Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-08
VIRGINIA TO CHECK
ON PARTY VOTERS
Democrats Who Cast Ballot
Against Smith Face Po-
IiticaI an.
snecial nisnatch 70 Ths star

Special Dispatch TO The Star.
RICHMOND, Va, July 7.-Prepara-
tons are being made In Virginia TO put
beyond the party pale such former
Democrats as may vote against Gov.
Smith in the presidential election in
November In several localities care
full check lis already being made of such
persons. Those who In November cast
their votes tor Hoover will be barred
from the State primary to be held next
year for the nomination of Democratic
candidates for governor, lieutenant gov
ernor and attorney general.
The Virginia law. as contained in
code section 228. as amended In 1924.
Is just about as strict on the subject
of party boilers as a statute can be-
1t provides specifically that a person
who votes against any Of the party
nominees at the preceding general cleo
ton shall not be eligible to participate
in the next State primary Of that party.
IT'S language covers all parties. but for
practical purposes only applies to the
Democratic party. which is the only
political organization In Virginia which
holds primaries.
Contained Loophoie.
Prior to the act of 1924 the law con-
tanned a loophoie. II was held by some
| local Democratic committees that SO
long as voter cast his ballot for one
nominee on the ticket at the general
election he was still eligible to vote In
a party primary even though he voted
at the general election for one. or more
Republican nominees. Iii other words,
he was safe If he voted for the Demo-
cratic congressional nominee even II he
voted for the Republican presidential
electors.
Not many local committees took this
view OF the law but TO settle definitely
the question the General Assembly at
its 1924 session passed the present law
which became effective January |, 1928,
In addition to barring from the pri-
mares all persons who voted against
party nominees in the preceding gem
eral election, 1t made provision for the
challenge OF suspected persons and for
| :heir imprisonment rs perjurofs IN the
event that they made false statements
in regard 10 their votes at the general
election
A peculiar feature of the present SIT
uation In Virginia is that II there Is
any considerable bolt OF ultra -drys the
( Democrats who will be left eligible TO
participate In the State primary OF next
year will be those who have moderate
views IN regard 10 the handling OF the
liquor problem This means that a
: man Of wet or moist views would be
, named 10 the governorshtp.
/ One Declares Candidacy.
Al present no such candidate has an
nounced. The only candidate who hes
made formal announcement for the gov
/ srn0rShip Is Lieut.. Gov. Juniua II, West
! Of Suffolk who has trained with the
| Antt-Ealoon League. Senator b. +.
| Buchanan Of Marion, former lieuten~
ant governor, mas been expected to an
nounce after the November election.
He, too. has supported Anti-Saloon
League legislation. Ths booms OF both
Of these men nave been going for more
! than a year. and for some time 1t was
thought that they would be the only
gubernatoriai candidates. But since
| The Al Smith wave hit the State and
| old traditions have been dumped In
the political trash can. the situation has
been so distuiD bed thai Mr.. West and
Mr.. Buchanan may be eliminated and
some other man may float into the gov
| ernorship on A new and rising Tide,
r. l.. c. BARRETT.