The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-04-18
FOR THE
CONVENTION.
Showing Along Roanoke as the
Place Of Meeting.
CITIZENS MET IN MASS MEETING
AT THE COURTHOUSE LAST
NIGHT AND PASSED STRONG
RESOLUTIONS COMMENCING
ROANOKE AS THE PROPER
PLACE FOR THE DEMOCRATIC
POLITICIANS TO PULL THEIR
WIRES.

A mass meeting Of the citizens was
heid In the hustings court room last night
to take some steps toward securing the
| place Of meeting for the Democratic con.
| venton for Roanoke
| The meeting, while not as largely at
tended rs the occasion deserved was made
up OF the representative men of the city
and enthusiasm was unbounded.
L The first business to come before the
body was the selectionaof IL chairman and
secretary, and Hon. A. p. Staples and
Louis u. Pepper, respectively, were elect.
led to fill the positions.
II The object of the meeting was then
tjstated by the chairman and after some
llsuggestions and short talks by j. Allen
| Watts, w. a. Glasgow and others, the
following resolutions were offered by w.
az. Dupuy and were unanimously adopted:
Whereas, the time is rapidly mp
proaching when the State Democratic
committee will select time and place
TOR holding the next State Democratic
convention, and
Whereas, it is believed that the said
committee, in the selection --of such n
place will have due regard for the con-
venlence of the delegates, the claims of
all sections of the State, and the interests
or the Democratic party. as well us all
other matters proper to lie considered by
them, and
Whereas, the city of Roanoke as a
convenient place for the holding of the
said convention, offers many advantages,
among which are the following:
! First. 1t is situated on the Norfolk
and western railway where iJs main line
running east and west intersects with the
Shenandoah branch, running north and
| south. Its main line extends from Ten
nessee to tide water, running through
the counties of Washington, Smyth,
Wythe, Pulaski, Montgomery, Roanoke
Bedford, Campbell, Appomattox, Prince
Edward, Cumberland, Nottoway, Din
wlddie, Prince George, Surrey, Sussex
Isle of Wight, Nansemond and Norfolk
aud the starting at the city of Bristola
tapping the cities of Radford, I.ynchburr
Petersburg and Norfolk, the second
third and fourth cities in population in
Virginia, and intersecting the Seaboard
Air Line, the Atlantic Coast Line, the
Southern Railway, the Chesapeake and
Ohio and the Virginia Midland branch of
the Southern Railway. This main east
and west line runs within twenty fl ye
miles of the capital city of the State,
From it there is II branch line, diverging
ut Lynchburg running through the coun-
ties of Campbell and Halifax to the North
| Carolina line; II branch line diverpjne
| from Roanoke running through the coun.
ties of Roanoke, Franklin and Henry to
the North Carolina line; line divergine
at Pulaski and running through the
counties of Pulaski, Wythe and. Carroll.
From Radford, on the main line. extends
the western branch of the railroad, run
ming through the counties of.Giles, Taze-
well, Russell and Wise, reaching IL terri
tory of country touched by no other rail
| roads in lrirrtnin
North eXtendsits Shenandoah branch,
running through the great Valley of vlr.
ginia to the Potomac river, and inter
| secting with the Chesapeake and Ohio
railroad at Shenandoah, and the Southern
railway mt Rlverton, running Through
the counties of Botetourt, Rockbridye
Augusta, Rockingham, Page, Warren and
Clarke. A glance at the map of Vir-
ginia will show that the Norfolk and
Western railway system will bring to
! Roanoke the delegates from all sections
OF the State, with few, if any, changes of
lines of railway, and that there is no i'm.
portant railroad in Virginia which is not
ntersected by the Norfolk and Western
system. The citizens of Roanoke are
assured that the Norfolk and Western
willsduplicate the mileage rates offered by
any other railroad in Virginia, TO any
other point in the State.
The city of Roanoke is in cool and
elevated section of the State with IL salu-
brious climate, peculiarly grateful and
favorable to the people of Eastern Vr.
ginia, Mt the season of the wear in which
the convention will be- held. Itoffers in
the way of its Academy of Music build
ing in which the convention may .assem-
ble (which will aifoid, in its Seating
capacity, its acoustics properties, and its
street railway facilities, advantages ex-
ceeded by no other building in Virginia:
while its hotel accomm Ddations, furnished
by Hotel Roanoke, Hotel Ponce de Leon,
st. James and the Merchants, Hotel and
various boardinghouses in the city, afford
ample forall delegates who
may attend the convention-let the basis
OF representation be large or small.
1T therefore, believed that no city in
Virginia will he more convenient of ac-
cess, or furnish more comforts to the con
vention RS body, and it's representatives
as guests, than the city of Roanoke, and
Whereas. it has always been deemed
best by the Democratic party not only to
keep its representatives in touch with the
great mass of the people, but to evidence
in every way possible its recognition of
all sections, and all classes, and that u
constant change in the place of holding
the convention tends to perfect the organ
ization and disseminate the principles of
the party in all sections, and
Whereas, Southwest Virginia has
never heretofore been more than once
recognized In the selection of the place of
holding the State Democratic Conven-
ton, and then more than nine years
ago, and
| Whereas, it is believed to be to the