Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1898-09-08
THE CAMP Align.
Democratic Committee Meets
in Richmond.

in Richmond.
The Democratic Executive and State
Central committee met in Richmond
Thursday night for the purpose of
mapping out the congressional cam
paign and to discuss the situation in
every district. The meeting was he'd
at Murphy's Hotel and was called to
order by State Chairman J. Taylor
Ellyson. The session was private one
and only members of the committee
were present.
More than half of the session Of the
committee was devoted to considering
the situation i'll the Ninth District.
Judge William +. Rhea, the Democratic
candidate, was not present. R. T. Ir
vine. OF Big Stone Gap, a member of
the committee from that district, dis
cussed the situation there at length.
The lack of unity in party ranks in
Washington county was fully discussed
and methods calculated to produce
harmony were considered. The differ
ences between the Watermelon and
anti Watermelon factions in Washing
ton county, have not been entirely
healed, but they have not threatened to
endanger Democratic success in the
Ninth district. 1t was realized that
Judge Rhea is making splendid fight
in that district, and every member of
the committee felt that it was due him,
personally. as we'll as due the party,
that he receive the united and enthusi-
astic support of the party.
The exact nature of the methods
which were adopted by the committee
to harmonic the factions in Washing
ton were not made public, but a men,
adjournment that he believed they
would be successful.
| 1t was the general opinion of the COM
mitteemen from the Ninth district that
Judge Rhea will be elected. IfGeneral
Walker is returned to Congress it will
| be Though no sin of commission or
omission On the part of the Democratic
candidate, who asthus early given evil
dence that the campaign which he will
conduct will be remarkably prudent,
cautious, and aggressive.
The situation in the Tenth district
was discussed by Judge J. M. Quarles,
the Democratic candidate, and by sew
eraI members of the committee from
that district The prospects were
shown to be highly gratifying-indeed.
member of the committee said they
were all surprised to learn that the out
look for Democratic success in this Re-
publican district was SO good. There
Mr.. Yost will be succeeded by a Demo
crat. Mr.. Hubbard, the Republican
nominee, is not nearly SO strong as Mr..
Yost, and fractional differences will, it
is thought, contribute largely to his de-
feat.
There was practically no doubt ex-
pressed as to the result in the other dis
tricts of the State. Democratic success
is in every instance assured, unless some
unforeseen contingency arises. In the
Second and Fourth, in which the candi-
dates are Hon. William A. Young and
Hon. Sidney P. Epes, respectively, who
were elected to the last Congress, but
who were unseated by the Republican
majority, the indications point to their
receiving such majority that the Re
publicans will be awed into allowing
them to retain their seats in peace.
| Upon the whole, it was stated that
the committee was extremely gratifed
by the reports received. In two dis
tricts it will take hard work to beat out
Democratic victory, but the party is
eminently In the humor to fight, and if
work is all that is required, it will he
| forthcoming.
The campaign has not been fairly
opened in any of the districts save the
Ninth and Tenth, though in all much
work in quiet way is being done. The
time for the opening of the campaign by
the establishment OF State headquarters
in Richmond was discussed, but no &C.
tion was taken, and the matter will be
| left with the chairman and secretary.
The session of the committee lasted
,, about three hours. The attendance
was unusually large, both of officers and
party leaders, including members of
Congress and OF both houses OF the Gen
eral Assembly.
The Democratic candidates for Con-
gre,S who were present at the commit
tee meeting were Messrs. Young of the
Second district; Lamb, of the Third;
Epes, of the Fourth; Swanson, of the
Fifth Hay, of the Seventh; Rixey, of the
Eighth, and Quarles, of the Tenth.
Lt.-Governor Echols was also present
and gave the committee the benefit of
his advice of the outlook in this district.
Cverwork, either physical or mantal,