The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-09-19
LOOKING BACKWARD
A Retrospective Glance Over Thursdays
Field OF Hard Fought Battle.
HISTORY OF THE NINETEENTH BALLOT
The Peninsula Turned the Tide 10
f0unE Nnd Lost the victory to
bryant. Young Endorsed by Braun.
bieton Democrats Who Also Con-
donin Park Committee OF Councils.

AS the smoke of the recent battle ait
Port Norfolk for the Congressional NOM
nation has cleared away, q retrospec-
i've glance at the scenes and incidents
OF Thursday may prove interesting and
al the same time instructive.
~ was day of surprises. some Of
lnem so startling as to shock the nerve
OF the oldest campaigner. ana the story
tnereof VIII be told In certain circles I'm
times when the present generation Is
gray headed and out OF politics.
"A glance at the results of the various
ballots shows at onca that the Norfolk
Clty delegation was the most potent fac
Aor in the fight. Backed by its 45 solid
votes, Young was never out OF the race
az any time. Under the direction of an
apIe steering committee. to whom every
proposition was referred. the delegation
was never broken but once which was
IN the 18th inning. when It was deemed
mise ,N 10 lend Jones five votes with the
nope that they would be returned with
interest. In this they were not disap-
pointed
1t Is no secret that the Young men
eontldently expected to capture the prize
pefore the sixth ballot, and rather an
sicipated getting home before o'coclt
fhe results show how faIlible are the
ways OF man and the predictions of pol-
5tlcai Prophets; oven though unpreJu-
= iiS Sitl COutlUBSnt, III may be
stated, was hardly less confident. It
was a prevalent impression there-amons
that after the first ballot the tide would
beEin to set in towards Tylerean shores.
ana ah continue with increasing swell until
the high-water mark OF victory was
reached 1t was Il great mistake There
were Influences not reckoned on which
turned the tide in other directions, and
IT'S IT'S a peeuliar changes produced seas that
were uncertain and "chopDy"
Inc most renl rkab fip,ira In 4bn
convention was cut by DR.. J. T. Bryant.
rms gentleman, who Is immensely popu-
Ia I In MS own county, as well as in every
other corner OF the district, was. stranee
to say. hardly calculated upon as helms
IN the race. The gentlemen who had the
management OF the Young-Tyler oam-
palshs did not count on the doctor They
were certain the struggle would be be-
tween tnelr taVorltes from start to finish
and that most OF those In the race would
drop out in short order, throwing their
votes here and there until a result was
quickly reached.
as Tyler's forces fell away, until in The
iSth ballot he ran four ahead of Young
and lacked but twelve votes of being
nominated. The fact that the honor
al ulo not go TO him was political miracle.
20 be seen TO be appreciated. but hardly
Understood by mortals whose ken is OF
ordinary everyday calibre. 1T was
moment for desperate action, and well
II was Tor the Norfolk man that he had
by him friends with cool heads. keen
eyes and clear comprehensions, or at
that critical and crucial juncture his
chances for the nomination would have
b"en swamped by the high tide that sud
denly rolled on the Bryant beach
When the nineteenth ballot was be-
gun with 1t commenced the hardest
night OF the afternoon. Men with their
coats orr, their hat: under their chairs,
thelr cravats united and their hair
or l1sS
their arms. around the necks of this or
that recalcitrant delegate pouring into
MS head thousand reasons why he
shouid change his vote to Young or Bry-
seating purposes. and DIR. Barnes i'm
proVised gavel became altogether more
ornamental than useful. Order was only
brought out of chaos by the announce
through the seething bowling mass of
humanity. that the vote would not be
announced until il was gone over and
confirmed by the chairman of each dele
sation, and that a nomination would
never be declared until quiet was re-
stored. Then 1t was that the men who
had been frantically appealing TO the
secretary TO change the vote of this or
ahat delegations gradually comprehended
the futiiity of their actions; then. TOO.
the voice of the arguers was stiiled, arms
slipped from unwilling and uncomfort-
able necks. and some 500 excited people
held their breath for an indefinite period
and waited.
The next five minutes proved that tn
bryant men had been outgeneraled and
defeated, though only after a noble fight.
II was the Tyler slump that did IT, AS
predicted before in these columns the !
Peninsula held the balance of power, !
and her vote decided the issue of the |
section was simply nil. Next to Tyler |
and Lee, Young was the choice. Charles |
L ty, finding that Tyler could not win, |
nd ft,er n yc to- r.. N
ant in the 10th, having first cast her
three votes for their favorite. reconsid-
cred and came over to Young. 1t was
the beginning of the end. Elizabeth |
City Immediately changed her vote. |
throwing all to Young but one. James |
City, which had stuck to Tyler all !
through the long fight. followed the |
Continual On Iriftl .Iaaza --.------ [