Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-08-31
PETERSBURG.
A TURBULENT POLITICAL coSVEN'
TroY-A HOT FIGHT.
sosne, Of Confusion and Disorder-"nite
Republicans Disgusted-MOvemen'
10 Nominate Negro.
.oo,,ns nIch mond Dispatch

,co,,e.nondeuce oftne Richmond Dispatcn'l
PETERSBURG, Aug. 30, 1855.
There have been some very lively
nol;t;c.l conventions in this city during
he mas. few years, but not since the
memorable one which nominated Weiis
for Governor have any OF them sur
p,ssed in noise and confusion the lie.
rublicsn City Convention which met
on Saturday night to elect delegates 70
the District Convention Of wednesday
next. There were two factions IN the
body-almost equally divided IN
st,er 9Th. OF the sixty-four delegates
it is claimed that thirty-three were
against Senator Gaines and thirty-one
for him. The fight commenced win
,be opening OF the Convention on the
question of the temporary organlza-
tion-one faction claiming the right OF
the chairman of the City Executive
Committee to designate the temporary
presiding officer, and the other, the
friends of Senator Gaines, maintaining
the right Of the Convention 10
choose its own officers. Then,
again, O bitter fight occurred
as 70 the method Of appointing the
Committee on Credentials, the one FAC.
ton claiming that the chairman should
appoint the committee, the other that
Inc Convention should do it. On both
Of these propositions the antl-Galnes
faction was successful, bat the fight
was q long and turbulent one aud the
scenes OF disorder that frequently oc-
cured battles description. Indeed, the
Convention was one continued scene OF
Turbulence and confusion from the
opening to the close, the only relief TO
,be monotony being the occasions Wnen
the scenes we're more than usually
angry and disgraceful, and when a
score or more voices were heard at the
same time in contention. The re-
suectable whito Republicans, both IN
and out of the Convention, were dis
0usted. if not disheartened, by the ex-
bibiticns they witnessed. il was a
hard matter for a white delegate to
make himself heard.
Il was midnight before the Conven-
ton got through its wraugles, and a
motion to adjourn until tonight to
select delegates was carried. Imme-
diasely after adjournment, however, a
meeting of the Gaines men was called,
in which, il is represented, majority
Of the Convention participated, and a
full set Of delegates (sll cOlored) were
elected to the Nominating Convention.
This vas done hurriedly, and their &C
ton not only caused surprise, but
vigorous comment. It was asserted
about the streets that many Of the men
who caused the confusion in the Con-
yention wero under the influence o.
liquor, with which they had been piled
for purpose.
II was thought yesterday that the
split in the City Convention Saturday
night was but the premonition of th'
bigger split in the Nominating Conyen'
tion of Wednesday; that it really
meant two conventions and two csndi
dates. as was the case two years ago.
1t is still the impression of many
that with the nomination OF either o
the candidates now in the field there
will be kick and split in the Conven
ton. With General Malone out Of thu
contest by his positive declaration, ant
Colonel Brady out by his equally posi-
tive withdrawal, the contest seems mar
rowed down TO Senator William b
Gaines and General stith Boiling, will
chances nearly about equal as far a.
beard from. A vast deal OF politica
work has been done here in the las
!orty-eight hours, which may tell fol
or against these gentlemen.
A somewhat startling report ha
been aaoat on the streets to-day OF
movement in certain quarters to Undue,
the Convention to nominate a negro
The negroes will have large maj orit,
over the whites in the Convention, and
should they combine. can easily noml
nate whom they please. James y"
Pore, of Mecklenburg county, one o
the most prominent of the colored dele
Gates to the Convention, is reported a
saving that while he favored Senate
Gaines above any other white man as
candidate, he vet favored above all tn
nomination Of a colored man for Con
oress in this district. Pope led th
frbt for Evans against Brady in tn
last congressional race. To-day, il III
NOR be true, Colonel Brady is workin
for the nomination Of negro, and b
and Pope are united on that grOunc
Colonel Brady is showing a great DEF
of interest in the Convention. II
headquarters for the past two day
have been practically on the Cour
house Square.
NOTES.
Mrs. Frank T. Walker, who has bee
seriously i'll for some days, is reporte
better to-day. Mrs. Walker is a daugl
= ter Of General Roger A. Pryor.
A colored woman named Eliza Luml
Sin arrived here to-day from Florida
9 search of her mother, Susan johnson
, who, she has reason to believe, LIVE
here. Thiity-fve years ago, when
mere girl, Eliza was sold in slavery
planter in Florida, where she b
lived ever since. She comes after Il
lapse Of over third Of century
frd the mother from whom she b
so lopg been separated.
e ROBIN ADAIR.