The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1899-10-10
The Richmond.Lancaster Split

Richmond aud Lancaster In the House
OF Delegates for the next two years
Richmond sent delegation haltered
10y positive instructions, and blanketed
by the unit rule, all OF which was
carefully prepared In advance Of the
salection Of its members. Lancaster
having selected her delegates by dis
tricts, sent 81 Martin men and . Tyler
msn. One district, Currioman, sent
a contesting delegation Of Tyler men.
Over these arose the trouble. The
chairmen Of the two counties failed 70
agree on q temporary chairman, and
each pat in nomination his own man
and declared him elected. and thus be-
gan the pandemonium Of dual con-
yention Omitting the four Currio-
man delegates whose seats were contest
ed, the Tyler men had a majority with
which TO organize the convention, pro.
vided the entire Richmond county del
egation would stay bound by the unit
rule and the Lancaster meu should
vote as they chose. But the Lancas
ter Martin men, having peryiou'ly
agreed to adopt the unit rule, II the
Richmond men should persist in voting
as a unit. insisted upon casting the en-
tire Lancaster vote as a unit 70 this
the Tyler men objected, claiming that
the delegation had no right to bind the
delegates after they were selected BY
precincts A COMMITTEES from each
side failed to hud any basis for agree
ment. and the wrangle went on until
pinckard and Wellford were both put
In nomination. and both declared the
nominee by acclsmation, and the peo-
pie went away The Virginia Citizen
and the Chesapeake Wa,chman have
placed the name Of Thos A. Pinckard
at the head Of their columns as the
nominee Of the two coantie but the
Y n. News will have nole u IL, claim
lug that no nomination was made. It
said editorally. Sept %, "either
the convention must reassemble and
nomiuate candidate. or else the Dem
ocrats OF the two counties must hold
new meetings or primaries, and select
new set OF delegates TO convention
70 bo called hereafter
On Sept ls, the Democrats OF Lam
caster had mass meeting 20 reorgan-
re the party and incidentally elect g
new county ohsirmsn W Mcdonald
Lee won by hondred majority, and
has committee In accord with
him. Also the meeting endorsed
Packard IS the nom inee. The
beaten side headed By DIR. Il. Lewis
bol,ed and formed aSeparate committee
II a new get Of delegates are elected it
viii probably be by mass meeting. and
they are quite sure 10 be all Martin
men this time from Lancaster 1t
is also quite possible that the boilers
COMMITTEES may select an entire contest
ing delegation i..
With Richmond unit for Tyler and
Lancaster unite for Martin, there
would not be any show for disagree
ment in a new convention, as the dele
cations together would give good
Martin majority But, 1t is safe to
say. that there will be no new conyen-
ton called unless Lancaster does the
calling The county committee OF
Richmond hss gotten together since
the Ie organization OF the county COM
mittee Of Lancaster, and passed resolu-
tions to the effect that the failure OF
the Downing convention to nominate
q candidate makes it incumbent upon
the committees from the two counties
to formulate some plan to harmonize
the differences between the two fac
tions, and nominate candidate &C.
oeptable to them, and thus command
the entire party support Failing In
this they prop >se to ask the State com
mitee to reooDvene the delegates to the
Downing convention, with a view to
naming Of q democratic candidate by
legally constituted convention duly
assembled for that purpose "
To reconvene the delegates to that
convention, would be to probably re-
enact the same scenes, with the samt
result. Whether or not the Lancaster
delegates have the right TO adopt tt'
unit role. it was the Tyler men who
adopted that rule for Richmond, ant
the Tyler majority Of the county com
mittee of Lancaster. who, compelled
the voters to atte1d district meeting
for fear that . mass meeting would re
suit in a Martin sweep. and q lik
unit rule, The large number OF Mar
tin delegates from Lane aster, certainl.
ought to represent the people better thai
the one man who. hobbled the Rich
mond county delegates with their in
structions, and II the majority Of tn
Representatives OF the people Of Lsn
caster are not entitled to the sam
privileges as the representatives Of th
people Of Richmond, then there is n
sense in the fitness OF things. br,
The contest from Ourriomam was tn
source Of all the trouble. Each sid
! IA u.
q claimed to be In the right. Accordin
to the report Of the N. N. News,it w'
! shown that that two sets Of delegate
were voted for atthe primaries an
| that each received 81 votes, whic
1 tied, the chairman decided by bis yot
: in fave" Of the Martin or Lee men mel
. This the Tyley men claimed to be q an
9 Just, as the chairman, they alleged
b. had already voted to make the tie, an
n then engs again to break Il Upon refuse F'S
IN 1,,4b chairman b entertain sn az