration OF
each voter. There is printed on this
page today a fac-simile of one OF these
letters written TO Mr.. Jacob MeserolA.
registrar of the West HarTisonburg
precinct. Mr.. MeseroIe's lists em.s
hraced about eight hundred and
thirty voters and he sent in a bill for
$H3, 1t viii be observed that
Colonel James in his reply. prottsts
!, against this charge and makes thte5
significant statement. III
Il arm paying for these lists out o3s
my own pocket and would not cars
10 pay this much for the list a@
IT Will be observed that this letter III
signed 'B, O. James, Secretary Of the
Commonwealth Colonel James and,
his chief clerk, Mr.. Hayes, were both
Iquite positive yesterday In saying thai
none of these letters bore the off1c1a2S
signature. Secretary of the Gemm6a3
wealth" X is manifest that they we9AEs
mistaken. II Is quite possible that ta4ES
) Typewriter in transcribing this lettex
and possibly others wrote the "SQcf1e@
tary OF the Common wealth. leav1I69
!. room above for the signature and thNkE
Colonel James, in writing or stampinnea
his Signature, failed to notice thla
fact
The second letter and the one bein1s
more generally sent out, is very bYtAGS
and formal. This Is signed 'sB. 0sss
James, and Secretary Of the Con3ss
monwealth" is omitted Colon1ass
James furnished The Virginian With
a copy of this letter. which cotncid&4s
entirely with several copies in posse41s
sion Of The Nirginian and is As toas
lows; ss
Richmond Va. May 81. 1sf4
I desire to acknowledge the recNkDt
of your letter Of recent date. enclosing
certain lists Of names, etc. will III II
bills can he tabulated and canvaSsatts
you Will receive a remittance to cOv4Ys
proper fees for your services In thin
connection.
Respectfully, Ss I
b. o. JAMES
Dispute Over the Bills. -
1t Is apparent that there will h.
disputes between registrars and Col
onel James over the bills of the for
mer for work done, as the registrars
believe, for the secretary of the Conn.,
monwealth. but really for Mr.. Akern,
who was aided by Mr.. Writ e. Tay-s
lor, who is engaged in liquor bust-ss
ma n ANT .R
onel James for Mr.. Hayes to rcndATS
Mr., Akers all the assistance he could
In getting certain information wAtcA
he desired This information tur604&
out to he the voting lists OF the 6tn&qssA
In the original. letters sent out hi
MFR. Hayes on the stationery Of th1A
secretary of the Commonwealth AnNE
bearing the signature of that OMc4M&@
the registrars were asked to oen0 9&SS
the lists and to send their bfU0S#
which would be paid. II was ApnaSA
ent that these letters committed Co.,
onel James or the State to the p0YY
ment Of whatever fees the reE1ntE9yMA
] saw fit to charge, Information vhjGl
has come TO The virginian leads n
the conclusion that most of the reGt4#
trars who have sent in their il1l
, made very moderate charges IhQNH
twho charged the full 10 cents D4M
name are believed to have besn
exception rather than the rule. 81. 15
where the latter charge was M410
is believed that IL the registrars 4
AColonel James. will have 10 pay
the full amount.
n When this indefensibie rusa az IT.
the office Of the secretary OF thS
monweaith to get nstx Of yose&