Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-04-11
Democratic Mass Meeting.
Election of City Demo.
cratic Committee.
PRIMARY ELECTION DEFEATED
LARGE MAJORITY.

Notwithstanding the unfavorable weather
very large meeting of the Democrats of this
city was held in Columbian Hall last Monday
night, in obedience to the call of Hon. A. c.
Gordon, Chairman of the City Committee
for the purpose Of electing a new City Com
mittee, as the term of the old one had expired
and to determine whether primary election
for the nomination of City officers should be
| held.
AT 8 O'Clock, Hon. A. C. Gordon, Chairman
of the old City Committee, called the meeting
to order, and read the published call for the
meeting, and then announced that the first
business would be the election of the Chair.
man of the meeting
| w. l.. Olivier was first put in nomination
and then Capt Jas. Bumgardner, whereupon
at his request, the nomination of Olivier was
Withdrawn and Bumgardner was elected
unanimously.
sentatives of the Democratic press present
were elected Secretaries.
The Chairman then announced that the
next business was the election of the City
| Democratic Committee.
Alex. F. Robertson, Esq, moved that each
| ward elect the members of the Committee
from its respective ward. Capt. John Nc
| Quaide moved as substitute that the meeting
as whole elect the members from both wards
at the same time. The substitute was opposed
by VIM. A. Burke, and advocated by Geo. S.
Lightner. Then Capt. McQualde withdrew
his substitute, and the motion of Mr. Robert
son was adopted.
On motion of Hon A. C. Gordon those from
the second ward occupied the front portion of
the Hall, and those from the first ward the
rear, for the purpose of expediting the vote.
The vote resulted in the election of the fol-
lowing to constitute the City Committee =
First Ward.-Wm. B. McChesney, John j.
Kilgalen, Thos c. Kinney, E. w. Stewart W.
G. Motfett, and R. S. Turk.
Second Ward. Ernest Nothnagel, Joseph B.
Woodward, Thomas Kivlighan, Samuel H.
Rosenbaum, James R. Taylor, Jr., and Thos
Hogshead.
Alex. F. Robertson, Esq, then moved that
the meeting instruct the Committee to order
primary election. This motion was advo-
Gated in an earnest speech by Col. JAS H.
Skinner, who was replied to in an equally
earnest manner by Hon. A. c. Gordon, who
believed 1t to be unwise and inexpedient
Then G. I. Jordan spoke in favor of its adop-
ton. Then Capt. Bumgardner was called up
on, when he said that he supposed when the
meeting elected him its Chairman, he was ex-
pected to discharge the duties of that position
and that alone, and as both sides had been
ably presented, he supposed the meeting was
ready to vote.
At this stage of the meeting, Col. Skinner
offered the following resolution, the adoption
of which was advocated by himself and Capt
W. H. H. Lynn
"Resolyed In the judgment of the Demo-
cratic party of Staunton in public meeting
assembled, that it is expedient to hold a
primary for the nomination of Councilmen
and other officers elective by the people, and
the City Committee is instructed to order and
arrange for such an election at an early con-
venient day."
by division of the Democrats present-those
in favor taking position on the right and those
opposed on the left of the stand-when it was
apparent that the resolution was defeated by
| majority of two to one, and the vote was
not counted, and the Chair announced the
resolution lost, and thereupon, on motion,
the meeting adjourned
The meeting was large one and both sides
were earnest and felt deep interest in the re-
suit, but no unkind feeling was manifested