The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-10-23
THE CITY CANVASS.
ADDHESS TO THE People BY TIgE
CITY CONSERVATIVE
COMMITTEE.

COMMITTEE.
At full meeting OF the City Conservative
Committee held last night the following adj
dress was reported from a subcommittee
and unanimously adopted:
To the People Of Richmond.
It is known to you that number Of per-
sons protesting to be Conservatives have
| publicly announced it to be their purpose TO
oppose the election of the regular Conserva-
| tive candidates for the State Senate. Whilst
the ms1ifestoes of these malcontents indi.
| cate that they intend tQmake personal war.
| fare upon one of our candi dates, they also
indicate that they are aware that in order to
justify this warfare it Is necessary that the
plan of election adopted by this commit
tee should be brought into disrepute.
AS to charges affecting the character
| of any CT the candidates we do not feel called
upon to say anything. Their nomination
was vindication in advance Of their charac-
ter, complete and conclusive. 1t was 4 pop
uar verdict in their favor against which the
assaults of personal hostility are not entitled
to be for moment heeded. But in view Of
much misapprehension on the subject, we
wish to put in proper light before the pub
lie the acts of this committee. To effect this
purpose few facts will suffice. None but
persons hopelessly prejudiced against the
nominees themselves can resist the force Of
the following statements
In June last subcommittee of our num-
Der was appointed to prepare plan of max
ing nominations Of candidates for the Gene.
raj Assembly Of Virginia. Our principal
object in providing at so early day for the
preparation Of this plan was that the same
might be perfected and adopted before any
personal preferences for candidates could
originate preferences for modes. This,
subcommittee consisted Of John Fl.
Guv, chairman, and w. F. Drinkard,
w. RI. Crew, G. T. Turner, J. Pendleton
Rogers. Edward Cline, and James R. Fisher.
The chairman was chosen by the whole com.
mittee; the other members were appointed
by the chairman. The chairman at the time
knew nothing as to the personal preferences
of these gentlemen. But it will not be i'm
proper for us TO say now that Messrs. Guy,
Drinkard, Rogers, Turner, and Fisher, when
the primary election was held, preferred
above all other candidates one or the other,
and some of them both Of those who were
defeated-namely, Messrs. Holaday and
Knight.
This subcommittee were divided greatly
in opinion. Some preferred choosing all
candidates by convention others preferred
choosing all by direct vote Of the people,
and others favored middle ground-name-
~, choosing candidates for the House Of
Delegates by direct vote, and candidates
for the Senate by convention Of uninstruct-
ed delegates. This last plan prevailed, no
doubt, because, being rather compromise
between the other two plans, it secured
some votes in the committee which neither
of the others could command. -
This subcommittee, so constituted, re.
ported plan that was adopted by the whole
committee on the Cd day of July, which pro-
vided for the election Of delegates to Sena.
torisl Convention and the election by direct
vote of the candidates for the House of Dele
gates. The election of delegates to Sena-
torial Convention was provided for, first, be-
cause our jurisdiction was confined to the
city, whilst the senatorial district extends
over Henrico county; secondly, because we
were afraid that if direct vote for the
senatorial candidate were had the city by
her large vote would overslauSh the
county and create dissatisfaction that
might result in the defeat OF the
plan of voting directly for candidates being
new and untried as to candidates for the
Legislature, and its results being mere mat.
ter of conjecture, we deemed it wise to pro.
vide for convention which would regard
the various interests to be consulted in case
| the people should (as happened in
the case of Mr. Loyenstein) neglect
| TO cast their votes so as to enlist warmly in
our cause our foreign fellow. citizens, or ne
elect any other interest that ought IN pro-
| priety TO be represented on the ticket. The
President Of the Senatorial Convention, IN
response 10 an intcrrogGory, stated emphatl.
cally during its session that the members
had the right 10 nominate and vote 1or
any mln living in tae senatorial district.
| In Il word, we provided for the election OF
delegates because under all the circum.
stances we honestly and c0nSclentlouSly BE-
| licyed that to be the bcs; plan to promote
the welfare of the Conservative party and
| the interests Of the people.
| Let us repeat that this plan was adopted
! on the I'd OF July, long before any OF tue
aspirauts for senatorial honors had formally
announced themselves as candidates, ana tDe
| nubIic will see at once that no unlairncss as
| between candidates could be imputed to the
| plan adopted by this committee. No mem.
| her oi HE committee ever made known bis
preferences in that body, aud no action was
| ever taken in the interest of any candidate,
except Colonel Knight, as will be presently,
explained Colonel Holladay's and Coiouel
! Knights friends remain upon the commit
tee. and un auimously endorse, sustain, and
vouch for the truth Of all the statements
made in this address.
| So much for the reasons for adopting the
delegate.plan. Now for the plan itself. Here
| is the whole Of the senatorial plan:
| "There shall be chosen in each ward Of the city
| or Richmond, by the Conservative voters therein
ihrre delegates for each voting prcciHct therein To
| r. pr. sent the city of Richmond III convention 10
lie thereafter held tor the nomination Oh cahoiuhtes
To represent the district composed OF the city OF
| Richmond aud county of Henrico In the senate OF
| "fhc persons in each ward being three In num-
her for voting precinct as proVlGeu lor III Sec-
| lion / who shall receive the highest number OF
votes cas for delegates TO the Senatorial Nominating
| Convention shall be declared electeu " iepfesen'
! The civ OF Richmond in said Convention"
There is the whole plan. Whether the
wisest plan that could have been framed OF
not. its fairness is unquestionaole. In this
respect it yindcates itself. It needs no de-
fence. Every lair.minded man will see at
once that it is so simple and plain tnat q
child can understand it, and so entirely des.
titute of machinery that it is fairness ltsen'
| It will be seen that it provides nothing as 10
the candidates or their names, and dld not
contemplate allowing the commissioners Oh
election to receive tickets having can.
| didaes' names at the head OF them. On
| the evening before the election, however,