The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1899-04-08
King George Court.
A DISGRACEFUL POLITICAL MEETING.
Notes Court Proceedings


the April term of the court. On our
arrival we found very large crowd
present. The first man we met was
our old friend, Capt Joseph Trader,
deputy internal revenue collector OF the
district who was looking after the in
terests of Uncle Sam and examining
the apple buds as lac passed up the road
hoping for a full crop Of apples the
coming season, SO that apple JACK
will be plenty ana the Golfers OF Uncle
Sam consequently benefited from the
tax imposed on the article Capt
Trader is A fine executive officer, and
keeps sharp lookout for all parties
who do not comply with the law.
POLITICS -PANDEMONlUM.
The contest for the county offices is
the most bitter we have ever seen. Al
last court Democratic County Chairman
Alex Potts gave notice that he would
call "A mass meeting Of the party TO de-
termine whether IL convention should
be held. When court adjourned 1t was
announced that the meeting would take
place Then pandemOnium reigned.
The crowd wildly rushed into the
building until there was not an inch Of
standing room. Chairman Potts at
TEMPTED 10 call the meeting TO order,
but there was no order there. The
newspaper reporters sat cross-legged on
table in front of the stand while men
were standing on the same table gestlc-
ulating wildly to attract the attention
of the chair. After some ten minutes
the chairman was able to state the OBJ
iact Of the meeting, when Marshall
Grymes shouted in stentorian tones I:
This is a white Democratic meeting,
and no niggers allowed 30
DR.. V q Caruthers attempted TO
make . motion, when Judge Ashton
arose t. make a speech Dr. Caruthers
turned on Ashton and said Il thought
Ashton. you would not take hand IN
this meeting Il did not intend to
d. 80. " said Ashton, "untll i found
that a traitor TO the party like you, who
voted for Palmer and Buckner, would
attempt to run the meeting. - DR..
Caruthcrs replied Il am Democrat
aud as good a one as you. am here
today To see that all the Democrats OF
the county have fair show to decide
whether they have . convention or
not
Nj G.. ". Tenant attempted TO
pour OIL On the troubled waters. but the
Wells from each faction were so terrific
that nothing could be heard. For
moment there was lull, and Mr.. Ed
ward McCAnahau, digniti"d old gen
rl4nian. was elected chairman. This
gentleman would have been more III
place presiding over church meeting
than a political assemblage like TINS.
MIR H. I Garnet was nominated Tor
secretary. This caused yell OF disap-
proval. and Ashton said lie Is con
nected with a candidate for Office, and
| object o. his election Several others
were nominated. but the disorder was
90 great that no vote could be taken.
Mr. Potts then nominated the Star and
Free Lance reporters as secretaries,
which was carried with a will.
DR.. Cmuthers asked that vote be
taken as to holding convention. Al
this everybody wanted to speak, ana
the noise could be heard a half mile
away Questions of parliamentary law
were raised between Ashton aud Ca
ruthers In the meantime that war
horse Of Democracy in the county, Com
monwealth's Attorney L. Ii. Bevan
sat without uttering word, with a
most disguised look on his face.
This gentleman will not be candl-
date for reelection. Behind the rail-
ing Of the clerks desk sat Clerk +. Il.
Hunter. also a quiet spectator. Above
in the gallery were a large crowd Of
colored people with broad grins on
their dark faces 1t seemed useless tC
ATTEMPT to restore order. The chair
man raped and raped, but the crowc
seemed to grow more boisterous, ana
blow struck would have caused a gen
eral fight. The cooler heads saw wha'
might be the result, and Mr.. Hezekiaf
Potts moved an adjournment. Thii
was bitterly fought Ashton agalns
and Caruthers for. but the motion wa
put and the chair announced 1t carried
A division was asked for. but the chal
decided il too late when Mr. Alex
auder Pratt, who had remained qule
so far. declared that it was never to-
late to undo a wrong, and asked tina
the division be made. This was de
MED. and a majority of the crowd rush
ed from the building. Judge Ashton
then took the stand and spoke for III
teen minutes, and declared that If thi
meeting represented Democratic usage
he wanted 10 more Of them.
SO ended the most disgraceful pro
ceedings we have ever seen enacted II
a political assemblage. and the cool
headed Democrats of the county ex
pressed their unqualified disapprcyal Q
them
NOTES.
Commonwealth Attorney t. h
Bevan said to The Free Lance that h
would not be candidate for reelection
that if the Democrats of the county ha
held a convention and nominated can
didates for all the offices, he woul
probably have been a candidate.
Up to the present time there has bee
M nublic announcement of a candldat