Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-11-20
.TORICALADDRESS.
Mr. Cox Reads a Paper Bnsting with
W.T. and Humor.
THE GOVERNOR RECEIVED.
Tie Makes n Nice Little speech and is Pho
tographcd with the Assooiation--
Pull Proceedings.

When President James A. Pugh called
The Virginia Press Association 10 order
in the hall Of the House Of Delegates
yesterday morning at 1890 o'clock and
the proceedings Of the second day were
begun the attendance was rather. larger
than on Monday.
Quite q number Of the members Of the
Fourth Estate had arrived late the night
before and carly Yesterday morning, so
that the actual membership present was
about eighty.
One Of the first acts of the morning
was 10 elect as a member of the body
Major Jed Hotchkiss, of Shendun, who
made such splendid address the pre-
ceding evening on the material develop
ment Of Virginia. He was formerly an
honorary member Of the association
and is now president Of publishing
company.
THE PRESIDENTS ADDRESS.
President PuRh now read his annual
address lie said
dered the editors Of Virginia an invitation
80 meet in the growing young city Of Boa-
noke TO organize tho Virginia Press AssO-
chiffon. and to-day we are assembled N
Vireinia's beautiful and hospitable capital
CITY in our second annual session. The
warm hand of welcome was extended 10y
the city and her press, and the earnest
assurance that our coming gave them
pleasure has been rs earnestly redeemed.
"To members. old and now-those who
mingled IN its deliberations ut the first SEES
ZION and those who for the first time have
entered its councils the association bids a
hearty and fraternal welcome.
Were your President dlsposed!te be an
cssavist AT this tir1o, the labOrS of the past
month would suffice as an excuse for enter
Inc tho field assigned 20 others; but the
session has progressed too far for anything
hut hasty reference to the past or iu-
ture."
PRESS EXCURSIONS.
Mr.. Pugh, after expressing the in
debtedness Of the members TO the Rich
mond and Danville, Richmond Frede-
ricksburg and Potomac, Richmond and
Petersburg. Chesapeake and Ohio. She
nandoah- Valley, and Norfolk and West
ern railroads for courtcsies rendered ard
explaining the delay in calling the meet
ing says;
"In the early fall Of 1899 Alr. Frank A.
Ucvwood. Of Springfield, Mass, suggested
20 Governor FitZhugh Ice the proprety OF
press excursions from the North 10 the
South as the surest and spcedicst means of
unifying these sections and burylng the
cusancuinod garment which plays its part
in every political canvass. Governor Lee,
Rs patriotic III peace as no was loyal ana
brave in the discharge OF his duty a. he
saw IL In war warmly approved the sug
Qu1 rgfsTTn1 AIF HtEW0D1
70 your President. A correspondence
cnsued and your President extended IN
invitation 90 several associations TO visit
Virginia, they having declined TO como,
dcspito Mr.. HeywOOd's persuasive elo-
ouence without on invitation from the
Virginia Association. The prellmnarieS
were arranged and the Norfolk and West
crn Railroad Company through their east
crn agent nj Boston, rendered free excur-
fions over its lines. as did the Shenandoah-
Valley and tho Baltimore and Ohio"
OF VAST BENEFIT.
After speaking somewhat in detail Of
the visits Of the Massachusetts, and Su-
burban Press Associations 10 Norfolk
and other places he continues;
1.-THE visitsofou northern brethren have
been Of vast benefit TO Virginia. They
were received with Open arms and royalty
uoke. Salem. Radford Pulaski Wythevllle,
Bristol Pocahontas Natural Bridge, Lu-
ray Petersburg, and Richmond. NrglnEi
was "a revelation % n large majority OF
them They had heard of orr beautiful
scenery. euuable climate. fertile soil, brave
men beautiful women, and lneXhaustibio
mineral wealth. They returned home, and
for weeks 1 cir local and editorial pages
contained articles upon the resources and
advantages of Virginia. Northern peo-
ple who never dreamed OF coming
IL Virginia. some because they knew
nothing Of our sources OF wealth.
others because they had been taught
II was not safe 20 90 South, read these
Glowing pages. The timid saw that Viz
cinigns had received the northern editors
with warm clasp of the hand; that the
blue and the gray had mingled IN social
and business intercourse without elther oe-
inc contaminated and their fears vanished.
The material development and progress OF
our dear old State was thus made known
10 hundreds of thousands of people IN tho
North. Fast. and West the artisan and
capitalist became interested and since then
have been pouring into the Valley and the
Southwest TO aid IN making Virginia the
great manufacturing centre OF America,
"Your President is advised that the
Rhode Island Association accompanied 10y
editors from Massachusetts,, New Jer-
sew, New Hampshire, and Maine; ue-
sire 20 visit our state, ana II
las been intimated that our brethren of
Illinois, Pennsylvania, and portion. OF
Ohio contemplate coming m the spring.
Your President will put his successor IN
possession of the information he has on the
subject"
LEGISLATION OK libel.
Further on the President SAYS:
"ColonelR p Barham. Of the Petersburg
Index-Appeal, chairman of your COMMITTEE
on LEGISLATION, will not beable to attend
this session of the association, much to HIS
teoret. Re has collected a great deal OF
information which will be Invaluable when
The committee petitions the Legislature 20
amend or repeal our present libel laws. An
effort was made 10 secure the promise OF
legisiation on this subject last winter. but
every member 20 whom your President OF
The Chairman talked TO expressed the opln-
,nr ihat a lnck OF time would preyent ia