Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1897-08-13
THE CONVENTION.

AS stated IN the GAZETTE OF that
date, the democratic State convention
which met in Roanoke on Wednesday,
completed its labors yesterday evening
by nominating Hon. Edward Echols,
of Staunton, for Lieutenant Governor
and Hon. A. ]. Montague, of Danville,
for Attorney General.
Nominating speeches for Attorney
General being in order, candidates
were put forward by the friends of the
several candidates. Senator Flood
nominated Judge w. n. Mann, of Not
toway, for the position, and Congress.
gresham Jones eloquently advocated
the claims of Lloyd T. Smith, of North
cumberland, for the same Office. Con-
gresham Swanson championed the
cause of ex-District Attorney A. }.
Montague, of Danville, and State Sem
ator McIllwaine eloquently champion
ed the cause of F. Il. Lassiter, of Pc
tersburg. Congressman Lamb, of the
third district, nominated II. r. Pollard,
of Richmond, and Winfield Liggett, of
Rockingham, nominated W. r. Alex"
ander, of Winchester. Several gentle
| men made able speeches seconding the
nomination of their favorites for this
position, and when the time for
balloting came the interest was in
tense. Amid the multitude OF second.
ing speeches the few pointed words OF
R. Walton Moore, of Fairfax, who Sec
| onded Mr.. Montague's nomination, are
| worthy of mention. He said that he
would not speak longer than two min
utes, and he kept his word. A two
minute speech in q Virginia convention
| is as rare as warm day in Greenland.
The first vote resulted as follows:
| Mann, oil; Smith, 2O7. Montague, 375;
L4ssiler 357; Pollard, 1873; Alexander,
265. The second ballot showed 697
votes for MontagueIand 465 for Lassiter,
whereupon the convention proceeded to
make the nomination of the former
unanimous. The selection of candi-
date for attorney general caused much
| discussion, and it was after 3 o'clock
when the convention took recess till
4:30 o'clock.
At the afternoon session Senator Dan
iels, the chairman of the committee on
resolutions, resumed the reading Of the
platform, as given in The GAZETTE
Yesterday. This had been interrupted
at the morning session by speech
es of nomination for attorney-gene-
raj. The platform proper, the
the Senator explained, was unanimous
| y adopted by the committee. The
separate resolution providing for the
nomination Of United States Senators
By primary was adopte by The comm it.
zee by vote of Is to II. The conven-
lion adopted the platform proper.
Secretary Bigger at this point read a
resolution unanimously adopted by the
committee cordially and heartily en-
iorsng the course in the Senate of "our
beloved Senator, John w. Daniel, and
pledging ourselves not to support for
The Legislature any candidate who Is
opposed to his re. election" This reso-
luton the convention adopted without
dissenting vote.
Senator Daniel eloquently acknowl
,dged the honor paid him by the adop'
| ton of this resolution. 1t was, he de-
sred, one of the highest tributes that
could be paid man by noble people.
His speech was received with applause.
The convention then took up the res
button regarding the nomination OF
Senators by primary election. The eff
fort of the friends of the proposition to
limit debate to an hour to each side was
defeated. Hon. W. A. Jones, of the 1st
district, opened the discussion in favor
# the committee's report for primary
plan of nominating Senators. He point
I'd out that the convention had just
ndorsed the whole principle involved
in this proposition in the resolutions
endorsing Senator Daniel. Mr.. Jones
challenged Senator Daniel to say if the
question of electing Senators by the
Ueope should come up in the Senate
re would not vote in the affirmative.
The proposition was strenuously OPP
posed by Senator Daniel and other
leaders of the party, and when the vote
wss finally taken it was defeated by a
decided majority, the ballot standing
ayes 600, noes $50.
| The convention after the usual vote
Of thanks to the chairman for his i'm
partiality, &C., and to the people Of
Roanoke for their courtesy and kind
ness, adjourned sine die, and thus
closed one of the most representative
conventions of the democracy of Vir-
ginia ever held in the State The
body was thoroughly patriotic and
| thoroughly representative of the PEG
pie of the great State which called
| them together.