The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-10-27


Nwas not dcsignied ~ ttsdis T6siisNsgT6e
original idea OF imp pledged aelegAtes. q &,
II Was not designed that any noticeshould
pc taken or any separate count made OF shose
tickets having candidates nanes on then. OH
even that the delegates should know In whose
interest they were elected, even IL the tickets
snonia snow It, For it was never designed
that the voter should choose the candidates.
but only that they should choose delicate 10
a convention which should select them OF its
own free Judgment. That the action OF The
Candidates or their friends, Colonel Knight
and his friends included, on the day of the
primary. election, defeated In this respect the
purposes OF the committee ne do not deny.
But that fault, if fault it was, cannot be
charged to the committee. They designed
for the people to choose delegates, not to exc
press preferences for Candidates. The people
chose to do the. latter IN doing the former,
and thereby really took the matter In their
own hands. We did not even print, nor
cause to be printed, any tickets Of any sort.
On the contrary, Messrs. Wertham, johnson,
Holiday, Knight, and Tanner, who attended
one meeting Of our committee, were Of that
meeting personally informed that this com.
mittee would have nothing to do with
the printing Of tickets for senatorial dele
gates. sg,tf3sss slsf4,s.g Nh
Such, indeed, was the strength of purpose
found In the committee on this point that
one member "a friend Of Colonel KnighD
earnestly opposed allowing. any ticket to be
counted with candidates name on it, and
when told that Colonel Knights tickets Were
already so prepared. and Wonld be lost he
said that Colonel Knight might prepare
others if be chose, for the plan was TO have no
vote between candidates, and indeed, II pos
sible, to have no candidates before the people.
but to have them before the Convention
only. The truth is this whole difficulty, so
far as to the charges and complaints made OF
the plap of the primary election. has grown
out Of the fact that the candidates or their
friends Colonel Knight and his friends in.
ciuded) undertook TO come directly before
the people and TO make the primary election
che field of their battle and the voters the
arbiters of victory, when it was designed
that 20 such thing should be done, but that
caresuliy-selected convention OF good men
should constitute the tribunal to which can
didates should submit their claims.
If that resolution had not been adopted
there would never have been any misappre.
bension OF, nor dissatisfaction With, the plan
on the part of the public. And We affirm
in the most emphatic manner that that reso.
luton was adopted more for the purpose
of accommodating and satisfying Colonel
knight and his friends than for any other
purpose whatever. No ticket having any
other candidates name, or any two cand-
dates names upon it, was ever seen in our
committee room; and if, as We have no
doubt was the case, members of the commit.
tee knew of the existence Of such other tick
cts the committee generally did not, and no
mention of the fact was made In the meeting,
and no mem Der asked for the passage of the
resolution in the interest Of any other can
didate. 49, e... s....s.. .... M s-.s,..-.. ..
At the same meeting of the committee
Mr.. DrinEard offered a resolution so far
| changing the plan Of election as to provide
that the votes cast for the candidates them
selves (uot the delegates, take notice. should
be counted, and the result reported to this
committee. But this resolution was rejected,
all OF Colonel Knights friends voting against
it, as they now testify. The plan of electing
delegates was thus, SO far as the committee
was concerned. adhered to aud carried out
fairly aud impartially. . a .ias.a
When the convention assembled the ere.
dentials OF only one delegate were contested.
He was in favor Of the nomination Of Mr..
Holiday. The President ruled, and the Con.
vention by formal vote decided, that he was
entitled to bis seat. This act of itself shows
that not only was the Convention itself, as
every lawyer knows, the,proper Judge Of the
election and qualification of its own mem.
| berS, but that it was called upon to
exercise, and did exercise, this power II
Colonel Knight had any grounds for con
| testing the election OF the delegates in any
| ward of the city, or any district in the coun
/ 4 lo 70 hov n fhot hnnp wit h
| his complaint. The committee having
charge OF the subject (Mr. Willism 81
Haxall chairmap) would have done him
| Justice if it had required the surrender
of their own seats In the body. This
reference to the powers of the Convention
| is deemed necessary because Colonel Knight
and bis friends have thought it proper, be-
coming, and just to complain of this com
mittee that we have refused to usurp the
| powers of that body. Every rejecting man
however, must ksow that if we should
undertake to revise the action of senatorial
and congressional conventions the people
of this city would visit their strongest con-
dennation upon US, whilst the people OF the
counties would scorn 10 hold fraternal inter
course with city whose party authorities
should thus dare to set aside OR in any way
interfere with the action of delegates elected
L
| by the voters themselves. lGt
We think the facts we have stated !ully
vindicate and establish the fairness of the
plan under which the primary election was
| held. Now, we submit it to our felloW.citi
zens whether they can justify themselves il
breaking up the organization of our party
impairing its strength, and taking away what
| has proved so efficient a protection in the
past sgainst Radical rule merely because The
practical results of plan of election fair ii
itself have not proved satisfactory to them
| And if encouraged by this division among
| US, and by the obstacles which the bitter con
troversies of this canvass are likely to inter
pose against our harmonious and efficen
action as party hereafter, the Radicals
should seize the coming spring elections al
an opportunity to possess themselves of thi:
city government, and should triumph in tint
effort because of our dissension, our friends
who now sport with the very life of the party
would be able to draw but poor consolation
from their success, should they be successful
in having defeated at this election one OF
more of the regular nominees of the party
| Published by order Of the Committee.
| JOHN 81. GUY, Chairman.
| ". d. Chestern,an, Secretary.
| 80 r.r-1 orr A. say