Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-06-13
WALTER c. DUKE DEFENDS
ACTION OF COMMITTEE
Says Democratic Body Made No
Threat to Voters Of JEFF.
ferSOn Ward
BAH.EY'S FINAL MEETING
Lively Tilt About to Start at Pre-.
Election Rally ant Chimborazo
School, When Chairman Sloan
Calls Halt.

| Emphatic denial was made last night
! by Walter G Duke. secretary nj tho
! City Democratic Committee. in an i'm
| promptu speech before supporters of
Captain James 7. Bailey. who had gath
cred in the Chimhorazo School for their
final recollection rally, that tho Demo
cratic committee had ever. as \ body,
declared an intention OF reading out OF
the party voters in Jefferson Ward who
! refuse to support John Il. Grimes for
the Common Council. or OF prosecuting
them for pcriury--aS viotators OF an
oath to stand by the nominee OF the
primary
II any such threats have been
made. said Mr.. Duke. they came en- :
iirely from the individual or individ :
uals who made them, and were wholly
unwarrarted, So far as the COMMITTEES
is concerned, That body has no such
power OF party os;racism. even should
y desire to exercise IL The corn
mitiee has met only twice since the
primary Al the second OF these meet
inEs' statement was prepared. giving
the committees reasons for naming
Mr. Grimes. and this is the only official
u'terance Of that body"
COMMITTEE AUTHORIZED
NO STATEMENT MADE
Didn't Clyde W. Saunders. the chair
nau of Your committee. threaten to
read Captain Bailey and his supporters
out 81 'he party and say they would
De liable TO prosecution for perjury 90
he was asked
III he did" replied Mr.. Duke, che
WAS speaking OF his own authority
and not by any delegated 10 him hy
the committee. The committee spcaks
as body and not through individuals
Mt Duke was called 10 the stand af-
yer the Bailey speakers had presented
their side of the case. He had come
~.
as representative of any body While
CAPTAIN Bailey was speaking he ha q
risen and resented the imputa,io, hv
the speaker that the committee was
not doing a(i-it might for clean poll
tics Captain Bailey then asked a az :
ts.' question: promising lively tilt
between the two. but the chairman.
john I. Sloan. quickly ruled that any
ss-questioning would be out of or
dor.
The Bailey speakers displayed an
earneStness that bespoke a conscien-
l!ouS !nehef in the righteousness OF
their cause One OF them. \ E Watts,
SAID the contest between the irdepend
enis Of Jefferson Ward and the Demo
cratic committee was the struggle OF
democracy with au,oCracy-ihat their
richt % designate their own represen-
,suvgs had been usurPed by self
constituted power. John J. Wicker.
j.. president % the Young Mems Pro
lTess!re Club. asserted that the action
81 the committee in naming Mr.. Grimes
without consulting the people was
nothing less than tyranny and :nsol-
ence.
Captain Bailey said he had conduct
Cd MS campaign OF a high plane. ap-
3ealiHE a no time TO passion or preju-
o!ce. we are lighting for pr!ncipIe.r
ne said. and, regardless Of what the
outcome OF th!s contest NAV be that
Arht shall continue. We are going 70
keep on fighting until We get clean
politics in the city OF Richmond"
Mr. Duke arose at this point ard as
srred Captain Bailey that the CITY
democratic Committee would cooper
ate with him most heartily in any et-
for; 70 cleanse city politics