Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-04-26
nIRsELyEs AND OTHERS.

ao,onp the state papers. while concedini
IA us sincerity of purpose in advocating
the May meeting. express the opinion tina
we have been deceived as TO the purpose'
OF those who called that meeting
In reply. we must say II is lar
more likely that those contemporaries
OF ours have been deceived than thdt
we have. else how comes II that so many
who say they are in favor OF the popular
election of senators are fighting the ohly
movement by which the scheme can be
put into practical operation?
! why. indeed! Are they really willing
10 trust the people to choose senators?
or do they think that Democrats have
no right TO assemble TO discuss party
issues and petition our party authorities?
| or. are they afraid that the May meet
ing Will do something hurtful 10 the
party?
| what IS il that the May meeting is
likely TO do that will be Injurious to the
Democratic party in Virginia?
At one time it was thought by some
persons that the conference might make
nomination.. e.. that after hearing
eloqilent speeches and passing ringing
resolutions. IT might pick out the favorite
OF the hour as its leader, and cause MIN
TO announce himself as senatorial can
didate.
in our opinion there never was any
foundation for that belief; certainly there
has been none since the adoption OF the
Southampton resolution. 1t is generally
understood that Mr.. Parker was the
author of that resolution, and. as the
Dispatch prints it every day at the head
Of its editorial columns. the people gene
rally have read it and they know that it
excludes any idea Of a nomination in con-
nection with the May conference.
BE It remembered, too, that Mr. Parker
was one of the signers, and what Is more,
be has been for years past among the
foremost in favor Of a change in our
method Of choosing senators. He was
one of the most active leaders In getting
up the call That he spoke for the sign
ers when he proposed that resolution
we have no reason to doubt. And so
that resolution may be regarded as utter
" disposing of whatever fear there might
have been previously that the May meet
ing, in a burst Of enthusiasm, would
make a nomination.
Then what is it that our friends sus-
pect that the May meeting may do 20
bring discord into the party?
luton declaring in favor of a change
in the Federal Constitution. and urging
our party to adopt that as its policy. |
CO 1t will quite surely declare in favor |
of the nomination of our senatorial can
didates by "some popular method" GO |
IT may appoint a committee to wait upon |
our State Democratic Committee and ask |
it to call State Democratic convention, |
or il may issue an address to the pro-
pery constituted authorities of our party |
in each county and city urging that legls
latiye nominations be made at primary |
elections.
We know OF nothing else that the May |
meeting could wish to do. 1t cannot |
i'siSidlo III oul p"i'y ~ toh OiAiy
petition it.
But 1t IS said that the ultimate result Of
the May meeting may or will be to cause
more than one candidate for the United
States Senate to announce himself. Pos
sibly. But what if it does? our voters
may be trusted to pick out the man they
want, no matter how many rivals he has.
Are we to be told that we ought not to
contend for a great principle of repre-
government because If we do
senatorial candidates may multiply? Oh.
no. Of course not; that sort of argument
won't do at all. Then let us put our party
upon high ground, In a proper position,
and then We can rest content whether we
have one, two, or dozen candidates.
Inasmuch as most public men in Vir-
yina have expressed themselves in favor
# the peoples choosing their senator's,
md, inasmucb as we have the right TO
Expect that the May meeting will be con-
lucted upon a high plane and be guided
~ safe men, may we not hope that its
will receive general APP
,roval and be accepted by everybody?
in that event, how foolish will appear
ome of the utterances of to-day! How
dad we shall be that the Democrats Of
Virginia were too patriotic and far
sighted to deny to any the right of petit
ion and that they had too much of the
pirit of their revolutionary ancestors to
)e afraid to trust the people