Evening star., 1896-09-11
SECOND VIRGINIA DISTRICT.
some opfnfons as tn the Political
Situation There.

|
WILLIAMSBURG, Va, Sept 9. 1896
Williamsburg, county seat OF James City
county, and for about a hundred years the
capital of the state, has some what great
er Importance in politics than its popula-
ton would seem TO warrant 1t is the
home of DIR. r. a. Wise. the regular re-
publican nominee for Congress from the
second district. AS he sees u the county
and district will be carried by the re-
| publicans so far as ballots are concerned.
but ii does not follow that they will get
| the Offices
Il do not know of a single republican
on the peninsula" he said in substance
Who Will not vote for Mckinley: l DO
know of mary democrats who Will not vote
for Bryan, and some who will vote for Nc
t, kinley: m L do not know that any in this
viii vote for Palmer. The county and
district are republican on fair vote hut
that We are not likely 10 hav". The
Judges of the election are appointed Lv the
state board, who are intensely partisan ard
unscrupGlous, determined TO MAINTAIN dem
ocrauc supremacy at .ary cost. They viii
appoint two democrats of the most ex-
treme type. ana for the third a negro who
usually, cannot read or write, who has no
standing with either white or black, ard
whom they can control or buy for 4 drink
OF whisky. Then the Australian ballot, as
We have ii in this state, is used as means
OF fraud. The voter cannot vote he whole
ticket marked by A symbol. bur ,rust
scratch out the names which he doesn't
want to vote. If any remain, so rhat a
double vote is cast for any one. this is made
the pretext for casting out the entire bal
lot Then great many of the colorrd
voters, being unable 10 read, must have
their ballots fixed for them by one of the
Judges. and advantage is taken of this
Yes. the nomination by the gold democrats
In this district will aid us here. as there
are many who will vote il who world nor
al for foL. ..,la
Judge r. l.. Henley says that the district
Is normally republican, but has been car
ried by the democrats for the last five
years "A conservative republican" he
added, would carry il now There is a
good deal of feeling between the factions
or the republican party, and :he only way
TO secure full vote would oe to withdraw
both Wise and Dyer and to nominate a
new man. There are a good many demo
Gratis in the county who would like TO
see Mckinley elected, but / don't know
Ing directly for him. There are also a
Few republicans know of three. who will
vote for Bryan. The split in the party will
In no way affect the presidential vote
In this county ii is about equally divided
There is no populist vote here"
L. w. Lane. formerly county treasurer
a very Intelligent and well-nformed man.
says that there will be nearly straight
party vote on the peninsula. There are
some gold democrats at Newport News
and few at Hampton, but not many will
break away from their party. Democrats
cannot afford to risk white SUPREMACY
He admits that he is not favorable 20 free
coinage. and would have voted for A gold
man. IL he had been nominated at Chi
cago, quite as readily as for BRYAN. The
farmers in this county are pra2 icaliy sold
FOR silver Crops are so low and times are
so hard that they are ally to Try any
thing which promises relief. The county,
district and state will be carried by the
democrats.
F. H. Geddy, clerk Of The county and
circuit courts, says: ''1n the county, cut
of a vote of about 900 the democrats Rave
majority of about 200 In 1887 and 1871
the republicans carried The county and
men. The treasurer defaulted with about
5000, which brought the parry into dis
repute. There are some republicans v ho
will not support Wise. and he cannot carry
his county. Outside of the town II is solid
for silver. If Tyler is renominatei a few
republican votes viii probably be given
him, through the influence of his brother
the president of William and Mary College
Taking everything together, there is a
prospect of an increased democratic vote
in the county and district
Both parties lay considerable stress upon
what they call the normal vote The
fact seems to be that for the las; ter or
twelve years one party has been on top
about often as the other. and each holds
the vote by which 1t came into power to he
the normal one. 1t is quite evident to one
on the ground that the democrats are
much more sanguine than he republicans
How far the charge Of fraud in the past is
justified need not be discussed, but the
claim that the coming election Is to be
carried by fraud must be Interpreted as a
forecast Of probable defeat. II is the gen.
eral expectation here that Tyler will be
renominated at the convention which
meets on the 18th instant, though William
Young of Norfolk is close competitor
1t Is also the understanding that Dyer,
bolting republican, will be Withdrawn.