Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-08-21
'TWASCUT ANDDRlED
MECIxIENpURG's "H0NEsT-ELt.o-
TIONsv MEETINGS, AGAIN.
rir. Thurp Makes nm InSc"'""S
spccch, Hut Allen Lets the Cat out
az the Rng-Thc stock RcsOiu-
tfOnS.
tfons.

EOyDToN. VA. August 2o.-tSpecial)-
When Mecklenburg Court adjourned FOR
dinner yesterday the bell was rung for
public citing. in pursuance or the tol-
lowing noiice. which had been published
IN the county papcrs Of the week before:
TO THE VOTERS OF MECKt EN-
BURG COUNTY WHO ARE ~ FAVOR
OF A FAIR-ELECTION LAW, HON
ESTlH ADAINlSTERED,-io are re-
quested 70 meet in mass.meetlng IN IN, me
court house of this county on the lFth
DAY OF August. 1870 tcOurt-1ay). Tor the
purpose Of organizing and .aklnS such
Steps US may be deemed advisable TO Sc
cure the election of delegate 10 tne
next LEGISLATURE who Will do all IN his
power 10 have enacted an honest. non
partisan election law. All who are III
favor OF securing such a !aw-res tdiesS
of their political views-are earnestly re-
qucsted TO attend this meeting.
FRIENDS OF HONEST ELECTIONS.
The oolored voters appeared 10 have
been previously Informed In regard 10 the
meeting. and about sixty-hve or seventy
of them were promptly on hand NJ the
front and to the right and let OF 'he
lawyers enclosure were Assembled t"V"-
ty-fve or thirty whites. taIee fourths OF
whom were of Republican or iopuIls'
proc.vlties and affiliations
When all tired of hearing the question
what IS this meeting for. ana what are
we going 10 do?" so often Repeated Nr'
j.. Il. Thorpe, the defeated kcpuollcah
candidate for Congress. and VINO Is no"
coniesting the seat OF Mr.. Mckenhey.
;scendcd the judges stand ana caied the
meeting TO order ana made II speech VI
forty minutes H. WAS very adroit III
his remarks. and threw ont his net TO
entrap the unsr s1ecting old Democrats
who had innoceutly wandered into the
meeting. His text was Honest Flee
tions." and he brought in many scripturai
quotations 10 fortfy his position. Inc
elections in this county he admitted, were
generally fair. but in other counties in the
Fourth District, he asserted, fraud. cheat
Ing and sale Of Offices were the dominant
prlncip.es and practices Mckinney, ne
said was now drawing over 500 per
month as the congres sman Of this ais
trict to which position he Thorpe was
entitled. but McKenney was awarded the
certificate Of election obtained under par
tisan election law and fraudulent returns.
The speaker conceded that during the
next Legislature there would be a Demo
cratic Governor and Senate. and the only
bare hope for his party. he said. was TO
capture II possible. the lower house and
bring about In some way election reform.
He made 10 alluslon TO Malone or the
Petersburg conference, hat his plans or
organization were plainly outlined. and
his invitation for cooperation from men
of all parties was so ingeniously extended.
md the way so beautifully snoothed
over. that an honest man would be COM
PEELED 10 accept his terms Of S2lF2iio-
from TIE hdeOus Democratic tcrrOrs he
had pictured
COMMITTEE ON RESOLUTIONS.
At the conclusion Of Thorp's speech.
Mr. Thomas A. Epps. n Populist leader.
ct one time county chairman Of the party.
and a defeated Peoples party candidate
for the State Senate a few years ago,
was called TO the chair He had but little
20 say. except that at present he thank
ed God he was nOn-partisan." A motion
was made to appoint committee on re-
solutions The committee was constituted
by placing az It's head u good old Demo-
crat who happened - be present as q
spectator. The committee soon retired,
accompanied By Mr.. Thorp. While the
committee was ont few voices called
upon Mr.. Thomas G.. Allen, tn present
Populst delegate in the Legislature from
Meckienburg. for a speech. He is always
anxious to speak. and responded without
hesitation. ana. as the boy said, "he put
his foot IN IT," and let out the secrets 81
the purposes Of the meeting which Mr..
Thorp had 50 pleasantly and ingeniously
concealed.
TOLD THE WHOLE STORY.
Mr. Allen said the object OF the meet
ing was the furtherance and carrying
out Of the measures OF the Petersburg
conference. OF which General Malone was
the prominent figure, and TO unite and
consolidate the dfferen; factions in op-
position TO the Democracy. In North
Carolina. he said. there had been such
a fusion and the Democrats were beaten
by 900 majority. The same result could
he obtained here. Mr.. Allen moved TO
Virginia from North Carolina about ten
ysais ago. and his political inspirations
are drawn from his Carolina associa-
tons ard surroundings.
After Mr.. Allen concluded but few
Democrats remained. and the committee
came IN - make report
The preamble and resolutions covered
about three pages Of lcgal-cap paper. and
we're all In Mr. Thorp's handwriting. They
had been previously prepared. and were
adopted by the nominal committee with
out alteration. In fact, the chairman could
not read his own report, and had TO ask
Mr. Thorp 20 do so for him.
The resolutions which were adopted
proved TO be reorganization OF Mr..
Thorp's speech They opposed the present
electOn-l.w. and favored honest cleo
tons" the nomination Of d candidate for
the Legislature who would go in no
caucus with Democrats, and q conyen-
tion for such nomination. Ia be held at
the courthouse on the 18th Of September
the delegates to said convention 10 be
appointed At precinct-meetings 10 be held
on September 9Th.
The chairman appointed precinct COM
mittees. selecting citizens. as suggested
10 him. who would be likely 10 cooperate
IN the movement. and some Democrat
of the. community. nolens volens.
Thus ended the Tnorp-Allen mass meet
ing and the few who remained at the
close slowly departed. silll asking one and
another the question: what did we come
here for ana what have We done"'