The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-12-18
vile Gaines and Gardner l., Booths.
Az Ninth Dist 81 IT hhlr1As a. 1lYilcll NJ.

the committee prescn. In person. the fol-.
lowing had sent proxies: George w. Butts
Sidney Shelttnan, q. w. Carpenter, r.
l. Gordon. G. s. r. rrlplett and Il. wi
Hubbard.
OPPOSED Pr OX1Es.
AS soon as the meeting was open for
( business Mr.. Whitehead of Amherst, was
recognized and took the floor Ill oppo-
sition to the participation In the meeting
z OF proxies. He declared that 1t was not
fair to those members who attended the
meetings at greatcost and trouble to have
Z others send their proxies to local parti-
sans and allow these proxies to dominate
4 the meetings Of the committee and decide
y the destinies of the party in the State
He, therefore, offered a resolution as
h follows.
Resolved That It is the sense Of this
participate in the deliberations 6S tho
State Central Democratic Committee at
this 4, or subsequent meetings
Mr., Whitehead briefly advocated the pas
sage Of the resolution, pointing out the
dissatisfaction that had arisen as the
result Of proxy participation In the set
Element of local party quarrels, ana urs-
ing some such action as necessary to pre-
serve party harmony and respect for the
decisions Of the committee. He referred
10 the last State convention as having
set the precedent of refusing to recos-
nise proxies and as denying that delegated
p power could be again delegated.
8 Mr.. George W. Jones, of Norfolk coun-
ty, stated that he favored the principle Of
the resolution, but thought that. on the
eve of contest SO radical change
should no, be adopted at this meeting
He urged the postponement OF the matter
4 until the question for which the commit
tee was called together might be decided.
MIR. ELLYsON's RULING.
ia Chairman Ellyson stated In reply to an
inquiry that ii was his ruling that the
proxies present should not be allowed to
participate in the vote on the question OF
X their own eligibility 10 sit. This ruling,
& may be remarked. Is precisely the same
made by Hon. S. L. Kelley in recent
meeting Of the State Committee over
which he presided. and against which
several members protested at that time.
Mr. Jones, Of Norfolk county, urged
that no action be taken Oh the proxy
question at this time.
Mr. Barksdale interrupted the speaker
for a question, and was interpoating
speech when reminded of that fact.
Judge E. D. Newman, Of Shenandoah
argued against the exclusion of proxies.
4 aeciaring that there was time-honored
Fl precedent therefor By all the party au-
,horities and By the committee itself.
He admitted that he held one c. more
proxics himself
Colonel Grenville Gaines. of Warrenton,
rpoke briefly on the question, faforing the
exclusion OF proxies.
Mr.. Whitehead answered the argument
Of Judge Newman as to precedent for
thu use of proxies and their recognition,
and referred 20 the Nelson county case
IN the last state convention, when SEN
ator Bland Mass1e had been denied a
seat In the convention on PROXY given
him BY delegate from his tNelson)
county.
THE MOTION ADOPTED.
The question was then put on the cWhte-
head resolution, refusing proxies the right
TO participate In the meeting and was
declared adopted, 2s to ., as follows:
Ayes-Messrs, Smith, Jones, AilWorth,
Wallace Cogb.n, Winston, Clarke, Wat
kins. Gillian, Fowlkes, Eggleston, Hum-
phreys, Barksdale, Craddock. Gaines
Boothe, st. Clair, Button, Whitehead
Echols, James, Burch and Helms-23
oas-Nlessrs. Janncy, Lynch, Clarke,
E Jones, Curtis, Easlcy, HARDWOOD, ration
and Newman-9.
Mr.. Barksdale moved that hereafter
twenty members constitute quorum OF
the committee. a suggestion he thought
4 advisable, inasmuch as proxy particl-
patton had been ruled out. subsequently,
however, he withdrew the notion
With this preliminary imposed OF anu
the committee constituted only of the
nctual members then and there present.
the chairman had the call for the meet
Ing read, 1t being to consider and act upon
the petition of certain Norfolk city DEM
ocrats, asking that they be recognized as
the regular nominees for city committees
mon, and that the tally sheets used In
the primary Of October 18th for the Sc
lection of such committeeman be produced
In order that they might have an opportu-
pity to examine them and ascertain
whether or not the vote was recorded as
expressed in the primary
PLEDGES DEMANDED.
Mr. Gillian. Of Petersburg, referred to
the patient hearing given In the Henrlco
case recently atfd the subsequent refusal
OF the parties to the contest to abide the
decision, reached unanimously by the
committee. The committee has come
here at great expense. sat until
after midnight, and all this to
do a vain thing He was not here
nc said, to do that again lie then de-
nanded that the representatives of the
contend!ng parties say beforehand wheth-
er or not they would submit TO the COM
nittee's decision. and asked that such
pledge be made a condition precedent 10
going into the case on its merits He
then embodied the suggestion in a motion
demanding that the principals or Their
attorneys for them state then and there
whether or not they would abide the
committees decision In good faith.
Mr.. Joseph r. Lawlcss. of counsel for
the Trehy faction, the petitioners In the
case, stated that it went without saying
that he and his principals would bow sub
rnissively to the decision of this commit
rec. They were not The Kind OF Demo-
Gratis who. after submitting question
10 decision, refused to abide the decision,
Colonel George c. Cabell, Jr, Of coun-
rel for contestces, or respondents, stated
that he, while he recognized that the com
mittees action as to proxies was an over
turning OF long established precedent, he
was authorized to say that the parties he
represented will abide the decision Of the
duly constituted party authority.
AFTER TALLY SHEETS,
Mr. Lawless, OF counsel for the petit.
t!uners, referred TO the clause In the Pc
,ition asking the chairman to request the
production OF the tally sheets used IN the
election.
Chairman Ellyson stated that lie had
written two letters, naming the dates, 10
Mr.. Dey, requesting the production OF
the tally sheets,
=