Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-02
For the Democracy in the Old Do
minion.
CONTESTS FOR SEATS In CONGRESS
Active Opposition Reported in
Nearly Every District.
GEN. ROSSER'S CANDIDACY
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

| va, June ~, los7
The contest for congressional nominations
this summer in the ranks of the democratic
party promises to be a most interesting one.
The democratic party will have opposition
in nearly all, If not all. Of the congressional
! districts. All of the present democratic
representatives will be candidates for re-
| nomna ton, except in two districts. these
of the fourth and sixth, where the in
cumbents have declined denominations. In
these two districts the contest will be very
exciting, and 1t is impossible to predict who
| will be successful
In the first district Congressman w. A.
Jones Of Warsaw will have very little oppo-
sition, and IT is conceded that he will be
renominated.
In the second district Representative ID.
Gardner Tyler will have strong opposition.
Chief among them is c. Fenton Day Of
Isle of Wight county, the father of Miss
Lucy Day. to whom Senator-elect Thos. S.
Martin Is to be married in November next.
Another name prominently mentioned as a
candidate and who has considerable follow
ing, Is DIR. c. w. Bryant of Southampton
county. While there is no authority for the
| assertion, it is presumed that Col Day will
| have the support of Senator Martin. The
friends of Representative Tyler. however.
predict that he will certainly be renomi-
mated, as he has been very polite in mis-
distribution of the federal patronage in his
district. especially as to the Norfolk navy
| yard. One thing is certain, whoever the
nominee of the democratic party will be- he
| is sure to have strong opposition at the
hands of the republican coalition party. One
| feature which goes to strengthen this asser-
| ton is in the case of Norfolk City, where
! the democratic party Is in a bad fix, hav-
| ing been recently defeated by the prohibit
ton reform ticket in a municipal contest.
Among the candidates who spoken of
| TO be selected by the republican party in
this district are H. e. DeClay of Newport
News and ex-Mayor Banks of Norfolk. The
latter was President Harrison's collector OF
customs. 1t is believed that there will be
! a strong fight made by the republicans and
piohibitionists TO carry this district this
fall
In the third, or Richmond city district II
Is believed that Capt. Geo. d. Wise will be
renominated. as he seems to have a sort Of
life tenure in the district. Capt. Wise is an
interchangeable worker. and those who would
like 10 secure the nomination are loath to
make an effort for fear of meeting defeat.
1t is not thought that Capt Wise would
have any opposition from the republican
party. although the friends of Supreme
Court Judge l.. l.. Lewis are endeavoring to
induce him to become a candidate. II Judge
| Lewis declines, then the republicans will
probably settle upon ex-Congressman Ed
mund Waddill.
In the fourth district, represented now by
Hir. James F. Epes, who has declined re-
nomination. there are several candidates
but only one of these has made any effort
so far to secure the nomination. This is
state Senator Thos. y. Williams OF Meek
lenburg county. While ex-Gov Mckinney
is being urged TO become a candidate he has
not az vet announced his intention of doing
so. Gov. Mckinney, it is generally believed
would make an excellent representative in
congress but he is not the kind os polit-
ical worker that generally succeeds in such
a fight. Col. W. T. Atkins OF Mecklenburg
mentioned in this correspondence as a prob
able candidate. has Withdrawn for reasons
which he has withheld. II is understood
however, that Col. Atkins will be a candi-
cate for commonwealth attorney for his
county, which will preclude the possibility
OF his making the fight for Congress.
The republicans will certainly have a cam
didate In this district. Mr.. r. T. Thorpe
fwhol Is at present commonwealth attorney
OF Msckicnburg. has already announced
himself as candidate. Mr.. Thorpe has an
especially strong following in Mecklenburg
having defeated all of the democratic nomi-
nees for commonwealth attorney that have
ever been put up against him Thorpe is a
nard worker. and is very porular with the
negroes, but it is doubtful whether he can
secure the support of the populists in his
district, which would make his election well
nigh impossible. Col. Thos. F. Goode who
was the candidate against the incumbent
Mr.. Epes, and who contested with that
gentleman for the seat, it is expected will
ee the choice of the populists. Col Goode is
a very popular man with the agrarian
classes,and will no doubt be chiefly support
ed by them. This II will be readily seen
VIII sPiit the democratic opposition thus
making democratic success probable Mr.
Allen of Mecklenburg. who was a member
OF the recent legislature is also Prominently
mentioned as candidate of the populists
another candidate for the office is Mr. "
NJ. FLANAGAN of Powhatan.
In the NTH district ii is not relieved that
Mr. Claude A. Swanson will have any
| great opposition in the ranks of his own
party for the denomination, but will have
party opposition. The man who is looked
upon as the Moses of the populists in this
oasuict Is MI W; r. Gravely Of Henry
attorney general last fall, and who at
tracted considerable attention as a shreva
political stump speaker. A great many
democrats in this district do not hesitate
to express their fears that Mr.. Graveiv
would make 1t very warm for Mr.. Swan.
son.
Flood of Candidates.
As the sixth district will be without
representative when the present session OF
Congress adjourns. Mr.. Eomunds. having
declined denomination. flood of candi-
dates are looked for in this district also
Chief among those who are announced as
democratic candidates for the nomination
is Capt. Peter ]. Otey of Lynchburg who
| had proclaimed himself a candidate before
the incumbent. Mr.. Edwards, declined re-
nomination. Capt Otey has developed con-
siderable strength thus far, and il Is
thought that he has the best chance for
success. State Senator Watts of Roanoke
is another probable candidate. While he IA
not an avowei candidate II is believed he
Will make the fight before the nominating
conven ton this summer. 1t is believed thar
the populists. republicans and prohibition
lists will effect a fusion in this district, es-
pecially the populists and prohihitIonists
whose state conventions meet at the same
time In Lynchburg, on the 18th of August
1t Is expected that these two parties will
get together and effect a unity Of action as
to issues, and probably agree upon a can
didate.
A free silver declaration is looked for nv
the republicans in some one Of the ccnyen-
lions this year, which will place them
nearer the populists, and IL is thought that
through this channel they will come TO-
gether, and general coalition of the three
parties looks quite probable now. Senator
| Camerons letters to the National Republi-
can League, assembled at Denver will
serve as a help in this direction. There Is
some talk of Col. Hampton Hoge becoming
a candidate of the republicans in the sixth
district but IL this predicted coalition
proves reality, Col. Hoge will be out of
| the question, for he could not be accent,
able to the prohibitionists, owing to his es-
capade on his way to Annoy, China. as
| consul.
| Maj. S. S. Turner, who succeeded Gov
O'Ferrall in the seventh district, will very
probably be renomnatei by the democrats
as he has proved himself most acceptable
to his constituents during his brief term in