New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-08-19
THE NORFOLK CONVENTION
CANS UNITED ON MEAsUREs-GossIP
AR0Ir cANnIn ArES
ABOUT CANDIDATES.

VIII 10 waged In Virginia. Tho sentiments and
dohe In the Democratic State Convention have vsbly
encouraged the Republicans and wise and harmonious
acton by them In the Norfolk Convention, to be held
on Thursday, viii give fair OF victory in the
coming contest. Tho Republicans clearly have the
advantage Of the Democrats at this time. The dis
sensons caused by the personal rvalrIes and clashng
AMBITIONS of leaders have been even serious in
the Democratic party than in the Republican ranks.
and there the result OF the convention has aggravated
rather than mItlgated the situation far the Demo
crats concerned
But the Democrats hOpeessly divided on mat
ters aside from candidates and leadership. Even the
spectre Of niger domination which Is regularly pa
raded In every Democratic convention in Virginia. was
treated hs year with silent contempt open derisiOn
ny majority Of the delegates from tho whlte' coun-
ues.' who composed the majority of tho convention
The crazy quilt PLATFORM" designed to please all fac
SONS but which is satisfactory TO nOne was adopted
by minority Of the convention Its frailtIes and
Inconsistencies are conspicuous its misrepresenta
uons so glarng, its falsehOods simple that the dull
es' can perceive them But the platform fairly repre-
sehS the dlscOrlan elements OF the Democratic party
Of Virginia
The Republicans, on the other hand. are thoroughly
united and aggressive in support OF the principles Of
Their party; there IS absolutely no division Of opinion
a. respects either State National issues and in
this consists their great advantage II they Sink
personal jealouses and cast aside personal anmOstes
they Will win. Most OF the leaders, and ninety ninc
one-hundredhs of the rank aud file realize that they
have everything TO gain aud nothing To lose by such
a course, and they show d position Loyalty to
abide BY the terms of the compromise recently ef
fected. As all persons know who familiar with
Republican politics in Virgn the chief bone of
contention between the Malone mem and the Anti
Malone men7 during the past five years has been the
plan Cf oreanization,7 BY means of which, the
latter assert, the former have been able to control
the party machinery and deprive the Anu-Mahone
mem Of any voice influence in the party councils
That there was ground for this complaint was
conceded by the State Committee, of which
General Malone Is chairman when It recently
proposed some changes in the party code which
accepted satisfactory by the representative OF
the opposing faction, who is also member of the
Republican National COMMITTEES. These changes, If
allowed 10 govern. would preclude any arbitrary or
unfair action by the State Committee or It's rep
rescntatiyc either the election ccrtication OF
delegates 10 the county convention or the state Con
venton, and insure the sending from every precinct
and county of delegates representing the free choice
of majority of the Republican electors. The chief
and really the only substantial grievance, was thus
removed. Tho terms of the compromise have been
generally accepted and, in the main, faithfully oo-
served. Ii is true that two sets of delegates have
been chosen in several places but contesing deega~
lions are not unknown outside of Virginia. There IS
Convention will not faithfully adhere to the COM
promise and consider and settle these contests In
spirit OF fairness and justice. TO do otherwise would
be to mperil Republican success.
Aside from the substantial grievance which existed
and has been removed there aro two others, whlch
affect only few individuals and which arc intimately
related TO each other. The first IS personal emmy
toward General Malone, and the second Is inc u'-
content of disappointed oceseekerS and their friends
moi IS
cow. of them have been prominent heretofore either
s ocehoders or candidates for Office or for nomna-
ton 10 Office, their influence as party hohcis III
an exciting campaign such as IS TO DC "ascu ""
notcal supremacy in Virginia this year, "ouiu pe
o slirht even if cXeTted to the utmost as 10 a'''
only a few votes. Some OF them 90 not ncsi'aN
oncnlv IN declare that if General Malone should oe
nominated for Governor they and all thon lronuS
would knife him. There is little danger however
.h+ tho ,orinee Of the Norfolk Convention, whoever
no may he will fail 10 receive the nearly an"
virtually unanimous support OF thc hepuon0a" P'
rrorn all tbc information which have been ape
10 gather during the last three mohths' III VIM" '
7 have seon and conveHed with leading hepuul0S"s
to,n every mart of the state, the rank and hle OF
the Republican party was never in 80 good 'o"-
dition as it now IS Political conversions ""e" no
camnaion or great and exciting political dlNcusslou
ie in nrorress are rare and yet, In ue "nI'o
counties of Virginia, scores upon scores Vi mn -
voted for Cleveland last fall have deolaIcu III i"
Of the Administration. and allied themselves WIN 'u'
Rcpublican party Last year the bulk oi 'nc "'P'O
Ican gains came from these counties. ana ma ''oS
not been Offset and swallowed by bogus peuho' ra".
air IN the blackg counties, the electoral vote oi
VIRGINIA Uould have been cast for Harrison am "oI
ton The Democratic frauds commute" III
and several other white counties, through '"0 ~
nlvancc and with the aid of Federal ol'ias' "o.s w.
deeply resented by the people of those co'i'',, aD
have driven many decent Democrats 1h'o ~" -.
IIcan marty; and the ueachory Of the bo'"o'ra'H
leaders I'm and out of Congress- In regard to the I'
Internal revenue and other vital questions when ae0'
the pros perity of the State, still stealhy 00h"'
to weaken the Bourbon party -
so much for the whitc" counties, which compose
three nfths of tho state, in which BARBOUR A'D -
coadjutors stlll try to conJure with the cry Vi
supremacy In the black couh'"S '"o -,
llcan marty IS virtually solid Two months ago som"
of the Democrats were foolish enough to ASSERT ''@
thousands Of the colored voters would desert "io
Republican party They did this d'Sp'c u.o
toiious fact that several thousands OF c"i"'o" NJ"
licans-nearly 5000 In Richmond alone WIN ul'"
fully prevented from voting the kePuOl'"n o
last fail by Democratic challenger ana eieo'on W"
Gers while the lawful votes of thouNa"S u -,
colorcd Republicans were nullihcd by Hauuu''", =,
zion rc,,rns The assertion was not Only l"iso ~
tseIf Int a false pfcteuce as we'll Nheh hartman
Rarlour rose in tho Democratic '"l''''"
"wednesday aud declarcd that educat"h Las no..
,e,r, worse: that the Old time slsNo is '
l,,,lle citizen and a better type Of his class uiah
his dependant and that the eolorcd voters sse
their solid support the Republican .aa, parry, mV
smoke the sentiments and belief Of the pollo'ls s.s
Of Virginia and his word, provoked
applause. The platform enunciated sup''a'',a' ca,
same doctrines. Two OF the nomln'o' " "o -
ycniion were taken nom "LlaeL' oounuos, III D'u
which colored Republican electors were fraudulenuS
deprived Of their votes last year Moreover c'ois
body can read between the lines as wen a. ~ u's @
BODY Of the speeches of Barbour ana o'ne'S Il, ..'1
convention a determination to subject tle oo'ol'u
voters To whatever amount OF deprVauon VI W .'.
- ,, 10 necessary I'm the black counties this
.,ar =, order ia counteract and overcome leguhs'e
Republican gains in the "white' counties anu oN.s