Evening star., 1901-09-26
Democrats Shy of Accepting Nomi-
nations for Office.
FEAR A REPUBLICAN LANDSLIDE
The Convention Has AIienated
Many From the Party.
WHAT OLD LEADERS SAY
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.

RICHMOND, Va. September Is. 1901.
"Out in Washington county the democrats
are having all sorts OF trouble IN getting
men Of prominence to stand as candidates
FOR the general assembly. 1 am very much
alarmed as to the success of the state ticket.
The people OF the entire southwest are In
| a state of unrest, and unless something is
oone-and that very soon-the republicans
VIII not only elect the state ticket but
they will also elect their nominees for the
house and senate. The people are uneasy
In the great southwest. and the delay Of
the suffrage committee in not reporting
some sort OF a plan Is seriously and MA
terialy diminishing the chances OF the cleo
| ton OF our state ticket this fall. ] will
| not be In the least surprised to see q
| large republican majority IN the next gem
eral assembly OF Virginia"
This was the statement made on Saturday
afternoon by one Of the best-known demo-
Gratis In the state-a man who has been on
| the stump In all campaigns during the past
twenty-five years. and who. IL his name
were mentioned, would be recognized as a
man who has figured In national politics
more or less. The statement was hardly
made for publication. or the name OF the
speaker would be given. The same condi-
ton obtains all over the state. and the
fact that the republicans are naming can
didates in practically every district Is an
| evidence of the faith of the republican
IUdUdSeT6 IN lntlT dDlllly TO capture the
legislature and the governorship at the
election this fan. The republicans Rre
planning and expect to carry the south
west and the valley, and II is generally
conceded that their expectations will be
realized.
Nominations Going Begging.
THE nominations for the house and SEN
ate are going begging in my district"
said member Of the constitutional con-
vention, "and 1t is a pretty good indica-
ton that the field has been thoroughly
canvassed and the conditions are well
known to the men who have been manag-
ing the politics In the state for the past
twenty-five or thirty years, and you can
not Induce any OF the old fellows to get
in the game. they can see defeat as
far as any man can see anything in poll
tics. The southwest is lost to the demo-
Gratis, but I can't talk for publication, as
I have been for years speaking the Ian
guage of the tribe, and might be charged
with being sore over the possible defeat
of my choice for some of the state Offices.
southwest, and don't be surprised If the
old-time victories of the readJuster days
are repeated. The valley will add to the
number Of wrecks that Will strew the coast
after the storm of November has passed"
The man who made this last speech is
man who made speech since the Norfolh
convention in which he promised to bury
the republican ticket beyond all hope OF
resurrection at the coming election. II is
no secret that the new regime is consider
ably worried over the apathy that is being
shown by all of the old-time hustlers the
fellows who were content to make a fight
at any time for the success of the ticket
after it had been nominated in fair and
square fight, whether they landed their
What can we expect of the boys2 Can
you blame them? Here we have a cam
paign for the nomination in which the
boys have been accused of being thieves,
ball h,xx ottlff and rfpe cfnrC
whose sole object was to keep a certain
element in power. Now the fellows In
control are in a quandary-they have cap
tured the whole machine and the darned
thing won't run. 1t amt automatic, you
know
The republicans In the convention are
simply keeping quiet and are allowing the
democrats to have fun sway, saying they
are in such a small minority they can ac-
complish nothing, and express the utmost
confidence in the ability Of the democrats
to do more for the republican state ticket
than they could ever hope to do.
Col. summers' Views.
Col. J. c. Summers OF Washington
county, speaking of the action Of the con-
vention on The suffrage question, said:
THE democrats are all right. They won't
say whether they will allow the people
to vote or not, and the impression is going
abroad that they are going to require a
are helping U.S. We are in favor of a
manhood qualifications; we don't want a
dollar to be worth more than a man or
to let a man establish his right to vote be-
cause he owns a mule. If property is TO
be recognized instead of the man, why not
once and the fellow who has 100000 vote
one hundred times? That is perfectly fair
IL the plan is to be that a man has to own
a certain amount OF property In order to
enjoy the right Of voting"
While there has been no formal confer
ence OF the party managers over the out
look. scarcely day passes in which the
extraordinary condition OF affairs is not
discussed In the hall of the convention in
the speeches Of the members on the va
rious questions under consideration. Judge
Thomas w. Harrison of Frederick, in op-
posing the proposition to hold Quadrennial
sessions the other day, made use Of the
expression that his people had voted for
the convention, but since some of the prop
ositions had been submitted, showing a
disposition to tamper with the rights OF
the people, many of the best men in his
county had come to the conclusion that
they had acted without due consideration
that he had about come to the conclusion
that the convention was about to do
thing that would cause no end Of trouble.
To Abolish Many Omces.
Already It has been proposed to abolish
many Offices; it has been recommended
that all county courts be abolished. and
that salaries be reduced. and q thousand
and one things are suggested that will
have the effect Of driving a great many
men from the party and Of MAX
ing them vote against the democratic
state ticket or else remain away
from the polls. Il is q foregone conclusion
that II the new constitution is submitted
to the people II will be Overwhelmingly
defeated. hence the growing sentiment and
talk among the new regime In favor OF
proclaiming the work OF the convention.
To use the expression OF q weu-knowu
local leader: 1.-The democrats in Virginia
are between the devil and the deep sea-"
REV.ATIVFa VISIT Cznu GnSu