Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-05-22
Conservative Meeting.


late City Convention and allow the nominees
of that convention to be heard
The meeting was called to order by John B.
Smoot, Esq, County Superintendent who IN
troduced Mayor Latham as the first speaker,
but the Mayor being indisposed to speak just
then. asked Mr.. Kent to make a few prellnlina.
ry remarks. Mr.. Liuden Kent was then iutro-
duced. He said he caule to the meeting Us
nearer not speaker, recognizing the expedl-
encv at all times of respecting the rule OF pub
lie speaking, that speaker who has nothing to
saw, had best say nOthing-he was doug vlo-
leuce to his Judgment which prompted him to be
SILENT yet he was urged to speak by his feelings,
which were enlisted in the work. lie would,
however, say that the nominees had been put
before the party by fairly constituted primary
proceedings, aud that though We had but
small majority at the last election if we were
true to ourselves, if every man did his work
and saw that his neighbor did his, there
would be no difficulty in securing the success of
the ticket in the approaching contest. Don't
be supine and trust to fancied strength for by
doing so we might lose the fight. He bore
testimony to the efficient laborS of the present
nominees in the election Of Mr.. Neale, and
the victory of the party last fall Mr.. Ncale
remembered their services, aud it was due TO
Messrs. Latham. Steuart and kilgour that
those services should not he forgotten, but that
the party should show its gratitude by giving
them its undivided support For this reason
alone, ii for no other, those having personal
preferences or disllkes should cast them aside,
give their votes for the nominees OF the conven.
ton, and by strengthening the party at home
strengthen it everywhere. lie concluded by
expressing the hope that each aud every man
present would feel personal obligation to use
his best efforts to secure the success OF the en-
tire ticket.
Alavor Latham was next introduced. He
had hesitated at first he said and had gotten
Mr.. Kent to open the meeting. lie was not
nervous man, but was nervous then because
unwell, but he wanted it distinctly understood
his nervousness did not result from anxiety
about the result OF the election for he had no
doubt that the Conservative party OF Alexan-
dria were going to elect him. With him there
was no such word as fail, aud Oh next Thursday
night when the sealed verdict of the people
would be opened, it would be found that the
whole municipal ticket with perhaps the ex-
ception of that Of the 4th Ward would he pro.
claimed successful. He spoke not 10 his own
but on behalf of the party, for if any part of
the ticket we're defeated no man could tell the
consequences He supposed from the absence
of the other candidates that they felt sure of
being elected, but he was always at his post
whether candidate or not. Capt. Stcuart
here showed himself on the stage. Was glad
to see Captain Stcuart even at this late hour,
but for himself he was always minute man
when work was to be doue. The present con-
test it was understood was to be solely upon his
name. All he could say to those who preferred
other gentlemen to himself was that he had no
quarrel with them, but that either he or the
Radical nominee had to be elected and that in
that contingency he had no doubt, nor had he
been in doubt from the beginning, OF the result.
Judge Lowe had told him that he belonged to
the sanguine kind but he had the confidence to
make him sanguine. He asked all to work for
the success Of the ticket as he had worked
for the success Of Mr.. Ncale. All knew how
that was, and if Mr.. Neale were prepared to
speak he would acknowledge that work. He
hoped all would lay aside personal feeling and
come up and vote the ticket for the sake of the
party, He hoped no one would scratch the
ticket and would hope 50 even were he not can
didate. He did not use this language to Sc
cure the sympathy of his hearers, for they all
knew him and knew that in contest ne was
always in the thickcSt OF the fight. There
might be objections to him bur who is free from
them, and il they can be overlooked in the case
of Others why not in his? lie had committed
no offence against any Que or against the COM
muDity that he should be ostracIzed and eXcom
muncated and he predicted that he would this
time receive larger majority than he had ever
done before He was not Dragging with four
red cards and one black one in his hand, but
spoke from the honest conviction of his heart
which conviction could not be removed until
the result of the election was announced next
Thursday night. He again urged all to throw
aside personal feelings and vote and work for
the success of the whole ticket, saying that be
was a poor electioneer for himself but a forma-
dable one for anybody else.
Capt. J. NJ Steuart, candidate for City Ser
geant, was next introduced. He didn't have
much to say. but supposed he must say some
thing. 1t was one OF his characteristics to be
late, but when any work was to be done he
was, he thought, always on hand. The reason
he was not present when the meeting common
ced was that he had to dress for the fair, as he
wanted to kill two birds with one stone. In
this contest it was the duty Of all to use every
effort to secure the success of the general ticket
He was proud to belong to the Conservative
party and to be candidate Of that party, but
was thankful to the members of the other party
who had spoken of him so favorably and re-
fused to run a candidate against him. All
knew Mr.. Latham-all knew his faults and he
was full of them, but where can you find bet
ter man? He ofends when he don't intend,
and sometimes is selfwilled and stubborn as a
MULE believe be is, but still when you anallze
and examine his character and compare him
with other men, it will be hard to find one BETTE
suited. Mr.. Berkeley was good man,
but he belonged to another party, and as party
lines were drawn, we must support those on
our own ticket. Mr.. Latham had not al lowed
his personal preferences to influence him in his
support of the party, nor should we; but we
should give him another trial, and it may be
who are now 50 hard to please. There were
some who said they were dissatisfied with the
nomination, but he believed with all Mr.. La
thams faults they would vote for him still.
We cant always have our choice. The conven-
ton that made the nomination was fair one if
there ever was fair one, and the ward meet
ings that elected delegates to that convento
were conducted fairly. 1t was true that he,
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