The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-10-08
Nominated for Congress ID the
Newport News Convention.
.cAUsEY WAS. NOT MENTIONED
The Status Of the Negro Voter Was the
Dominant Note in the Convention.
Harmony Prevailed and There
Was No Outbreak ofFeeling.
Especial Dispatch to The Times.)

II
e NEWPORT NEWS, VA, October IL
The Second Congressional District to-day
beheld the miracle OF harmonious Re-
,veritable love feast. resulting in the unan-
Imous nomination Of Mr.. Robert NJ.
Hughes, OF Norfolk, for Congress.
The only other formidable aspirant. after
Mr.. Fred Read of Newport News, had
withdrawn was Captain G. II. Causey, of
Suffolk, and his name was not present
ed!
There was but one contest from isle
of Wight and that was quickly settled
with little friction. There was practically
no discord above the surface, at any rate.
The actual work of the convention was
cut and dried, and there was no hitch.
The attendance was not large.
Two counties-Princess Anne and
Charles City-were not represented, but
there was no roll-call and they were not
needed
TIE NEGRO VOTER.
The dominant note Of the. convention
was the status Of the negro Curiously2
enough. It was suppressed. One felt 1t
rather than perceived 1t with the
physical senses. It was discovered
In the resolutions. which. while making
the Constitution an issue, carefully avoid
ed committing the party to q definite and
aggressive campaign Of offense or defense
for the negro. It was revald in the Isle
OF Wight contest. It was evfnced by
the absence Of negro delegates from the
convention, by the lack of participation
on the part Of the few who had seats
on the floor. It was perceived In the
cautiously framed speeches in the lack Of
cordial recognition in the past extended
to the colored men. in the reluctant real
fact that they were no longer potential
in the partys affairs, and in their ap-
parent discrimination to make the best Of
q desperate situation.
If there were any ngros present. who
had deluded themselves with the idea
that the white Republicans Of the district
would take up the cudgels for them In
any specific and definite fashion. they
must have been sorely 'isa ppointed.
KEENLY5 ALIVE
And yet the convention was keenly
alive to the desirability of holding on to
the remnant of the negro vote remaining.
and the body was not only very careful
not to offend-was ready to make any
reasonable concession.
It was this spirit that made the nomi-
nation Of Captain Causey, Of Suffolk, i'm
polite after Captain Causey's declara-
ton in favor of a lilly white regime,
although 1t is believed that had Captain
Causey insisted upon it. he would have
been given the nomina ton
COLORED DELEGATES BITTER.
The colored contingent was early upon
the scene, and spent hours at the Casino
before the call for business came. Easily
Are AZ
was William H. Thoroughbred, of Nor
folk, the "Queen Street Boss, /" who ls one
OF the sn1artest negroes and shrewdest
politicians in the State. Thoroughgood
was the only negro delegate from Nor
folk. In the crowd also was Captain w.
II. Mills, of Norfolk. and Peter Blunt, OF
Isle OF Wight, for years member Of the
State Committee and also member of the
District Committee. Blunt was on the
delegation contested by Mr.. W. S. Hol-
land, and there was much talk among the
party as to the probable outcome. A
strain of bitterness pervaded the discus
sion, which became general and had ran
corous reference to the efforts some Of
the white Republican leaders are making
to shake" the negro.
4 The remarks directed In this connection
toward Captain G. II. Causey, the Suf-
folk aspirant, were not complimentary.
Captain Causey's lilly white" letter, OF
course, was the provocation.
There was an earnest effort being made
in some quarters to get Captain Causey
to consent not to let his name go before
the convention, the idea being to make
the nomination Of Mr.. Robert NJ. Hughes,
OF Norfolk, unanimous.
THE CONVENTION OPENS.
District Chairman H. K. Wolcott of
Norfolk, called the convention to order
and Secretary j. I. Mitchell read the call.
Mr.. S. 5. Carney. Of Norfolk. had been
slated for temporary chairman, but
waived the honor aside, and Mr.. D. Law
renee Groner. of Norfolk. was unani-
raously elected He acknowledged the
honor in an eloquent speech, In which he
referred especially to the harmony now
in Republican ranks in the dis
trict, paying on this account tribute to
Alvah Martin, OF Norfolk. county.
Mr.. John r. Locke. OF Newport News.
vas unanimously elected temporary Sec
rotary.
While the chairman was making out the
list Of committees Mr.. r. T. Thorpe, of
Norfolk, addressed the convention, devot-
ing much of his consideration to an at
tack upon what he termed "the dishonest
of Virginia.
After the appointment Of committees
the convention took recess until 3
o'clock.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
At the afternoon session the committee
On credentials reported. seating the Isle
Of Wight delegation. headed by J. e. I.
r 49,, gftla Holand de1eSafior11 and Civ