Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-20
STORMY CONVENTION.
Fairfax Court House Entertains the
Democratic Delegates.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.


Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
FAIRFAX COURT HOUSE, Va,
May Is, 1896
The largest and stormiest political con-
vention Fairfax county ever saw occurred
here today. 1t was the county democratic
mass meeting to elect delegates to the con-
gressional convention at Alexandria and
the state convention at Staunton. Scarcely
had the meeting been called TO order by the
county chairman, James NJ. Love, when the
battle began between the gold and the sill
Yer men. Mr.. Love is a gold man, and
when he had called the meeting to order he
appointed J. H. Hurst, also a gold man, to
act as chairman. This was objected to by
the silver men, who demanded that Jas. p.
Machen be the presiding Ocer. The con-
vention seemed equally divided in its pref
erence, and both sides We're very bosterous,
and for some time the utmost confusion
prevailed. At length r. w. Moore secured
the partial attention of the meeting, ard
made an earnest appeal for harmony. He
said he was a free silver democrat. After
considerable talk, in which every one pres
ent INDUCED all at once, some one pro-
posed that Mr.. Moore be made chairman.
This seemed to be satisfactory to all, and
he was unanimously elected.
Mr.. S. r. Donohoe, editor of the Fairfax
Herald, was made secretary.
The storm then subsidized for while but
only to break out with renewed vigor when
+. w. Richardson offered a resolution that
the election of delegates be proceeded with
at once. A. ]. Wedderburn made a speech
In favor of instructiog the delegates for
free silver before they are selected J. H.
Purdell then made a speech N favor of the
resolution, in which he handled Senator
Humans name In an complimentary
manner. He was interrupted by loud cheers
for Tillman from a chorus Of voices. A
resolution was offered that before the dele
gates are selected a declaration be made
on the subject of silver h1t Lost ~,
a vote of % to 96. A motion that the con-
vention proceed to instruct the dele
gates was also lost. The following dele
gates were then elected to the congressjonal
convention: B. Simpson, Geo. Schneider.
Geo. f. Harrison, ]. S. Riley, r. E. Lee. e.
K. Pickett, Chas. B. Cockrell, Dr. Leigh. S.
A. Wrenn, A. G. Hutchinson, Alfred Leigh,
sr.; r. w. Moore, F. w. Richardson. d. M
Chichester, D. B. Eglin, H. G. Smith, J. M.
Love, A. G. Ballenger r. H. Shepherd, j. 3.
Triplett, G. H. Burke, J. T. Davis TO the
state 11er convention n Jas. P. Macnen, Jno. D.
G. F. Campbell, Thomas Terrett Louis
Shade. Jno. B. Coleman, Maj Duffie, Jno.
n. Foilen, S. r. Donohoe, J. H. Powell r.
". Moore, W: S Smoot, W: T. Taylor, B. F.
Mackall, Robt Wiley, r. w. GaiIlard, r. C.
Irlpiett, H. d. Rice and NJ. D. Hall
A resolution was then offered instruct;ng
the delegates to the Alexandra convention
to urge the nomination of Jos. e. Willard
for Congress. Before voting on this reso1,,-
ton Mr.. Willard was asked to state his
views on the money question. He is an out
spoken sound money man. He said that his
position was well known, and that he had
not refused to make it known to all who an
preached him on the subject, and he
thought that his record for honesty and in
tegrity was sufficient TO rebut the irsinra-
tons which had been made that he was
dominated by Wall street influence. He ex-
pressed his willingness to bow in submits
sion to the decision Of the Stanton and
chicago conventions. and support the Eoni-
nee, be he Cleveland or Till,nan. The reso-
luton was adopted unanimously.
A resolution was offered Ey Judge D. NJ
Chichester instructing the delegates to the
state convention to vote for free silver dele
gates to Chicago, but it was defeated By a
vote of 102 to III.
Although the sound money men seemed. to
be in a majority, they did not succeed in
getting more than five out of the twenty
two delegates.
After the convention adjourned the people
were addressed by Judge Ashton of King
George. Frank E. Anderson of Alexandria,
McCabe of Loudoun, asplrants for the dem
ocratic nomination, and also by A. A. Lips
combe Of Alexandria.