The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-06-16
AT NORFOLK
Bitter Attack at 81. Louis Upen sy-eon.
gresham George E. BoWden.
HALF A VOTE EACH TO DELEGATES
I'm Spite Of Col. John y. wise's Bitter
Decentralization of the Methods En-.
pioyed to Cseate n Contest-strong
Language Used-Mr. Rowden De-
MICS All Charges.
Especial to the Washington Post.)

Especial 10 the washington POSI-
st. Louis, Mo-, June 14.-The hearing
OF the Virginia contested election case
before the National Committee ait u late
hour last night, which resulted In the
seating OF each of the delegations. with
one-haif vote apiece, was an interesting
incident. The contest, as has been
stated, occurred in the Norfolk district,
one delegation consisting of ex-Con-
gresham Harry Libbey and Alvah II.
Martin. and the other including ex-Con-
gresham Bowden and II. M. Smith.
The two latter were the Mckinley men,
and the two former Were for Reed. MIR.
Libbey and his colleague were represent
ed by John S. Wise. formerly of Virgil
MIA, but now of New York, while Mr..
Bowden argued his own case.
The committee allowed Nj. Wise five
minutes to open the case and five min
utes to close it. Mr.. Bowden wac sand
wiched In with ten minutes. Mr.. Wise
delivered a characteristic speech, and
then read an affidavit which bristled
with serious charges against Mr.. Bow
den. In his affidavit Mr.. Wise r~ecount-
ed at some length all the political posi-
tons he had held, including among
them his candidacy for Governor Of Vir-
ginia in 1855. against Fitzhugh Lee.
whose party" he said. stole my Office"
COLONEL WISE'S TRIP TO NOR
FOLK.
Mr.. Wise said that he had been q
Mckinley man for two years. and went
TO Norfolk after correspondence with
Mark Hanna and Mckinley because It
had been asserted by Mr.. Bowden that
there was a strong anti-McKinley senti-
ment in that district which it would
be difficult TO overcome. Upon arriving
al Norfolk he found that this was false,
the public sentiment among the Republic
cans in the district being practically
unanimous In McKinley's favor. Mr..
Wise said further that he learned that
OF the seventy unconte:ted d~e,Ssates
which had been elected, forty-fve of
them were opposed to Bowden, and
were with Colonel Lamb and Mr.. Lib
hey. Mr.. Wise consulted this majority
side and found that they were willing
to divide the delegation and pass unani-
nous instructions for Mckinley.
He described with considerable plctur-
esqueness how he found Bowdsn in a
i!ttle back room up a dark stairway
with a crowd of negroes. He asked
Bowden what the latter intended to do,
emphasizing the fact tina above ali
things a Mckinley delegation was abso-
suteiy essential. Bow6.n, MIR. Wise
said. treated him with scant civ.lity. and
went On making up rol. In which he
included all the ,c~ontesting Delegates,
who were OF his side. In response 10
questions, Mr.. Wise told Bowden that
the other side wan.ed Martin TO go as
a delegate, and then asked him who the
Bowden men would ask under the pro-
posed division. Wen" rerlied Mr..
Bowden lis has been proposed to send
myself and another niger" Those
We're his exact words, said Mr.. Wise.
Col. Wise left Bowden. according 10
his story, with the understanding that
nothing could be done until an agree
ment"h3d been reached. IN violation of
this understanding, Bowden kept the
Lamb-Libbey faction waiting in n hall
while he went off with his confessed and
nncontes'ted delegates. held Il
ton, and eleob'd himself and another
man as a delegate 100 the St. Louis Con-
vention.
ACTION DENOUNCED AS FRADU-
LENT.
This action was fraudulent" said Mr..
agreement"
And then Mr.. Wise ended his ylt
by including the following:
l verify believe and stare that said
George Il. Bowden and his associates.
John j. Deyer. fr%audulently conspired TO-
geaher. aidad by the two colo!ed men
who co~-cperated' with them. to foment
eontestA in the Second Congressional
District of Virginia. In THE city of Nor
folk and county of Southampton. and
shat said Bowden fomented the contest
In York. so as 10 enable him and his
associates, by virtue OF the power lain
ed Tor them as members OF ithe Congress
s.onal committee, to make up Il spurious
roll OF delegates, whereby said BoWdSn
could claim election as q delegate here.
although he was not and well knew he
was not. the choice of tlhe majugi;y of
tine delegates eleoted to said district CON
vention; and | charge and verify believe
|tha3 the action of said Bowden and Hrs
associates was willfu1ly and knowingly
fraudulent. and that he ought not to be
allowed upon his own certificate and luhat
of his associates in said fraud To reap
the benefits of said fraud.
A statement from Mr. Libbey was also
read asserting chat Bowden's action was
outrageous and without warran, OF an
thortty. II intended as n personal in
dignity to Col Lamb.
Mr.. Bowdeir. who had been listtaninp
to these charges, then spent ten minutes
In denying that his election was fraudu-
Isn't or had been procured by unfair
means. He Also went with some detail
into the case. claiming that the ma ioritv
of the delegates wera with him.
In closing his speech, Col. Wise waa
very sagave and biuser against Bowden
but the committee finally agreed that n
The Fnbled CANT, Atlas.
Was said TO have supported tho world
upon his shoulders. If so, ne must have
49,. - Il a.tl a11tr 100 m