Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-01-20

1f
HON. SIDNEY =. EPES.
tontion to forward your notice OF con-
test. Indeed, your canvass. such as it
was. was conducted rather with the
hope Of being seated than elected. You
entered the race whipped. From the
testimony OF lifelong Republicans
shall show that your nomination was a
fraud, that your subsequent political
course was regarded as a betrayal Of
your constituency, and that your uti-
mate defeat was not only predicted hut
hoped for 10y Republicans on both sides
Of the financial question at issue in the
campaign"
FOURTH A SILVER DISTRICT.
Mr.. Epes shows that the Fourth Dis
trct IS a free silver district. and that
he himself was supported. not only by a
thousand Populists who acted with the
Republican party TO a great extent for
the common cause of free silver, but
also by the greater part Of the sound
money Democrats, who cast their votes
for him on personal grounds. while vot-
ing against the free silver candidates
for President and Nice-President
He shows further that the white peo-
ple of the district had not been as in
terested i'm an election for years, while
a large number of the negro Republicans
did not vote at all and made no
attempt TO vote; that the negroes in
great measure cast their ballots for the
Democratic candidate, for the reason
that they had grown dissatisfied by rea-
son of Mr. Thorp's position on the cur
rencv question. that gentleman having
changed from an original frce-silver man
10 a supporter of a gold standard
of currency. 1t is alleged that 5000 of
the negro voting population did not go
10 the polls at ALL and that a heavy
Republican vote was cast in favor of the
Democratic candidate by reason of his
position on the financial question.
A good deal is said of the mixed-up and
tangled condition of the Republican
forces when there were for some time
two candidates running on the same
ticket. IL is claimed that owing to Tho
novel proceedings of the Republican con
yentions which nominated two different
candidates. and the dissatisfaction thai
prevailed among the two factions, a large
number OF Republicans left the ranks of
their party and supported the Demo
cratic candidate and free silver. The
nomination anC temporary candidacy q
Charles Gee. who was put up by thC
Brady faction OF the Republican party
WAS a cAiOi4E Adttpl AoNHAAo 1NlES- go
the Democratic candidate.
4 SERIOUS CHARGE.
The answer sets forth that many OF
Nr. Thorp's political supporters made
attempts to bride voters who were be
Meved 10 be friends of Mr.. Epes. A
vigorous reputation of fraud on the part
of the Democratic workers is made, anc
Il is alleged that the Populsts. who hac
to fInf f.xtrfa .ufa
ddate. Colonel j. Thomas Goode, at the
last election, gave their support to Mr.
Epes.
in the paper is included a copy OF the
address Of Hon. Charles Gee. one Of the
Republican nominees for Congress. dated
Disputanta. Va, June 3. 1896. which was
made TO the Republicans of the Fourth
District In this address Mr. Gee states
that "a large majority Of the Repub
llcans Of the district were opposed TO the
nomination Of Mr.. Thorp. mainly because
Of his action in raising the race ISSUE
at the Petersburg convention that nomi
mated delegates to the ST. Louis nationa
convention" Mr.. Thorp, in antagoniz
ing General Stith Boiling to support thu
negro. Green, had met with opposition
on the part Of nearly every leading white
Republican. and Of seventeen Of the thir
ty-nine negro delegates at the Peters
burg convention 1t is stated that money
and whisley were used freely for a mum
Der OF the meanest negroes in Peters
burg 10 abuse General Boiling and Col
onel Brady. after the election Of the dele
gates, and offers were made TO the dele
gates in the Farmvile convention to vot'
Cor Thorp's nomination.
MR.. GEES CHARGES.
IL ia also charged by Mr.. Gee I'm hi.
address that at Farmville a number o
the delegates who were opposed to Mr.
Thorn stated that they were offered So
each 10 vote for his nomination.
Mr. Gee charges fraud, bribery and ir
regularity on the part of some of Thorp'
agents, and reviews the political pro
ceodings that nominated Mr.. Thorp
holding that the political sentimen
among the Republicans was opposed t
Thorp's nomination, and that by irresu
lar methods ne was finally pat in.
After O careful resume of the aHega
lions in ~. Thorps notice OF contest
and a complete denial and REPUTATION
% the general vague, and indefinite
charges Of the contestant MI Epe'
concludes his reply 10 the notice OF th'
contestant az follows:
81 have nothing 20 do with the remote
past history Of parties In the tourti
NNisfCsSlOnal DlSlilcL OF VII biHi1, -
cept 10 state what is a matter or com
mon knowledge that in this campaign
he political conditions were totally
changed
oven I'm well-matched fight be
tween Republicans and Democrats, No
iair-minded man viii contend that q
Republican OF to-day in this distric
can hope for the negro vote that once
rallied TO Messrs. Platt. Stowell. Jorgen
son, Gaines. Brady, Hopper, or Lang
fton. who I'm the days that succeeded Re
construction were either politically un
opposed. or as In the case OF Langston
aroused the fast fading political Interest
u the negro TO the point or religious
ieryor by exceptionally skilful appeals 4
race bride and loyalty.
VERY FEW WHITE REPS. INDEED
There never has been IN the Fourti
District enough white Republicans 4
furnish commissioned officers for TN
negro voters IL formed into resiment