Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-08-28
THE RICHMOND CONVENTION.

convention in Richmond yesterday.
Delegates to the Indianapolis conven-
ton were chosen, electors were select
ed and State committee was named,
with authority to elect State chair
man, who will have the appointment
of his own executive committee. The
convention was held in the Academy
of Music. There was noticeable alb
sence of portraits of party leaders, such
as usually set off the walls on the stage
of halls in which democratic gatherings
are held. The convention was short
of all-day meeting, with intermissions
for dinner and supper, and to await the
completion of the platform. There
were three sessions, OF which that held
at night was by far the most interest
ing, as we'll as the most largely attend
ed. The body was an orderly one, and
the proceedings were harmonious.
There were but few bitches and but lit
tie wrangling. 1t is not believed that
there were 200 delegates present, all
told, and probably majority of these
were from the Richmond district.
w nCa ll4S JUL CulLOA lnSl az - " SASSh
the attendance was very small, and an
hour later, when the proceedings had
gotten we'll under way, there were by
actual count only 1913 persons in that
part of the house set apart for delegates,
and among these were considerable
number of staunch democrats. The re-
port OF the credentials committee was
so framed as to conceal all information
as to what counties were actually rep
resented. 1t was said last night that
there were really us delegates in the
convention.
Chairman Hamilton, John &. Minor,
s. V Southall w. R. Abbott, Captain
Bumgardner and others made speeches,
after the convention had been called TO
order.
The committee on permanent organ
ization reported as follows: Chairman,
James Bumgardner, jr., OF Stanton:
secretary, H. W. Anderson, OF Rich
mond.
The several committees were named.
DR.. Howard was on the committee Oh
permanent organization. Mr.. Thomas
Cockrell on credentials, and Mr.. Thos.
L. Waters, on resolutions.
The Afternoon session was Of less than
two hours length, and was given up in
the main to short, impromptu speeches.
The district electors were afterwards
selected: Samuel G.. Brent, of Alex
andria, is named tfor he Eighth district.
T. L. Cockrel and T. L. Waters are
the delegates from this district with
DR.. Howard and l. Eichburg as alter
mates.
The convention reassembled at S
o'clock last night.
The committee on resolutions re-
ported the following which were
adopted.
Resoled, That the State Central COM
mittee shall elect it's own chairman,
who shall select aud appoint the States
executive committee. and shall be
chairman of the same, and with SAID
executive committee shall be charged
with the conduct of the campaign il
Virginia.
Resolved, That the State executive
committee shall have full authority to
appoint all electors in the several con-
gressional districts of Virginia, should
vacancies occur.
Resolved, That it shall be the duty
of the State executive committee TO
take such action as the election laws OF
this State may require in order to have
the names Of the electors appointed by
this convention and the names Of the
candidates for President and Vice
President who shall be nominated at
Indianapolis placed on the official bal
lot of the State.
The platform was next reported and
adopted. 1t declares political allegi-
ance to the party of Jefferson and Jack
son and repudiates what it calls new
theories of government which have
been announced at Chicago under the
name of democracy, because such the
cries, it alleges, if carried into practice,
would revolutionize the constitution OF
the United States as it has been con
strued and understood by democrats
from the foundation of the government.
1t processes to be alarmed at the pur-
pose to sap and undermine a de-
cision of the United States SUI
preme Court by methods which would
bring that court, so long adorned and
Illuminated by John Marshall, into
contempt aud disrepute and shock the
nations respect for all law; adheres, to
a tariff for revenue only; declares that
the standard of value which was put into
practical use by Jackson, and has re-
NAMED the standard of value of this
country ever since, was gold, and is that
which has been adopted by all the great
commercial nations Of the world, aud
has been the substantial basis Of every
contract made in this country for
over sixty years; to abolish that stand
ard of value now, it insists, and substi-
tute an Inferior, debased, and huctuat-
ing standard would be unwise as to all
future contracts, but as to those al
ready made would be the most stupen-
dous financial crime consummated. 1t
approves the use ofsiver to the greatest
extent consistent with its maintaining
its parity with gold. 1t denounces the
attempt at Chicago to sully the admin
istration of Grover Cleveland: approves
of civil service reform and deplores the
union of populists with the democratic
party.
Mr.. Bryan in moving the adoption OF
the platform said be believed flood OF
gold was waiting to come upon this
country, but didn't explain where it
was coming from or how it was going
to get here, other than to say that Aus
tralia's vaults are bursting with Sl40,