Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1892-05-25
DEMOCRATIC STATE CONVENTION.
THE DELEGATES EQUALLY DIVIDED.
MARSHALL HANGER PERMANENT
CHAIRMAN-THE DELEGATES
AND ELECTORS CHOSEN
THE PLATOON
ADOPTED.


wisdom, and the Convention did,
under the circumstances, the wisest
thing they could have done for the
harmony and interests of the party
The Cleveland delegates were in the
majority and could have ruled the
Convention at their will, but with
spirit of magnanimity and iberality
and brotherly feeling, they agreed to
an equal division of the delegates and
electors between the Cleveland and
anti-Cleveland parties, and thus
avoided any soreness or dissatisfaction
that might have been caused if they
had triumphed over the minority. AS
it is, neither party has any right to
complain, and there is nothing to pre-
vent the Democrats from locking
shields and marching in solid and
compact phalanx against the common
political foe. We endorse and COM
mend the wisdom of the action of the
Convention. For an account of the
proceedings in detail, we refer our
readers to the dispatch from Richmond
to the Baltimore San, which is as fol-
lows -
RICHMOND, VA, May $3.50 far as
presidential preferences of the district
delegates and delegates at large to the
Chicago convention are concerned, the
result of the Virginia Democratic State
Convention are about an even draw
Cleveland gets ten of the twenty dis
trict delegates, and Hill, or the anti
Cleveland side, the same number
Under a compromise recommended and
ratified by the friends of Hill and those
of Cleveland each side gets two of the
four delegates at large. At late hour
last night the Hill people were not
very buoyant. Indeed, some of them
were ready to concede defeat. The
party leaders, in the spirit of harmony,
began at an early hour of the night to
bring about a compromise on the basis
of a division of the four delegates at
large. Hon. Basil b. Gordon, of Rap
pahannock, who was to-day unani-
mously elected chairman of the State
committee, and J. Taylor Ellyson, the
present head of that body, were the
chief instruments in bringing about an
amicable agreement. The conference
of leaders was held in Mr.. GordOn's
room at the Exchange Hotel and lasted
from 8 o'clock to O'Clock this morn
ing. At the last-named hour the basis
had been fairly well settled. This was
that the two tickets for delegates at
large put up last night by the respec-
tive sides should be withdrawn, also
that each side should choose two dele
gates. for the places, and that no in
structions should be given by the con-
vention; that the Cleveland people
should have the permanent chairman
of the body. At the conference of
Cleveland delegates this afternoon the
subject of the compromise was earn
estly discussed. 1t was ratified, but
with the understanding that as the
convention was a Cleveland conven-
ton preference for the ex-President
should be adopted.
THE CONVENTION CALLED TO ORDER
At 10 o'clock Hon. J. Taylor Ellyson
the chairman of the State committee
called the State convention to order in
| Armory Hall. This body was com
posed of nearly 1,700 delegates. Every
seat in the hall was occupied. The
personnel of the convention compared
favorably with any that has ever as
sembled here. Before the convention
was called to order and Mr. J. T. Ryan
of Loudoun, the temporary chairman
took the chair, the delegates had pretty
well understood that basis of com
promise had been agreed On by the
leaders of the two sides. The prelim
mary organization of the convention
| was perfected without much ado. Hen
j. Marshall Hanger, of Augusta, was
| chosen for permanent chairman last
| night, and under the arrangement per
| fected for the Cleveland side to have
that position, he was elected by accla
| nation. Mr.. Hanger, who served many
times as Speaker of the House of Dele
gates, made a graceful speech in &C
knowledging the honor conferred upon
| him.
| CHEERS FOR CLEVELAND AND HILL
Soon after the permanent organiza
tion was effected Hon. d. s. Pierce, OF
Wythe county, came forward on the
platform to explain the terms of the
agreement and to suggest that the
convention should take a recess and
that the Cleveland and Hill delegates
should go out and choose their dele
gates at large to be voted for. Mr..
Pierce's mention of Cleveland's name
evoked the widest applause. Men
stood upon the chairs and hurrahed
themselves hOarse, but honors were
easy on the score of enthusiasm for the
favorites. The utterance by the speak
er of the name of the New York Sena-
tor was, if possible, even more loudly
applauded. The Hill men had the ad-
vantage of coming in second and
braced themselves up for tremendous
hurrah. When the Hill men had
shouted themselves hoarse the Cleve-
land delegates renewed the hurrahs
for their favorite. After exhausting
themselves by their long efforts in be-
half of Cleveland and Hill the dele
gates consented to take recess from
to o'clock to consider the compromise
and agree upon delegates at large.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
O'Clock, when the report of the mem
as recommended by the congressional
districts, was adopted.
Governor Mckinney, who had been
invited to be present, came into the
convention at this juncture and was
iSONi'SA WIN cDPPie"uCS, "tAo
and made speech extolling the demo-
cratic party and argued that it's sue
cess was far ahead of any man who
might be candidate for the presi-
dency.
He urged the convention to be
harmonious and to settle their differ
ences here.
Lieutenant-Go vernor Hoge Tyler was
presented and made most humorous
speech, comparing the two factions in
the party to a pair of butting billy
goats. His speech was heartily en-
joyed by the convention. John Bell
Bigger and James r. Fisher were
permanent secretaries.
DISTRICT DELEGATES TO CHICAGO.
During the recess the various dis
tricts met and elected delegates to the
Chicago convention. They were re-
ported to the convention and ratified,
as follows -
First district, F. L. Smith, Frank
Fletcher; second, DR.. Joseph Bryant,
VIM. A. Young; third, Charles V.
Meredith, b. L. Winston; fourth, F.
E. Binford, W. r. Mckinney; fifth,
o. W. Dudley, w. NJ. Semple; sixth,
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