The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-04-11
BOss RULE AND RING RULE VS.
I, OPEN AND ABOvE BOARD METH.
DDS.

most singular article on the open and
above-b board methods employed to Sc
lect the delegates to the so-called con-
vention of the Prohibitions Reform
party, which is to meet Monday evening
to select full municipal ticket for
salared offices and Councilmen. TO be
voted for In the May election. The
Pilot has right TO define In its own
way its motto of open and above
board methods in all things" and stand
to the same. and to the last" but 1t will
not be able to convince any one that the
selection of the so-called delegates was
by any other means than the manipu
ation of "a BOSS, and LITTLE SPE-
CIAL MACHINE. that consisted OF u
| few selected oflce-holderS and office
seekers. and the relatives and connec-
tions OF office holders and office-seekers,
who met in The Pilot building in Sc
CRET COUNCIL. and made out list
of delegates to nominate a list of slated
| candidates for the salaricd offices and
Councilman. The Pilot may blow on it's
of so-called delegates was made with
the full knowledge and consent and full
approval of ALL Prohibition Reform
ers. ana other anti-Rng friends of
good government, hut it will pardon The
Nirg!nian in retnarking. that this as
sertion will be taken with many grains
of doubt. No question but that "abund-
ant care has been taken" in making out
the list to carry out and execute the
| u1 m a M IF 40
10 the selection of the municipal ticket,
that general belief already credits, as
being with one or two exceptions-the
Mayor, Sheriff and one or two others-)
in the vest pocket of Mr.. Chairman
Zachary the BOSS OF TIE RING.
If open and above-board methods
were employed In the selection of the
truly representative men who are to
name the ticket. If. indeed. the dele
gates. so far as chosen'-mark the
words so far as chosen"-are gentle
men who have so nearly the entirely
unanimous consent of the Reform ele-
ment,' why is 1t that their names have
not been puhlished-and why is 1t that
such well-known Prohibitions Reform
ers as Major Humphreys. Councilman
lGoodrldgc and Brickhouse, Mayor Pet
TT. and others who have been high I'm
the confidence and respect Of the Prohi-
bition-Reform movement, have had no
knowledge of the proposed so-called
conventions and fits delegates? Major
Humphreys asserted to representa-
tive of The Virginian when questioned
as to the convention. that "he did no,
know thing in the world about 1t
that the first intimation he had that q
convention was to be held was what
I saw in the papers," Mr.. Goodridge
said he was totally uniformed" Mr.
S. n. Brickhouse said "he did not know,
Mayor Petit also proclaimed his liz.
norance and said. II have attended none
of the meetings"
Yet. Notwithstanding these state
ments. The Pilot proclaims that the
manner of selecting the delegates wa.
by open and above-board methods,
and that the selection of the so-callet
delegates has been fully ratified by
the popular constituency to be repre-
sented." Unquestionably. this may be
absolutely true If the popular consti
tuency embraces tho Hice-holders ant
onlcc-seekers and their relatives ant
connections, and the Ring and Ring
sters and the Boss
but what a farce all this is. No, s
: meeting of any of the supporters of tn,
t Prohibition Reform party has been hclt
: save the star chamber meetings in tn,
+ Pilot building. Not call for any sucl
: meetings has been made The who,t
+ affair has been the connection of a few
and tile opinions and views Of few other:
outside Of the Ring have been con
suited in the least. Indeed. judgn,
from the comments of the Pilot. the full
list of delegates has not vet been com
pleted. for 1t remarked in its yesterday
. issue. In fact the delegates so FAT
= AS CHOSEN, etc" Well. VINO i
doing the choosing OF the delegates? VIII
r has the authority to select them? Wher
lie has the power 10 select been delegated o
1. conferred? Has there been any mass
l. meeting of the Prohibition r. eform vot
n ers that has authorized any cne per
e son or Il number of persons TO max
r the selection? Upon what grounds doe
J. the Pilot assert that delega ton, il
process of selection. has nearly the en-
+. tirely unanimous consensus of the Re