Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1899-03-27

IN their hands.
The doom of this relic OF dark
past, of the age when the people were
not trusted with the custody of their
OWE rights and liberties, is already
written. The question of the hour is:
Shall the democrats of Virl ipia refuse
to participate in great movement des-
tined TO restore to the people where it
rightly belongs, The right to elect their
Senators as they now do their Repre-
sentatives and their Governors.
Ia South Carolina, Georgia, Illinois
and other States, the people, despairing
OF any action by the Senate itself, have
discovered remedy for the evil, and
have not hesitated to apply it. They
have adopted Senatorial primary sys-
tens, by means of which they virtually
elect their Senators. In NO single in
stance where such primaries have been
resorted to has the result been disap
pointing to them. OF course the trusts
the rings, and the political bosses have
opposed, but whenever and wherever
the people have once taken this power
into their own hands they never have
been known to relinquish it.
sit is vain and misleading to say
that the question has been decided by
the party organization in Virginia.
Nothing is ever decided which is not
decided right, or which is decided
against the irresistible course OF events.
1t is true that resolution providing
j for Senatorial primaries failed of pas
sage at the Roanoke convention OF
! 1897, but it is also true that it was not
considered until late hour in the de-
liberations OF that body, and until
many of its members had departed for
their homes.
The principal argument urged
against its passage was not directed
against its merits, but was based upon
the contention that the convention
not having been called for that, but,
on the contrary for an entirely differ
ent purpose, namely tue nomination OF
a State ticket-ought not hastily and
inconsiderately to take action so i'm.
portant. As it was, and in spite OF the
fact that many of the votes against
the proposition were cast by proxies,
uuinstructed upon that subject, it re-
ceived Csc votes.
The Legislature OF Virginia has
always contained men OF a high order
of character and ability, and many OF
the Senators from this State have been
most distinguished for wisdom and
} public and private virtue. And yet it
, cannot be successfully denied that no
men assembled at the State capital
, subjected to the powerful and
insldious influence OF corporations and
: combinations of corporations, control
2 ling hundreds of millions of money, and
employing hundreds of thousands OF
, trained agents and professional men,
have not the resisting force Of half a
million OF voters, each intrenched IN
the fortress of his own home and the
! affections Of his own household, whose
sole protection is bis freeman's vote. If
this refuge-the people-should ever
fail, then, indeed, must the republic be
: despaired of, but not until then.
TN the light OF recent events it can
not be gainsaid that Legislative cleo
tons are prolific source of legislative
corruption That in many recent and
well.known instances they have result
; ed in prolonged deadlucks and entsiled
, great cost upon the unfortunate Com
! monWealths where they have existed
is an additional argument against the
present method of electing United
States Senators. Within few days
past the legislatures of Delaware and
Utah, after frittering away their entire
terms in fruitless efforts to elect United
States Senators, have adjourned finally,
, and for two years to come each OF those
States will be deprived of one-half Of
its representation IN the Senate. The
t indications all are that the legislative
deadlock in Pennsylvania will not be
broken, and that it, also, will lose a
Senator for at least two years.
"To the democratic party Of Virginia
t this note of admonition and warning is
ounded. Upon it has been laid the
solemn responsibility of the government
of cur beloved Commonwealth in the
visible future, and the election Of the
next United 5 ates Senator to be chosen
from this State. With the people Of
. Virginia it is the white msn's burden
when he may not refuse to lift, and,
therefore, with view TO carrying into
practical effect the principles herein
set forth, this address is now issued.
, TO such democrats as hold to the
principle that the people are fully capa
BILE of choosing their Senators, and who
are willing to unite with Us in an effort
TO secure TO them that cherished right,
the Invitation is hereby extended to
assemble in the city or Richmond on
Thursday, the 18th day of May, 1899,
for the purpose of adopting such meas
ures as may be deemed best to pro-
mote the election OF Senators of the
United States by the direct vote of the
people. and until that result is accom-
plished, the selection Of party senatorial
candidates by some popular method.
John F. Rixey, Henry G. Stuart,
Claggett B. Jones, A. j. Montague,
John Goode, ]. c. Parker, W. A. An
derson, Joseph E. Willard, George w.
Lecato, w. F. Reddy, John Lamb,
Eppa Hunton, jr., B. F. Buchanan, Al
vim T. EN- brey, George D. Wise, W. A.
Jones, William Kean. n. B. Wescott,
R. L. Allworth, R. Walton Moore, R.
T. Barton, Charles E. McCorkle. Frank
T. GLASGOW, Thomas .. Ransom, Vim.
a. Anderson, James ". Marshall, Geo.
x. Anderson, Philip Y Cogbill, John
T. Lowell, N. S. Waller, W. B. F.
Leech, J. Singleton Digges, ]. F. Bry.
ant, J. 3. Price. W. ]. Sebrell, A. M.
Brownley, T. Temple Powell, w. E.
Barrett, E. NJ. Braxton, ]. K. NJ. New
ton, Baker P. Lee, Thomas G. Elan, s.
Gordon Cumming, NJ. T. Hughes, n.