Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-08-29
DEMOCRATS DECOYED.

AS whole. the convention of disaf-
fected Democrats held here on Thursday
nos oomposed Of honest and sincere men.
We have no purpose to disguise our be-
lief on this point, or to Withhold from
them any part of the praise that is their
due.
Relieving az we DO however, we are
sure that if one Of their leaders had risen
and said: "All Of you who really wish to
see MCKINLEY elected, say Aye there
urould have been general chorus OF ayes.
Yes. indccr. the Overwhelming majority
Of the 10 OF 90 persons who participated
In the uroce edings Of the convention il
mt upon their word Of honor, would nave
confessed that they desired the electlon
Of the Republican nominees for President
and Vice-President But those who draft
cd the Address to the People of Viz
einla" either forgot or purposely avoided
disclosing the real feelings Of the mem
bers OF the convention.
Instead of a confession. which would
have done credit. at least, TO their can
dor. we have in the address a summary
NJ the objections that have been
raised 10 the various planks IN
The Chicago platform. Our platform Is
attacked and assaulted from every con-
ceivable direction; but we find no OBJ
lection urged to the Republican platform
All of the shots they have they fire at
the work OF the National Democratic
convention. Is anything more need
Cd 10 uncover the real purpose OF the
bolters' convention2 We think not. Ana
The organization that it put forth goes
ont TO fight-not Republicanism, but
democracy. Yet many Of the delegates
present have been members Of state con-
ventions of the Democratic party o. VIZ
ginia. and have concurred in resolutions
demanding the undoing Of the de.none-
tization act. How far the currency lues-
ton and how far the tariff question mas
Influenced these gentlemen in their change
of Marty alignment we can only guess;
hut we guess that the high-protection
theories OF Mr. Mckinley have in
fuenced some who woHld not have con-
cerned themselves much about the
money question.
II would be only by the most vivid ac-
ton OF their imaginations that the gem
tlemen OF the convention could persuade
themselves that they have constituencies
behind them. In the first place. il was
not a State convention. but conversion
pf so-canea delegates" from cities and
towns. Agricultural Virginia was UNI
represented. We do not believe that any
DECORATE present would have gotten upon
the platform and declared that he ~epre-
scented the farmer Democrats Of his
county.
There were meetings OF more or less
importance held in the cities and towns
10 eject delegates. but, so far as we are
Informed, there is no pretence that any
meeting of farmers In any county sent
delegates 10 the Richmond convention
And so far as the city meetings are con-
serned. we can say for Richmond that
he meeting held here 10 elect delegates
consisted OF only about one hundred Per
IONS. and this meeting elected dfty-one
pf the members who were in the conven-
Hon on Thursday From al that we can
learn, the meetings everywhere Char
lcttcsville alone excepted were ridicu-
. lousy small.
so we must insist that the convention
OF Thursday was In no sense a State
convention, nor was II truly representa-
five OF the urban population OF virginia.
But, unrepresentatiye and constituency
f--s - IL was. the conyentioners. when