Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-12-03
THEY ARE COMING In.
LEGISLATORS AND OFFICE SEEKERS
BEGINNING TO ARRIVE.
The Present and the Memorial Senatorial
Contest Of IS1i--what the Pro-
phots Say.


the city. and the main army, composed OF
office-scekers. friends OF iofiice-seekers,
senators. and delegates. viii begin to ar
rive in heavy detachments tomorrow.
The lot OF the member OF the General
Assembly OF Iss3-'si Is not going to be a
happy one. What with the opportunities
to which he is going TO be subjected, d.
rectly or Indirectly, from the candidates,
he will not have been here long before he
viii find himself signing for "a lodge in
some vast wilderness. some boundiess
contiguity Of shade"
There is work before the Legislature,
and plenty of it-work In caucus and
work In the regular way. and unless bust
ness is dispatched with more promptness
than usual ii may be that the body VIII
be overtaken by "the flowers that bloom
in the spring, tra-la."
THE FIRST CAUCUS.
The General Assembly will meet at
noon on Wednesday, but on Tuesday
night each branch will hold caucus to
nominate it's officers The Senate caucus
will nominate a President pro tenn,
Clerk. a Sergeant-at-Arms. a Doorkeeper,
and pages. The House caucus will nomi-
nate a Speaker. a Clerk. Sergeant-at-
Arms. Doorkeeper, and an Assistant
Doorkeeper. The Speaker OF the House
appoints the House pages.
1t is customary to hold the joint caucus
for the nomination Of Capitol officers ear
~ in the session, as these officers must
be elected before the 1st day OF January
and 1t Is thought that the rule VIII be
followed on this occasion. Then the sena-
torlai fight will come on; for hy law the
Legislature must commence balloting for
senator for both the unexpired and the
full term on the second Tuesday after or
ganlzation. which Is the 10Th.
A STUBBORN CONTEST.
The political wiseacres say that the
fight IL going to be the liveliest and most
stubborn that has taken place since the
celebrated Hunter-G strug-
gle of 1874. In that year the General
Assembly met January lst and the Con-
sentative caucus met the Sth, and after
taking one ballot, adjourned over until
the next night The result Of this ballot
was as follows: r. +. Withers, %; r. NJ.
T. Hunter, I6 John Goode. u; a. II. II.
Stuart, 10: Robert w. Ould, .; ex-Gov-
ernor William Smith, s; Thomas S. Bo-
cock, 2; A. j. Cochran, 2; Il. X. BagweU,
4: William Lovenstein, q Gilbert c.
Walker. 3; Robert l.. Montague. 2 James
Barbour, 8; r. S. Flournoy, 2; John
Letcher, l. w. J. Robertson, 6; Joseph
Christian. 2: w. p. Cecil, 4; J. +. Penn,
2; Fayette McMullen, 3; William b. ITALIA
ferro. /; II. II. Riddeberger. l.
When the caucus met on the 9th ten
ballots were taken. the tenth resulting:
Withers, %; Hunter, &c; Stuart, %; Ould,
20. On the ninth ballot Wlthers had re-
celved 81 votes.
STILL LOCKED.
After the tenth ballot the caucus adj
journed over until the next day at noon,
and upon reassembling nine ballots We're
taken. The ninth ballot stood: Hunter,
81 Withers. Is; Barbour. %; Goode. %;
Christian, q. The following day being
Sunday, the caucus met again on Monday
and held morning and night sessions.
Twenty-elght ballots were taken at this
session. making fOrty-seven since the
caucusng commenced. and the last one
resulted: Goode. AZ: Barbour. IS; John w.
Daniel, "a Vincent Witcher 9. The eau
Gus then adjourned until the next morn
- Ia.r
or the flfty-seventh Of the whole series,
the contest having narrowed down to
Withers and Hunter the former was
nominated by vote Of 60 to 81.
The greatest excitement prevailed du-
ring the sessions of the caucus, filibus-
terng was rampant. and some Of the old
politicians of to-day, who were In the
thick of the fight, declare that at one
time or another the name Of every man
In Virginia was presented.
Had not the caucus agreed when 1t did
the fight would have been transferred to
the floors OF the Senate and House, az
the day for balloting in the Legislature
for senator had arrived. The vote in the
General Assembly was as follows: Il. Il.
Withers. So; j. =. Evans, Is; John +.
Lewis, 6; Williams c. Wickham, 4; Caleb
Cushing. l.
THE PRESENT FIGHT.
Those who have been mentioned so far
in connection with the present senatorial
contest are Ex-Governor F'itzhugh Lee,
Mr.. Thomas s. Martin. Hon. Eppa Hun
ton, Governor Mckinney. Hon. John
Goode, Hon. Holmes Conrad and Colonel
r. c. Marshall. Governor Mckinney Is
not a candidate for the nomination for
the unexpired term. 1t seems TO be ex-
pected that the heaviest encounter Will
be between the friends OF Martin and
Lee. Both sides are confident. The
friends OF General Hunton say they are
perfectly satisfied with the situation. and
the adherents of the other asplrants are
| by no means discouraged. The political
prophets declare that there are going u
be more combinations played than ever
before. and that they will not be at all
surprised IL the scenes of 1874 are repeat
ed in a measure. particularly In respect OF
the sprlnging OF new candidates upon the
caucus.
The nominations for Supreme Court OF
Appeals. Circuit. and Hastings Court
judges need not be made until after the
Christmas holidays.