Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-08-13
WARD MEETINGS.
pLLTeATLs TO CONGRESSIONAL con-
vEETIOK TO BE 30 ELECTED.
Night Of Angus. the 2oth FIXED as the
Tine for the Meetings,
&c, &C, &c.

&C, &c, &c.
An adjourned meeting OF the City
Democratic Committee was held at the
City Circuit Courtroom Of sis o'clock
last night. Present: Messrs. Wiugc
lsuperiniendeni), Wilde tsecretsry),
Curtis, Tny ylor, Peasants, Gibbons
Bosery, Rawlings, Teller, Cummius,
Middor dorf, Hulcher, Tenser. o'Baa'
non, Jacob, Smith. Brsnnsn, Bigger,
Hill, Wood. and Gentry.
The superintendent CMr. Wingol an
pounced the following standing COM
mitiess
fyee1tirt Committee John c. Tel
Ter, John A. Curtis, James L. Botto.
T. J. Smith, Charles p. Bigger, Joseph
Hulcher.
finonce COmmitfee.-Levis II. Blair.
Meade Baskins, William II. Peasants,
Printing Conrmittse.-G. L. Tenser,
W. j. BrannOn, Thomas A. Hulcber.
Auditing Cemmitfee.-W. J. Gen
try. G. Watt Taylor, J. q. Howard.
Committee on Plans Of NOplino-
tions.-J. II. 0'Bannon, Tszsven E.
lett, Edward Cummings.
THE PRIMARY PLAN.
NJ. Curtis, from the special commit
tee appointed to report 9 plan for elect
ing.delegatss to the Congressional Con-
vention, submitted the following:
At 8 meeting OF the committee TO
whom was referred by the City Com
mittes the duty of recommending plan
for the appointment Of city delegates to
the Congressional Convention to be held
in the city Of Richmond on September
I'd, there being only four members
present, and there being sn equal d.
vision OF sentiment il was agreed TO
present two reports, and the under
signed respectively present the follow
ing recommendation
We recommend that primary
election for delegates be held. We re-
commend further that each candidate
for Congress he voted for directly, and
that each candidate be allowed TO nomi-
nate & number Of delegates In proper
ton TO the number Of votes be shall
receive 81 said primary election. Thas ::
The city is entitled to 81 delegates.
and, supposing $500 votes are cast 1T
the primary election, then each 100
votes shall be entitled to ! delegate, so
that If " A" receives 500 votes IN the
whole city be shall appoint 5 dele
gates II 4" = " receives 1000 votes,
then be shall appoint 10 delegates, aud
50 on for more or less votes, as the
case may be. II &C" receives
only 100 votes, then be shall be
entitled TO nominate one delegate.
When fractions of between fifty and q
hundred votes are concerned then these
fractions shall be entitled TO half svote.
Thus. II d. B - has $50 or 475 votes. be
shall have four and one-half delegates,
but, as delegate cannot be personally
divided. his four delegates shall cast
four and one half votes ID the Oonven-
ton. II BY this means more thar
thIrty-eieht delegates are appointed
then the largest fraction Of hundred
shall have the fractional candidate until
the full number Of delegates is selected.
No one can fairly object TO = primary
election Of this character, for By Ii
every nan viii be represented. whether
he lives in Marshall or Clay Ward. II
Ruy one objects TO such 8 primary
election be would not be convinced
though one rose from the dead.
Some advocate ward meetings. but the
objections 20 this method are so great
and so manifest II is almost useless 70
mention them. At the utmost not
more than III average Of 300 votes can
be gathered in each OF the SIX wards.
and this would give / 500 voters. Al
the primary Rot less than !, 500 10
5000 voters will probably give express
sion 10 ther preferences. Ward meet
ings can be packes and have
been packed, and we have no assurance
they viii not be packed again. In
primary election packing is Impossible,
for the voters have from sunrise TO SUD-
set in vhich TO cast their votes. In
ward-neetings fraudulent ballots can be
and have been cast. and we have no res-
son TO believe they will never be cast
sgAin.
In ward meetings the CRY Of fraud
can be and has been perfectly justly
raised. but il cannot be ID primary
election where each voter must be
registered. and where be cannot vote
unless he has been registered. With
the ligh. Of experience and Of fairness
before us, we unbesitAtingly recon-
mend 8 primary election" as de-
scribeo above.
Respectfully submitted,
JOHN A. CURTIS,
~ T.