Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-04
West Virginia Democrats De-
cline to Draw Color Line.
A SPIRITED DEBATE
VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDI.
DATES FRIENDS IN OPPOSITION.
The Conditions in Certain Close States
Considered-Some Nomi-
mating Speeches.
Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.


PARKERSBURG. w. Va. August 4.-The
democratic state convention reconvened this
morning at 1890 o'clock. half an hour late.
To avoid the embarrassment attending the
opening prayer yesterday. when the minis
ter was asked to speak louder" Temporary
Chairman Jno. T. McGraw made the dele
gates stand at attention during the devo-
tional exercises.
Mr.. McGraw next scored the delegates for
passing out their badges to friends beyond
the Enclosure. SO as to give seats to their
friends. This had caused overcrowding
The report OF the committee on rules and
order of business was adopted without de-
bate 1t was the effort last night of the
Thompson boomers to amend the order OF
business that caused adjournment before the
report could be adopted. Robert F. Kidd Of
Gilmer. member of the state senate. was
named as permanent chairman; W. E. R.
Byrne of kanawha county, secretary; VIII
H. Stricken of Richie. assistant secretary.
Chairman Kidd. In his address upon taxi
ing the chair. urged good order. as his voice
was not strong. He arraigned the republi-
can legislature and Senator Elkins Sena-
tor Kidd is one of the humorists of the leg,
islature and was in his element in recall
Ing four years ago when. he said. he was
contested out of his seat to give N B.
Scott needed vote for the United States
Senate. seat. he said. John T. McGraw
should have had
Senator Kidd went into details in discus
sion of some Of the tax bills before the
legislature, and claimed the measures sug
geSted by the committee Of republicans
would increase the taxes of the farmers.
He did some rapid juggling with figures
and repeated the insinuation made by him
a week ago that the republican subcommit
tee that drafted the bills-A. G. Dayton. W.
+. Hubbard. Reese Blizzard and Geo. G.
Sturgiss-represented corporation clients.
Defends His Colleagues.
Chairman Kidd defended the democratic
Legislators for voting against the constitu-
tional amendment providing for abolishing
the state land tax. He said a republican
member was Disguised with the bills, but
was informed by Senator Elkns that the
bills should be rushed through and that
they could be fixed up If they were not
all right at the regular session in January.
When Kidd touched on the white peo-
pies" party and declared Dawson got the
republican governorship nomination through
negro reporters and primaries. he stirred
the convention. He closed with the re-
mark that the democrats would not make
false promises about tax reform and then
go down on their knees to the corporations.
While waiting on the resolutions the band
played Dixie, which has been the con-
vention tune. An old gray bearded dele
gate in the Putnam delegation added to the
army coat on the county's standard Then
cheer went up as C. Wood Daley and
Gen. ]. w. ST. Clair of the committee on
resolutions arrived.
The platform was read by Committee
Chairman Daley.
Compromise Plank.
The planks on registration and capitatio
tax were enlarged on as a compromise So
luton for the ant-negro agitation.
Where's the white mans plank" yelled
a delegate.
Mr.. Daley said the committee agreed
unanimously except on one plank, and he
read a statement from John w. Davis, who
objected to committing the party to call
for a constitutional convention, and criti-
cised the failure to recommend a tax
COAL oil and gas. There was a motion to
wha offered the white mans" amendment.
After the amendment was read the band
struck up Dixie
For White Supremacy.
The Byrne amendment was as follows:
I'VE believe that the destines of West
Virginia should and must be shaped and
controlled by the white people of the state.
and while we disclaim any purpose of do
Ing injustice to the negro population yet we
announce without reserve our fixed purpose
to preserve in every conservative and con-
stitutional way the social and political su-
preinacy of the white race. believing that
by the frank avowal and contamination of
such purpose alone can racial contention
and conflicts be permanently avoided
In support Of his amendment Byrne, who
is prominent editor from Charleston made
a warm address. His speech was a thriller.
He declared that Mississippi. Virginia,
Maryland and the two CarolinaS had made
a noble lead in the matter of eliminating the
colored vote. When he disclaimed any pretu-
he ed
tured salies from the delegates. One dele
gate termed the negro the pet of the ma
ton" Byrne said West Virginia was
threatened by negro invasion at the cleo
lions when the republicans required it, and
he argued for disfranchisement. and said If
he was governor of West Virginia he would
station armed men on the borders of the
southern and eastern counties to prevent the
negroes from coming into the state. He
talked of the negro in elections in kanawha
which elected cries Of Harrison county"
Byrne warned his hearers of grave dan
ger to Anglo-Saxon supremacy in West
Virginia.
The Other Side
C. Wood Daley of Elkins. the legal ad-
wiser of Henry G. Davis. spoke for the ma
jority report. which omitted the negro
plank. He instanced the danger of embar-
RAISING the candidate for the vice presi-
dency If his state should uphold ideas not
popular in the northern states.
Let 1t be remembered that IN Indiana.
New Jersey and Connecticut, which we hope
to carry. the children of white men go to
school with the darby"
Kisses followed the remark. Daley point
ed out that West Virginia democrats should
not take radical ground at this time, and
said they should first get In power In this
state. when 1t would be possible to do what
had been done in Mississippi.
Mr.. Daley Discriminate.
Daley declared the great trouble was the
colonization and repeating OF illegal negro
votes, which could be overcome by the pro-
posed registration law. He said there were
republicans DESTROYS Of being relieved Of
this Illegal vote. but who would strenuous
ly oppose Acknowledgement of the decent
negro. 1t Is a poor plan. he said, to pro-
claim such course while the party is in
the minority, and in the name of peace
harmony and success he pleaded against
making platform in the convention. men,