Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-10-27

RELIGION AND PoLT

ROANOKE. VA. October 2s-tspe'
ciaL)--During the last few days Roanoke
has been greatly stirred along two DIFF.
ferent lines. One of the most holly con.
tested political campaigns is now at IFS
height. and for the past two weeks the
binary religious revival. Political meet.
ings and revival services have been OF
nightly occurrence. and while there Is
great interest In politics. the evangelists
have attracted much larger audiences
than the politicians.
At the Calvary Baptist church Mr.. J.
Y. Schoolfleld. the weIl-known lay evange-
list has been preaching to an immense
audience At the First Baptist church
Rev. Dr. A. c. Barron. of Baltimore, has
had a crowded church for every night
service. These are the two largest Bap-
t!st churches In the city. Meetings OF
less note have been going on at various
other churches The religious zeal has
spread beyond the limits OF the churches.
and midday services have been held
daily in various parts of the town, Tor
business and working men. The most no.
table Of these have been the daily meet
ings at tho Roanoke Machine Works
and the Norfolk and Western yards. at
tended by large numbers OK mechanics
and railroad employees. The evanselists
already number their converts by the
hundred. and the revival interest seems
70 show no indication of ceasing. Several
large churches of other denominations
nrRDarinH 70 iOin the work.
A WARM FIGHT.
Two weeks ago the Democrats in this
city and district were decidedly blue.
The opposition. calling itself the "Citi-
gems ticket" and composed OF NJ. ii.
Clayton, for the Senate: b. a. Jones,
Frohibitionist, and John Hannah. Repub-
lcan. for the House OF Delegates. has
been making an aggressive fight. Mr..
Claytor. who was formerly a Democrat,
controls the Roanoke Times, the only
morning paper in the district. and the in
nuence of this paper has been used vigo-
rously against the Democratic ticket.
Direct charges have been made that Hon.
j. Alien Watts. regular Democratic nomi-
nee for the State Senate. at the last seq
sion of the Legislature attempted 10
have laws enacted that were against the
local interests OF Roanoke. the principal
charge being that he introduced and en-
deavored 10 have passed an amendment
10 the charter OF the Roanoke Gas and
Water Company, giving that corporation
power to condemn all sources OF water
supply. thus making II a monopoly. At
the beginning Of the campaign there was
undoubtedly great dissatisfaction with
Mr.. Watts on account of this matter.
but his explanation as published in the
newspapers and stated from the stump
has been accepted as satisfactory. The
fight rs also being made against Major
Mccartney, because OF his having been
a distiiler. but as he was the unanimous
choice of Craig. and as Democrats gene
rally conceded TO Craig the naming of
representative on the Democratic ticket,
II is not believed he will be scratched to
any considerable extent.
A DECIDED MIXTURE
The opposition Is fusion OF Republi-
cans. Populists, Prohibitionisis, and few
dsaffected Democrats. The Republicans,
however. are not disposed to accept fu-
sion. and but few OF the influential party
leaders are supporting the Citizens
ticket" In this city much OF the Re-
publican vote will not be polled, and not
q few Republicans will vote with the
Democrats. The Republican Executive
Committee OF this city endorsed only
Hannah. and a Republican convention
refused to endorse any part OF the ticket,
leaving the Republicans free 10 choose
either candidate without affecting their
party loyalty. For the past two weeks
the Democrats have conducted vigor-
Gus campaign and the beneficial effects
are already apparent to all who are in
formed on the situation. Cyclone Jim
Marshall" has spent several days in the
city this week. and his speeches were
Ia
local orators have been talking TO the
people almost every night. The expose
OF the alleged honest election" law has
been one of the strongest cards Of the
campaign, and undoubtedly made many
Democratic votes.
THE REGISTRATION.
A new registration was ordered by the
Election Board. and Ii has required
vigorous effort on the part of the Demo-
cratic organization to get the voters TO
register. However. this apathy has as Sc
riously affected the opposition as II has
the Democrats, and as the Democratic
organization Is far superior the results
of the registration are highly satisfactory.
For instance. in the First Ward. where
200 negroes usually vote. there are now
only eighty names OF colored voters on
the books. The Third Ward is the strong
books there were the names Of about
1000 negroes. being more than two ne
groes for every white man. With only
one more day for registration, only Si7
negroes have registered. and the white
registration exceeds this by three names.
In the Fifth Ward. another ward with a
large colored population. the proportion
OF white registration is much larger than
the colored. The total figures show
light registration for the city. With only
one more day for registration, there are
8.262 names on the books When the books
shall have been closed the totals will
hardly be more than $500, OF which the
negro vote will be between 200 and 500.
In the gubernatorial election Of 1888 the
total vote was about $500. O'Ferrall hav-
ing a majority Of co., 1t Is believed that
practically all the registration will be
polled this year. ana the indications now
ore that the Democratic ticket viii carry
fha citv hv safe p1aiOrltV.