Evening star., 1901-10-04
Virginia Democrats Not at ALI San
guine Of Victory.
DISArFECTION IN WHITE COUNTIES
Chairman EIIyson Making a Tour
Of the State.
CONVENTION TOTAKE RECESS
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star

| RICHMOND, Va, October g. 1901.
From a member of the state democratic
| committee comes the statement that affairs
| political are not as satisfactory to the
| party managers as is desirable. Letters
| have been received from several of the
white counties which are anything but re-
assuring. Chairman Ellyson has started
out on a tour of the state. visiting all the
congressional districts and holding confer
! ences with the leaders. The first of these
was held in Alexandria the first of the
week. 1t is the intention and expectation
of the managers that the campaign should
| and will be made hot from now on until
| the day of election. the hope being to create
an enthusiasm which does not exist in the
| state. Members of the constitutional con-
vention are willing to discuss the condition
of politics In the various counties, the only
| reservation being that their names be not
used.
The talk Is now that the reports of the
suffrage committee have been received, to
have adjournment of the convention
within the next ten days, let the members
of the convention go home, take the stump
for the state ticket and to return to Rich
mond about November 10 and complete the
work of the convention. This is all based
upon the supposition that the democratic
members of the body will go into confer
ence called for Friday night, to formulate
some general idea to which of the suf-
frage plans is deemed most advisable to
support.
Settlement of Norfolk County Contest.
The action of the state democratic COM
mittee in the contest from Norfolk county,
In which there were two nominations for
the senate and two for the house by con-
tending factions, resulting in the recogni-
tion of what is popularity known as the
machine" candidates, was a surprise to
Ia
committee was thought to be composed OF
men who were favorable to the party row
in control. But the 'anti-machine" people
got jolt that created conSternat ton IN the
ranks of those who We're disposed to re-
joice in the overthrow of the machine. Fol-
lowing the meeting of the committee, in
which the anti-machine people were down.
ed, came the resignation of State Senator
Carter Glass, one of the strongest of the
leaders of the new organization. People
are asking what it all means. There have
been several contests of late between the
Montague and the Swanson factions. and in
every instance the alleged machine men
have won out. In some quarters 1t is al
legged that there is method in thus deciding
the cases, it will tend to bring back
into active participation in politics the fell
lows who were said to have become Of
Tended in the canvass for the nomination.
Discussion Of the suffrage question, 1t is
said, will be hurtful to the democratic
party, and for that reason the proposition
to have an adjournment shortly until after
the election is being favored by many Of
the members of the convention. And then,
too, 1t is held that some of the most effec-
tive campaigners in the state are in the
convention, and that with them on the
stump to explain the work of the conVen-
tion 1t would go a long way toward allay
ing the popular idea that there is to be a
wholesale disfranchising of poor people by
providing property qualification for all
who desire to exercise the right Of suffrage.
Feeling Against the Convention.
The statement has been made by more
than one member of the convention that
since the discussions on various subjects
have been under way that here was abso-
lutely no question, were the matter to be
submitted to the people at this time that
the calling Of a convention would be over
whelmingly defeated On every hand is
heard the expression that more than one
man who Is in the convention will have
cause to regret that they ever consented
proceedings are being taken in full and
are being carefully preserved by public men
for future reference.
The democrats of the convention have
held two conferences on the report of the
suffrage committee, but yet the pro-
ceedings have been rather tame. Delegate
A. P. Thorn of Norfolk, whose plan was
signed by a majority of the committee,
made a long speech in explanation of his
proposition. Just what occurred the men,
bers of the press decline to state, as the
meeting was secret and all reports are said
to have to pass the scrutiny of members
of the censor's bureau before they are
given out. Whatever truth there may be
for the statement, it is reported that there
was considerable difference of opinion as to
the adviSability of having a discussion Of
the plans at this time but just whom it
was that desired to stave off consideration
of the matter is not given. Certain it is,
however, that the determination to precipi-
tate the discussion was carried only after
a stubborn, earnest fight by the men who
appear to believe that nothing is to be
gained at this time. 1t was pointed out
that there was reason to believe that
the discussion would be kept from the pub
lie print, in view of the fact that the pro-
ceedings of the suffrage committee had
been reported with regularity and cor
rectness that showed the attempt to head
the press off in this respect was futile.
The truth of the business is that there
are members of the convention who ap-
pear to take keen delight in confiding the
secrets of the committee to the newspaper
men, with the knowledge that they will be
given out to the papers. 1t is a farce
Conference Largely Attended.
The conference of democrats Is largely
attended, but the express and conceded
right Is contained In the call looking to
holding the conference that no member is
to be bound by the conference as to their
course when the propositions are discussed
on the floor of the convention and 1t is be-
lived TO De the IDEA or the majority In the
convention to have all differences recon-
ciled as soon as possible and thus avoid
any long, tiresome discussion when the re-
ports are considered by the convention
except that the republicans will be given
all the time they want to abr their views,
with the hope that some rabid fellow will
say something that will cause a solidifica-
ton Of the warning factions of the voters
throughout the state.
In the convention on Thursday In the
contested election case Of Treat VS.. Greg
ory Delegate Dunaway of Lancaster in the
course of his argument made 1t plain from
his point of view that there had been lug
Cling with the returns in King William
and Hanover counties, and to substantiate
his claims he exhibited ballots that had
been used in the election, proving that
there had been fraud-either in marking
ballots for illiterate voters or with the in
tention of correcting" the returns
This action Of the democrats in pulling
Off the debate on this contest will hurt the
party, 1t is claimed, as it will give color to
the charge that politics in Virginia are
not of character that will bear an fnsnec
ton, and will give the republicans ali tho
!