Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-06-17
NEW PRIMARY STATUTE
IS LITTLE UNDERSTOOD
its provisions Will Severely Limit
Expenditures Of Candidates
This Summer.
MAY NOT USE MORE THAN so,o77
Law Also Specifies Clearly What Ex-
penditurcs Arc Permissible and
Provides Heavy Penalties for Fail.
ure to Carry Out It's Provisions.

Inc approaching primary election
being the first E~ubcrnatorial primary
held under the amended primary law.
the several hundred candidates now in
the field for state Offices and for mem
hers Of the General Assembly, and for
numerous local Offices. must look close
~ into the new Law. else they may
find that they have done some act.
which. though innocent in itself. may.
under the law. cause forfeiture Of Of
flee. AS we'll as make them subject
10 fine and Imprisonment. II may nc
recalled that in the carly days of the
pure election Laws. before their scope
was understood, Alfred Il. Williams.
then editor Of tho News Leader, of
Richmond. innoccntly infrinGed the
law in ignorance of its provisions.
and was fined in the Hastings Court
OF the city of Richmond. but was not
imprisoned because the infringement
Was not willful. Since that time. the
j." as have been amended in many
Ways. and there Ia great danger of
candidates and their friends. unknow-
inEly, involving themselves in the
meshcs OF the law.
STRICT LIMITS PLACED on SIZE
y CHARACTER OF EXPENSES
The general impression prevails that
tho friends and adhcrcnts OF tho can
didatcs arc free 10 spend money in
any way they may choose. short OF
bribery. but this is not true. The Law
applies to all persons, as well az can
didatcs. In the first place. IL limits
the expenditure for any purpose what
Soevcr to 10 cents for every vote cast
for tho candidat" of tho party re-
'civinE tho largest vote at the last
preceding election. within the given
territory. qualified voters Of which
have "A riEht to vote for tho nominee.
SO far as State officers are concerned,
therefore,. tho law limits their OK
pcnditurc to So.s71.Io. which is arrived
At by multiplying by Is cents the &c.
Sis votes cast for Governor Henry &.
stuart. vho received the largest vote
At tho last state election. Tho straits
to which candidates for state offices
arc put may hc we'll imagined when il
is borne in mind that. without any AL
lowance for travelling expenses. rent
OF headquarters and halls. Advertising
in pcrs, telegram and telephone
messages. etc, 1t Hili cost about 5000
TO send Il letter under "A 2-Ccnt stamp,
with tho usual Enclosures. 80 each
Democratic voter in tho state. The
postage alone would be s., 500. and tho
cost Of stationery, Enclosures and tho
clerical help is said to be about ;
cents n letter in addition to tho post-
age. But even tho amount allowed.
has to be spent for ono of tho five
- tft I''p'' " 'oN IN lIt n " 4,
which at the same time. by a sweep
ms clause. makes all other cXpcndi-
lures Of whatsoever nature unla wful.
The fact that there are two different
laws governing the subject has led TO
some confusion.
OLD B~ARkSDALE LAW
Is STILL IN EFFECT
There is tho old BarksdaIe Pure
Election Act still in force, which ap-
plies to general as we'll as primary
elections. and is equally applicable to
the friends and adhcrents of the can
didatc As TO the candidate himself. and.
in addition TO this. there is the new
primary law. The permitted Expenses
allowed TO be incurred by the candi-
date or his friends are only as fol-
lows:
/. Expenses directly incurred and
paid by tho candidate for travelling
and for purposes properly incidental TO
travelling.
,. For writing, printing and prepar-
ing for transmission any letter or cir
cular or any advertising in any news
paper. magazine or other periodical
whereby the candidate states his posi-
ton or views on public questions and
equests the suffrage OF voters.
5. For stationery, postage telegraph
and telephone tolls and for other SINH
lar expenses.
4. For tho necessary expense of hir-
ing halls or other rooms in which to
addrcSs the voters and others upon