The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-08-09
THOMAS B. DAVIS NOMINATED.
Second West Virginia District Dem
ocrats Hold Their Convention.


MARTINSBURG, W Va, Aug. 9.-The
Democratic Congressional Convention for
the Second district Of West Virginia, which
net in this city yesterday, was undoubted-
ly the largest held for the purpose of nom
/ mating a candidate for Congress since the
convention Of 1894 in this city, which nom
! mated Hon. William L. Wilson the last
time for Congress. The general attend
! ance was undoubtedly the largest ever
known at a Congressional convention in
this State.
The convention was called to order by
W. B. CornweIl, of Romney, Chairman OF
the Congressional Executive Committee,
at II a. N. John ]. Cornwell, Of Hamp-
shire, was selected as permanent chair
man, and c. " Boyer, Of this city, as
secretary of the convention.
Judge John Fl. Holt nominee for Gov
ernor, addressed the vast assemblage on
the leading questions of the day. He re-
ferred to the silver question OF 1896 as the
I leading topic OF that campaign and impe-
rialism as the burning issue Of today. He
! dweit particularly upon the trusts and
! monopolies that were eating the substance
from even the workingman's dinner
bucket. HOS.
After his speech the following platform
was adopted:
This p convention adop4s and reanirms as
its platform Of principles the platform and
resolutions adopted by the Democratic
State Convention at Parkersburg, June 6,
19ee, and the platform and resolutions
adopted by the Democratic National Con-
yention in Kansas City, Mo. on July 4,
1900. and We condemn the course Of a. G.
Dayton, the Congressman from this dis
trict, who has shown his ineficiency In
Congress and misrepresented the people
and interests OF this district. and who has
/ made himself especially conspicuous in the
support OF measures before Congress that
were in the interests Of trusts and combi-
nations Of the country as against his con-
! stituency'
The name of Col. Thomas B. Davis. OF
| Mineral county. was placed before the con-
Vention III a forceful speech by Hon. s. W.
walker, of this city, whose own name had
! been mentioned fayOrably for the nOmina-
ton 1t was seconded by Hon. W. b. Corn
! well, of Hampshire. The nomination was
unanimous, no other names being before
the convention.
Thomas B. Davis, the nominee for Con-
gfess, Familiarity known as Colonel Tom -
is what is known as seIf-made man. He
was born near Baltimore, Md in 1928 and
came TO West Virginia. then Virginia and
settled al New Creek now Keyser ia Min
eral county He worked on the track OF
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and in
vested his savings IN mountain land He
has never occupied a political Office save
one. and that in 1858, when elected 10 the
Legislature from his own county. convert
Ing Republican majority of 400 into a
Democratic majority Of nearly 200.
He calls himself a farmer" but he is
known &c be oUe Of the leading business
men in West Virginia. His early invest
ments turned out well. Coal was found
on his land, and the West Virginia Cen
trail Railroad, OF which he was manager
for years, was run through the then for
ests OF West Virginia, his land was de-
YeIoped. and Colonel Davis soon become
rich For twenty four years he has been
on the State Executive Committee Of the
Democratic party and has always been a
sterling and -well-known Democrat.