The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-11-21
IN THE E. T. FIELD | |: / D
OF POLITICS
Senator Keeze|I and Mr.. Petit Are
Here.
SECRETARY LAWLEss TALKS
Saws He Docs Not Think Maynarl
Gill Lose His seat-Gossip
bout Constitutional
Conventione
q ave ntion

Senator George B. Keezell, of Rocking
ham, and Hcl- Pembroke Petit, of Flu
wanna, arrived in The city LAST night. TO
attend tn. meeting OF ire Board OF FISH
erles at Nurpny's Hotel to-day. They
are both very we'll satisfied win the ac-
ton of Governor Tyler in fixing January
23d as the date for the assembling OF the
extra session of the Legislature. They
favored an earlier date, bt.: do not think
twenty days VIII make very much Diff
ference After chatting a few moments
with friends in the lobby at Murphy's,
ne two leaders joined Capt. Curtis and
Mr. Seth l.. Miller and conferred about
the work before the Board of Fisheries
to-day.
MR.. I.t\NvLESS TALKS.
Secretary Joseph r. Lawless when
asked yesterday as to thu probability
of a contest against CorSressman-e.ect
Maynard, said:
The returns from my district are all m
and, looking over the figures, 1t seems
highly improbable that there will be
contest.
THE Republicans themselves are tired
and ashamed of the scandaous treatment
bieDnially accorded the Democratic Con-
gresham from the Second District.
But apart from this, the returns from
this election indicate that a contest would
be preposerous. Senator Maynard's major
ity is $50 This is official. 1 have ex-
amined the records in my office for the
past thirty years and find that these
figures represent not only the largest ma
jority ever given candidate in that dis
trict, but that Maynard received the
largest vote cast during that period for
any person-Democrat or Republican.
He received 20,113 votes. or 40 per cent.
of the entire voting population of the dis
trict as shown by the census Of 1880. The
Republicans cannot maintain that the vote
there was suppressed, or that any cleo
tor who presented himself at the polls
failed OF an opportunity to cast his bal
lot, for the returns show that 50 per cent
of the voting population actually voted
When you reflect upon the vast differ
ence between the voting population and
the proportion of that population which
qualities itself by registration to vote,
these figures indicate with emphasis the
tremendous sentiment in the district
against the late Republican candidate and
the utter condemnation of the methods
employed in 80 and So Congresses to de-
prive the people of their duley elected rep
resentative. A contest in the face of these
figures is an invitation to ridicuie-or
rascality."
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.
Members of the Legislature on all hands
say tha| if general legislation is to be
taken up at all during the extra session.
they will demand that it be held back
until the Constitutional Convention mat
ter is entirely disposed of.
Hon. Felix M. Jones, of Henrico. seems
to have the idea. which is prevalent
among the large majority of the msmberS
on this subject. He said yesterday that
a resolution would he offered at the first
meeting of the caucus, which would forbid
the taking up of any matter which did
not bear directly upon the election and
holding of the Constitutional Convention
until the two houses had finally disposed
of that question.
Mr.. Jones. like many of the other law
makers, thinks that the Session will last
forty-five days, and that much general
legislation will be passed.
1t is expected that the extra session of
the Legislature will get down to bust
ness promptly upon converting on January
23d. Regular sessions never accomplish
much work for ten or fifteen days after
meeting, for the reason that the COM
mttees have to be appointed and COM
plete their organizations. 1t is under
stood that all the present committees of
the House and Senate will remain con-
stituted, and that the clerks. pages and
other appointees of the regular session
will hold over: so there is no reason why
the work of the extra session should not
be we'll under way in two or three days
after the bodies are called to order.
Aside from electing a judge of the Su-
preme Court, a Second Auditor and sew
eral county and circuit judges, where
vacancies have occurred by death or res
ignation, the caucus will have no patron
age 80 give out.
SAY JUDGE WHITTLE.
a Richmond, lawyer said yesterday he
believed the Legislature would elect Judge
Whitte to the Court OF Appeals
Il understand" he stated, that two
OF the Richmond members are for Judge
Phlegar for first choice. They will go to
Judge White as second choice. Those
members of the General Assembly VITO
prefer Judge Mann will, if they can't
elect him, go to NVhittle. and the same
may t.5 said of Judge Prents' supporters.
Unless Judge Phlegar or Judge Mann or
Judge Prentis can develop enough Strength
TO win on the first ballot, Judge White
is quite certain to BE- elected
The friends of Judges Phlesar, Mann and
Prentis are all very hopeful of electins
their respectivs favorites.
HOT FIGHT IS COMING.
There is every evidence that a hot fight
will develop in the City Democrats Com
mittee over to- question of c!ectinS dele
gates from Richmond tc the next Suber-
Material convention.
One side will contend for ward meetings,
While the other will hold that the delegates
shou:,l be chosen in primaries. The advo-
Gates. of the former proposition point to
the manner OF choosing delegates TO the
Norfolk Convention last spring as prece-
dent and say that ward meetings are
much less expensive Than primary cleo
tons.
The primary people say that the last
case cannot De properly taken as prece-
dent, but go back to the election of dele
gates by primary to the last two guber-
Material contests. They also hold that, in
asrnucl as the expense falls upon the
candidates. VINO are always willing, to bear
- ihat TIE committee should be guided
by what the primary people say the Yo-
tiers will demand