Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1894-02-01
LETTER FROM RICHMOND.
Correspondence of the Alexandria Gazette.
RICHMOND, Va, Jan. 81, 1871.

Correspondence OF tue Alexandra O2zettc'l
RICHMOND, Va. Jan. 81, 1891.
The announcement that Mayor Ely
son would not be candidate for re-
election this spring was indeed sur
prise TO many of that gentleman S
friends and the matter was the subject
of a great deal OF gossip to-day. There
was general expression of regret
throughout the city by those who have
been the closest to Mr.. Ellyson during
his six wears of service and those who
are the most disappointed. The I'M
preston prevails that now Mr.. Ellyson
is out OF the race, Alderman K. NJ.
TAYLOR is the favorite and will win in
the coming primary. Alr. Taylor is a
good man and will make an excellent
Mavor. He has been in the City Coun-
Gil for many years and is regarded as
one of the best members in the body.
He is very popular and had Mr.. Ely
son remained in the fight, would have
been his strongest competitor. Indeed,
Mr.. Taylor's friends claim that he
would have won any way.
The pops are evidently weakening
very fast, though they are struggling
awfully hard to mold their heads up.
They are a mighty sick lot of people
and from present indications they will
shortly follow in the path of all other
parties that have sprung up and run
as sort of q side issue to eth
er of the national parties. Mr..
c. H. Pierson has been chairman and
Mr.. r. H. Harris secretary since the or
ganizaton of the populist party in this
State. Both of these gentlemen are
politicians, and if the way didn't look
awfully dark and dreary it is thought
they would hardly have resigned their
positions. The impression prevails that
the death knell has been sounded and
it will not be long before the baby's
funeral will take place. When they
had their foreign missionaries preach
ing populistism in Virginia last fall they
expected mighty things, but when the
vote was announced they for the first
time realized how small they were.
The bill before the Legislature to re-
peal the one quarter of one per cent.
tax on gross sales of real estate is at
tracing considerable attention among
property owners. The movement is a
popular one and the measure is appar-
emily only a just request. The tax
comes out of the person selling the
property, and while some who sell real
estate can afford to pay it others can.
not, and it is also argued that as real
estate agents are taxed very heavily
there should be no tax on the party
selling
In the Senate to-day the Miller bill
to exempt from the local option law all
towns and cities of more than 5000 in
habitantswasthe first matter considered.
There was not much discussion on the
subject, the theme having been ;iboCt
exhausted and when the vote was TAX
Ell on the engrossment it resulted as
follows:
Ayes-Arthur, Barnes, T. H. Berry,
Echols, Fairfax, Flood, Green, Harri-
son, Hatcher, Hay, Herbert, Jones,
Lovenstein, Maynard, Miller, Mush-
bach, Parrish. Washington, Watts-19.
Noes-Barnes, NJ. H. Buchanan,
Harnsberger, Hurt, Jackson, Jordan,
LIE Cato Sands, Tredway, Walton, Will
liams-1l.
Senator Echols from Stanton made
an able address in advocacy of the bill.
During the course of his remarks he
reviewed the canvass in Augusta
county last fall and said that never
were there such debauchery and such
attempts TO corrupt the suffrage OF a
free people as were made by men who
claimed to be working in the interest Of
morality, and that they resorted to
every means that would bring vote.
He also read one of the prohibition cir
culars showing the methods used in the
canvass. He also said that of the names
signed to recent petition for prohi-
bition election in Stanton, of the 46O
names on that petition 200 were ne
groes and the others, with the exception
of fifty democrats, were republicans
and prohibitionists.
Mr.. Mushbach said he had intended
to make some remarks on the bill, but
in the absence of Mr.. Stubs, who was
called away by sickness in his family,
he would say nothing at this time.
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