The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-11-01
NORFOLK STRA|GHT0UTS
Continued From First Page.)

Continued From First Page.)
suddenly in all its yigor. and with
strength added to II by the insertion
of the name of few former Straight
outs, who, for reasons of their own.
abandoned the associates with whom
they had fought SO many battles.
/ The first move was made by the
Straightouts. They demanded pri-
mary held under the State primary law
and conducted by the election officials
of the county instead of by the party
committee controlled by Fusionists and
straight Republican. The committee.
which has the power to decide whether
or not there should be primary. de-
cided In the negative, because,
Straightout leaders charged, they fore
! saw defeat with the Republican and
negro voters eliminated. The fact that
/ Portsmouth is in the same senatorial
! district helped the Straightouts. for
the Portsmouth committee stood out
for a primary for the nomination of
Democratic candidate for the State
Senate. When two committees dis
agree the party lazy leaves the deter
mination of the question to the state
chairman. Chairman Ellyson ruled
! that senatorial primary should be
/ held on September IS.
! Flushed with this victory the
Straightouts renewed their demand for
a primary for all county Offices and
were again met with n refusal, Cano
then An appeal to the State Democratic
Committee. The committee. sitting In
Richmond last July, decided that it
| had jurisdiction far as county
offices were concerned, but ordered an
election for membership on the County
j Democratic Committee. whose term had
expired, but election for which the
county committee had declined to or
! der.
This was victory number two for the
Straightouts, but there remained the
members of the House of Delegates
+ and county officials to be elected In
the general election without any pri-
mary to secure the sentiment of the
Democratic voters.
Fusionists Holt.
/ However, with Republican and negro
votes eliminated the election of
Straightout County Committee and the
nomination of a Straightout as the
Democratic candidate for the Ports
mouth Norfolk County Senatorial Dis
trict appeared certain. The Fusionists
evidently believed the same thing for
they bolted The County Committee
met and advised its members not to
enter the election for committeeman
and advised III. l.. Alexander. Fusion
candidate for the Senate, not to enter
the primary. The primary was held
nevertheless and the Straighrout nom
inees were selected without opposi-
ton, polling more than half the vote
J OF the county. Immediately State
Chairman Ellyson recognized the NOM
inees.
( So. at one blow. the Straightouts
secured absolute control of the County
Committee and gained the prestige of
having their candidate declared the
regularly Democratic nominee for the
Senate.
| The Fusionists however, refused to
yield. They declared their rejection
of the State chairmans ruling and
I continued their support Of Alexander.
( now independent ar well as Fusion
candidate. They also continued their
I fight for the election of their nomi-
4 nees for the House and county offices
and the fight ragged even more fierce
t ly than before. Last week the cam
i paign closed with meetings nightly,
every part of the county being COW
cred by both factions.
Unusually Warm Nind-Up.
Two or three meetings each night
was the rule and for 1--WE days the
county reverberated from Ocean View
to the Dismal swamp with charges
and counter-charges. denials and more
deAials. Anonymous circulars APP
peared and statements were made on
the stump that newspapers. for fear
OF libel suits. declined to print
Friday the speechmaking ended and
both factions are now busy with eff
( forts to get out the votes and to
retain the support of the converts
! made.
Tuesday the election takes place,
with both sides expressing confidence
bat with the sentiment running
strongly toward the Straightout can
| didates. An anonymous attack of a
slanderous nature on "A Fusion candi-
date, though emphatically repudiated
at Straightout headquarters and on
several platforms. has reacted some
what in favor of the candidate at
tackled. but not sufficiently. 1t Is be-
lieved, to elect him, Unbiased opinion
is that the Straightouts will elect both
their candidates for the House of Dele
gates. all their candidates for county
offices, with one possible exception
and most of their candidates for the
Board of Supervisors. justice Of the
peace and so forth