The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-08-13
THE WARD MEETINGS
considerable Dissatisfaction Prevails, ,lssr
the Action of the Democratic COMMITTEES
CANT GET OUT A C0RPORaLs suans"
s"ch weather Al This, sny Many geo>.
resentntive voicrs-The Daee for
INC Mosttngs Should Have Reeqs
SCI Enter or Ward Primaries
Would Earc Been Better still.

SCI Lnter or Ward primaraaz
Would Isaro Been Better sti,I.
Inc Committee on bylaws appointaf
same s. .nH r.I' ilrst meeting OF the Bryan and
Swan Stup, convened last night AT tbe
oiiice of the chairman, MIR. J,,,ius ~ I.
saunders. and drafted n fun set Of bv.
laws. which Will he presented NJ the
next next meeting meeting of the club for action.
from from esu the nsta, oa me ,ne bylaws. differing
cuiarly Interesting inasmuch as it nro.
Vldes FOR the admittance to MEMBERSHIPS
Oh the club all white voters who agree
g 60 cast their ballots for Bryan and
SeWail. regardless of their present or
previous political affiliations
ihe next meeting will be held Friday
evening, beginning at o'clock sharp at
, o,u Emerald Hall. corner of Bank street
ana City Hall avenue. There will he
several prominent speakers and a large
numbers OF voters are expected to be
out. both those who have already hana. /
Ell IN their names as applicants for
membership and those who desire To fe-
come members.
Each member of the COMMITTEES is
provided with card for signatures of
applicants. There are eight OF these out
and one of them last night was shown
to a Virginian man. 1t contained fifty
names. and most OF them had been
placed there voluntarily and Without
solicitation.
Col. Page McCarty has written a Iea-
ter to the Bryan and Sewall Free Sill
yer cub acknowledging the honor don0
MIN by that organization in eecting
him corresponding secretary.
Ihe Democratic portion, at least. of
the population OF the city OF Norfolk,
had something else to talk about yester-
day besides that threadbare overworked
theme-the weather. 1t was curious to
note how friends and acquaintances, as
they stopped for n moments chat on the
streets, and moppcd the beaded perspi-
ratio from their brows. instead of ask
Ing, What do you think of the wea-
ther?" Queried. "What do you think OF
the action of the Democratic Executive
committee last night?" And men who
are not accustomed to expressing their
opinions lightly, delivered Themselves
In no uncertain actthts.
AS a matter of fact, there was con-
siderable. indeed great deal of adj
verse criticism, the general idea being
that the committee should have adopted
ward primaries instead of ward meet
ings as the method of electing deIegates
10 the District Convention; or if the
committee felt constrained 10 have
meetings, 1t should at very least have
chosen dates for them more suitable.
instead of selecting the 20 and 9th Of
August, the hottest month Of the year.
when with the thermometer recording
hgures on the further side of s5 degrees.
| 1t would be impossible to get a handful
places.
why didn't they give us primaries2"
SAID one gentleman. at would certainly
nave been the fairest method. and there
are other considerations. 1 would like
10 Know who is going out on night like
tmis ms 10 spend an hour or two in a stuffy
hi.Ventilated hall. when, IL we had
primaries, man could 40 to his
voting place, cast his ballot In half a
| minute and return home. I, for one.
shall not go"
"A man ought to be eternally blessed
sarcastically speaking. who would at
tempt to hold any kind of meeting this
weather.. declared another "It's all +
can uo 10 Keep cool in bath tub There
Won. be corporaps guard at any OF the
iiiti,ee.,nss it,se II the mercury hangs anything
IKE as nigh as 1t does now, and a dozen
or q score of men cannot express the
preference of entire ward" -.
Inc action of the John S. Barbour and
o.her large clubs in adjourning over
from July to September in order ~
escape the intense heat of Aueust xves
also commented upon as showing how
little consideration the Committee had
siVen TO the personal comfort of the
niass OF voters. A member of the or
Eanizatlon referred to. In speaking of
the matter. said yesterday that SO far
as MS ward was concerned, he did NOT
believe there would be a handful out
adding that 1t was too warm for the
members to meet, and constituting as,
tney do large percentage Of the voters
or the ward they will hardly feel like
coming out to a ward meeting any more
than they would to a club meeting.
And so 1t was in every quarter Of the
| city such comment could be heard, from
which. If any inference whatever Ia 10
be deducted. 1t may be set down for a
| fact that had the dates of the ward
meetings been fixed for a later and
cooler month. the attendance would be
| q great deal larger and had primaries
been chosen instead of ward meetings
as the method of electing delegates, q
| much larger percentage of the voters
would express their choice by their ball
lots than would be the case otherwise.
| The Norfolk county Democratic exeou-,
tive committee will hold meeting at
noon to-day at the Mansion House.
The Bryan and Sswall Demccra tic
club No. win meet at the Festival hall
Thursday night. 13th to arrange sor the.
approaching campaign. All friends Of
Brvan and Sewall and the Chicago
platform are invited to come forward
and enroll their names as members.