Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-08-14
The Ninth Congressional District.

The Ninth Congressional District.
There was an unhappy incident con-
nccted with the nomination of Judge
Morrison at Bristol last week, for
which he was in no wise responsible,
but which will inevitably cause him en-
barrassment
1t seems that by reason OF bogus
telegram the vote OF Dickinson county
YVES cast for the Judge. and that 1t de-
cided the nomination in his favor. The
Bristol Courier and many friends OF
Marshall contend that but for this "tele-
gram" and wrongful casting Of the
vote Of Dickinson county, Marshall would
he had a majority of the votes Of all
the counties lawfully represented.
Already enough has been said and
published 20 excite fear that our party
in the Ninth district would encounter
great risk by going into the canvass
without investigating this matter tho
roughly and seeing that the truth Is
made known and justice done.
whether the inquiry could be made
best by recalling the convention at once
on motion Of the officers who presided
over it, or by action taken through the
District Committee, We cannot say.
These who are on the ground and who
realize the trouble which may be ahead
foe our party in case there is no investi-
cation of the charges Of the Bristol
Courier ought to know best about the
matter
However. we fol sure that Judge Nor
ison is not the man to receive a noml-
nation over which a cloud hangs. and
we should not be surprised If he of his
own motion took immediate steps to
remedy the trouble and put our party
In better position to win a victory at
the November election.
our Bristol contemporary explains the
case as follows:
According to the schedule made out
by the committee. there were 1856 votes
in the congressional convention which as
scmbled in Bristol Wednesday. a ma
jority Of which was necessary 10 make
"a nomination. Dickinson county, which
was entitled 10 four votes had no dele
gate in attendance on the convention.
Late in the afternoon. a telegram pur-
porting 10 be signed by the chairman Of
the Democratic Executive Committee of
Dickinson county and some Of the dele
gates supposed 70 have been appointed
10y mass convention In that county.
was handed in to the Committee on
Credentials This tel gram appointed d
certain gentleman from an adjoining
county to cast the four votes of Dicken-
son county in the convention. a fight
was made over the admission of such
credentials. the contention being that
tho committee had no information that
any convention had been held in Dick
enson county. The committee stood six
to six on the question of admission or
the proxy, and the chairman (who really
had as much right to vote as any other
member of the committeeJ, cast his vote
in favor of the admission. And these
four votes were cast against Marshall
on every ballot IN the convention.
ut now transpires that this telegram
was forgery, written in Bristol by a
gentleman from Wise county in the
presence of witnesses. If these four
votes from Dickinson county had been
unrepresented in the convention as the
people of Dickinson county left them,
there would have been only lS2 votes
cast in the convention; and as the Hon.
James W. Marshall received 81 IL votes
on the first ballot he would have been
declared the nominee. Marshall's vote as
taken from the secretarys record, which
is before us, was as follows: Bland, %;
Bristol. ~: buchanan. 3; Craig, o:
Giles. II; Pulaski. u; Russell, Il; Scott.
4; Smyth. 4: Tazewell. 16: Washington.
G: W'ythe Il Total. 81 l-6. On the fourth
ballot Marshall received 81 l-S On both
Of these ballots, by purely clerical
error. of course, the secretary gave him
only 80 and fraction
After the publication Of the foregoing
article the Bristol Courier received the
following telegram from the author of
the bogus telegram:
BIG STONE GAP. VA, August IL
Editor Courier.-The Dickinson county
telegram was written by me. The idea
was conceived in a spirit of fun on the
part of myself and friend from wise
| county, our intention being to perpe-
trate joke on the gentleman TO whom
the message was addressed. who knew
nothing OF its bogus character, nor did
any of the delegates from Wise county
know thereof.
had not the slightest idea that the
telegram would be considered by the
Committee on Credentials. nor the re-
hottest conception that the execution oi
this joke involved any ones rights oil
the serious consequences which followed
1 will write you detailed statement
of the whole affair. and until then
ask and ask earnestly that the public
suspend its judgment in the matter.
w H. HARRIS