Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-07-30
In THE GREAT HALL.
Eow Shelburnts Warehouse viii appear
When The Convention Meets
ASSEMBLIES OF YEARS AGO.
"reminiscences Of 0ld-Tims Gather
Jugs and Where They Met.
DELEGATES BEING CHOSEN.
Elections Held IN Three Cesuttss yester-
ASSEMBLIES OF YEARS AGO.
DELEGATES BEING CHOSEN.
Elections Held in Three Cesuttss vester-
day, All Favorable 60 O'Ferrah-
Prepsr.tions In Richm ond.

Tho DrsrArcu presents this morning sr-
terror and interior views OF Sheioutn"s
Warehouse. in which viii be beio tue
Democratic Gubornatorial Convention.
winch meets here on August l7ih.
Tho buildine is situated at tho corner OF
Twclfth and Canal streets opposite tho
sinllego Mills. fronts 100 feet on Canal
and los feet on Twelfth. and the area OF
the floor ~ over 700 square feet.
As has been previously stated the
"UoU." as u may be called for the nonce,
will seat about $500 persons. and Is re-
rarla1 as the most eligible place IN tho
clty for The accommodation Of the approach
inc Great gathering The location Is con-
Vcuicnt - tho hotels and depots. tho
LIGHT and Ventilation are fine, the
uF1ustics good. and tho general sur
rounding such as 10 insure the minimum
OF disturbance from street noises. These
considerations. 1t Is believed. Will induce
much larger attendance upon the con-
vcntion of outsiders and alternates than ~
usually the case.
All the details OF the interior arrange
uen's of the hall have not as yet been de-
ciaed upon. but the committee having
them III charge give assurance that everv-
thing possible will be DOM 'Or tho COM
for. Of members Of the body and Of
visitors.
NEEDS HALL
Nover'hcloss the fact that Richmond
his - resort e. "a warehouse . meet the
present emergency stimulates the eonclu-
SION tia we SHOULD hove great ball ex-
press'y tor the use Of political conventions
and other big public gatherings.
IL Ia hardly going too far 10 say that
Richmond has needed such q hall fo- over
"A century. Almost from It's earliest days
the city has Doen political centre--nOt TO
say political storm centre ard the scene
q memorable gatherings OF notable public
men. and m many instances these gather
IN, have, IN sense had TO sklrmIsh tor
quarters.
Nee, in Richmond was the one held IN
~. Johns clurch. when Patrick Henry
sounded the keynote of the American
kcyo.ut'on.
EATlrYISG TIE CONSTITUTION.
The next vas the convention Of lisa
which ratified the Constitution OF the
Tu.tcl Sra:,s ns adopted at Philadelphia.
Ihi, blIY held most, # not all Of It's ses-
s.0rs n tne Quesnny Academy building,
when was on the square on which are
DOW .ItHatcl the Monumental church and
the Mehcal College OF Virginia. The
convention completed tslabor, IN twenty
hyc working DAYS, but there appears some
doubt O.. 90 whether il " convened In tho
Academy or the Government buildings on
Fourteenth street. The Constitution was
ratified tv a close shave and WITH n pro-
vI-o wllch those who claim Virginia had
no right % seCtGs have never been able
70 get over.
GIANTS IN THOSE DAYS.
The Constitutional Convention oflS29-'30
convened IN the Capitol, hu: adjourned
10 the African church. and that Of 1899
assembled IN the same place. bat was ad-
iourneG 70 the Cuiversalst church. on
Nayo street. ihcrc were political giants
in those DAYS. and IL that body. Wise,
Hott1. Summers. and others were men,
bars. and WISE spoke seven DAYS on tho
white basis The Secession convention
met IN the Capitol. but afterwards adJourn-
e. - th" Mechanics Institute Hall, which
was on Smith street at the head OF Bank.
and IN It. too were some OF the greatest
men ot the Commonwealth.
Prior to 1851 national conventions for
toe nomination OF candidates for the
presidency were not held. the nominations
being made bv congressional caucuses,
and pr.or 10 tho adoption OF the Virginia
Constitution of 1912 80 Virginia guberna-
torial conventions were unknown. Until
this Constitution went into effect tho Gov
ernor was elected by tho Legislature.
Joseph Johnson was the first Governor
elected by the people. Henry A. Wise,
who succeeded Johnson, was nominated
ia the old African church, and John
Letcher, who succeeded Wise, was noml-
mated at Petersburg. The convention
which nominated Flournov. WIse's oppo-
ncnt. met al Winchester, and the conven-
ton which put up Gogcin, the unsuccess-
fui opponent of Letcher. was held In the
old African church.
Ofthe post bellum Democratic Governors
Kemper. Holiday ana Lee were noml-
mated by conventions held in the Rich
mond Theatre. while the Mckinney con-