The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-07-06

friends, Samuel Mccormick, j. s.
Powers, Mason Hummer and Conrad
Kownslar, two Of whom we're candi-
dates for delegates and two for alter
nates, to the Richmond convention, I
beg to address you on the question of
the convention, held at Berryville on
the evening OF June 10, for the purpose
of electing delegates to the said conven-
ton, and at the same time to give
passing notice only to the letter Of Mr..
Kownslar, 30 kindly published for him
by the Alexandria Gazette.
The communications published By
these gentlemen contain only enough Of
the real occurrences OF the meeting to
mislead and prejudice the public. nv
object will be to give full statement OF
all that occurred and then leave the
public to pass in Judgment upon the
case. The meeting was called in the
usual way and after the usual notice,
and although the shortness of the in.
tervsl between the publication of the
notice and the date of the meeting has
been criticised by designing outsiders,
yet 1t is true that the notice given la
the same that for a number OF years has
been given in similar cases in this
county, and this the record will prove.
AS member of the county Committee
called the meeting to order and after
stating its object declared that nomina-
tions for chairman were in order. where
upon 5. S. Thomas, representing the
OFerrall side, and j. G. Fletcher, the
anti. O'Ferrall, were respectively placed
in nomination. The chair then in.
quired how the contest should be
determined and in response to this q
motion was made by Mr.. Kownslar
that it should be by division of the
crowd. which was a large and unman.
ageable one, and this motion was
carried.
| then asked the voters to divide,
those in favor of Mr.. Thomas to stand
on II y rightN3d those opposed to him
on my left. ~ at once became apparent
that the courthouse was incapable of
accommodating the crowd, and Mr..
Kownslar moved that we retire to the
courthouse yard, which motion / de.
clined TO entertain until order could
be restored in the meeting. As
soon as order was restored
recognized Mr. Kownslar, who re-
newed his motion and I put it to
vote, decided 1t carried, and thereupon
we retired to the rear OF the court
house. | at once requested the crowd
to divide and it did so. | then in.
quired how the numerical strength of
each side she uld be determined and
again Mr.. Kownslar ca ne to nv relief
with notion for the appointment of
four tellers, two for each side, which
motion was also put to vote and car.
ried. l then called upon each side to
nominate its respective tellers, promis-
ing that would contrib their selection,
and the tellers being selected in this
way by each side, were appointed by
me. Each side was drawn up In line of
twos. separated from each other by
distance of about thirty yards The
tellers at my request then began to
counting as they passed. When the
count was completed the tellers who
counted the line in favor of Mr.. Thomas,
representing the O'Ferrall voters, re.
ported 12S in that line, and the tell
ers who counted the other side re-
ported ZIG or III, won't be positive
which, but certainly one or the other.
When this latter report was made
and before i bad announced the re-
suit, several gentlemen on the anti
O'Ferrall side cane up to me with a
great deal Of excitement and insisted
that their side has not been properly
counted and asked for q recount. /
announced that to insure absolute fair
ness would direct a recount by the
tellers of that side and this did. The
recount was made and after it's compile
ton the tellers annoU need 1913 votes,
the same number reported by the
tellers who counted the O'Ferrall line.
There being a tie, l announced that my
vote as citizen not having been tai en-
into the count, would as such cast it
for 5. s. Thomas, which l did and de-
clared him chairman of the convention,
and he thereupon assumed the chair.
Nominations were then declared by the
chairman TO be in order for delegates
and alternates, and each side placed in
nomination it's respective candidates.
UP to this point of time each line had
remained practically intact and un.
broken. The chair inquired how the
result Of the vote should be ascertained
and again Mr.. KoNnslar came to the re-
lief and moved that the tellers be ap-
pointed. The chair was about to ap-
point the tellers, when Mr. Kowns!sr
asked that each side be permitted to
select its own tellers, which was &C
guessed In by the chair. AMI the selec.
tion was acco dinghy m.ce.
Before tne count gan I observed in
the anti Fee, rail- line some eight or ten
negroes, and called Mr.. Kownslar's
attention to it. He replied that he had
opposed the introd uciion of this ele
ment in Democratic meeting, but had
been overruled by hi, associates
protested against such an innovation
OF we'll known Democratic usage and
Mr.. Kownslar then sai~ tn; t ne won d
agree that negroes sh, uid act be counted
on either side. To t,ls | promptly