National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-07-29
BoURBONS ASSEMBLING.
VIGOROUS ELECTIONEERING AT RICHMOND
--rARsoN MAssEY's MoDEgTY-AN IN.
nrrrNnFNr MOVEMENT EnREsIIAnnMEn.

VIGOROUS ELECTI0NEERING AT RICHMOND
--PARsoN MAssEY's MoDEgTY-AN IN.
DEPENDENT MOVEMENT FOREsHADOwED.
RICHMOND, VA, July 2s.-Lnrgely
over half Of the delegates to the Demo.
cratic state convention to assemble here
tomorrow are already on hand, and all
day long eleotioneering has been going
on with great vigor.
The candidates for gubernntorial nom
nations are James A. Walker, of Wythe;
p. NJ. Mckinney, Prince Edward; Gen.
Fitzhugh Lee, and John II. Massey.
There arc others named, but they are
not prominently before the people.
Mr.. Massey was seen to-day, and
spoke freely with THE REPUBLICAN, cor.
respondent. He is evidently Of opinion
that the Democratic party owes him
much, and says that his friends in the
southwest were bitterly opposed to his
going into this convention, insisting that
the "Big -Four" and their followers
Chose readjusters who deserted Malone
in 1889 should have supported him rs
independent candidate for governor
against both parties. He says he had
written letter after letter to his friends
as to the best course to pursue, and even
now, he said, he could not tell whether
there would be an independent move.
ment. The debt question, he said, has
to be met, and has to be explained TO the
/ people, before the people, face to face
with the masses and the speakers of the
Republican party. He intimated that
Gen. Fitz Lee knew nothing of 1T that
| John S. Barbour could not speak, and
said that the people are unwilling to
trust the settlement of the state debt to
the bourbons, who fought it from the
very first. This was natural, and he
gave an illustration of it. He intimated
that il would be difficult to defeat John
s. Wise, and feels confident that Gen.
Fit2 Lee cannot do it. Lee will not have
any Joint discussions with the Republi.
cans, il is said. This fact was mentioned
to Mr.. Massey, and the expression of his
face seemed to indicate that he remem'
bored how the bourbons were once toe
good TO allow him to address them, as
now Eilz Lee was too high up above the
people TO argue with the Republicans.
II Gen. Fitzhugh Lee is to be the
nominee, il is very plain that BULLDOG
ing canvass is TO ensuc, and the color
line to be drawn, and in that event Mr..
Massey aud his friends will not supper
the bourbous, and may have an indie
pendent ticket in the field. The pros
poets are that the convention will be il
session two days, and that there will bC
great trouble in getting nominees tina
Will suit every division of the state.
The financial condition of the common
wealth ia unsatisfactory and threatening
Litigation arising from the efforts to pa,
taxes in coupons is making it rough fol
county and city treasurers and thei
bondsmen, and it seems probable tina
this trouble is to increase rather thai
diminish.
The proposition of the bourbon part,
to make state taxes payable every tire
months instead of once year so rs t.
make it impossible TO pay dues il
coupons--the coupons being for not les
than S3O-is regarded as childish, an,
the people will put their feet on it.
Mr.. Massey says that he can frame
I, hill which will forever chain the inlamou
coupon whether it bTpast due or to be
come due, and that it would have bee
, passed in 1874 but for the bourbons.