Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1904-03-10
THURSDAY. MARCH 10, 1904.
WORK OF THE TRIUMVlRATE.

ga Petty Triumvirate" In that article
we warned the Republicans Of Virginia as
to the work that was being done by the
Bowden, Allen, Agnew combination 10
pack and control the State Convention
which met at Norfolk on the 3rd Inst.
Our warnings did not depict one.half that
the machine WAS doing, as the results at
the State Convention proved. There new
er was any political gathering more bra
zenly dominated by machine methods
thln was the Norfolk meeting. Mr.. Ag-
new Was a plastic figure in tie bands Of
Allen and Bowden, and at every stage Of
the convention proceedings the shadOwy
hand of the political Mepbislopheles Of
the Valley and the trail of the S4rpent Of
the Seashore could be discerned. Seem
ingly thtre was to he another creation of
one-man-power IN Virginia politics, that
power to be lodged in Mr.. Agnew. He
WAS made both temporary and permanent
chairman-of the Convention, was re eject
ed State chairman Of the party and was
elected delegate at large to the National
convention. This looked like autocratic
rule or one-man-power, but Aguew is
merely man of straw, with Bowden and
Allen standing as the power behind the
throne.
The convention at Norfolk was stormy,
made so by the righteous indignation Of
those delegates who felt outraged by the
defiance and dishonesty of the organiza.
ton. They hurled unmeasured contempt
at the trio of conspirators that have been
degrading and crushing the party for their
own personal gain.
1t was pitiful to see a man like Mr.. Ag-
new, who has stood so high as q gentle.
man, subjected to the humiliation that APP
parently bore so heavily upon himWe were
astonshed that be would consent To put
himself up as target for the whitening
criticisms that were made so repeatedly on
abe floor of the convention against the or
ganization. We were also surprised that
he would consent 10 be the head of an or.
ganization that is so cordially despised
aud justly held in contempt by q large
majority of the Republicans of the State.
Such strange conduct on his part can only
be accounted for upon the theory that be
has permitted his lust for place and power
10 outgrow bis sense of propriety.
The convention Was packed by and
through the Influence of those who have
received Federal offices under the d:speu.
sation of Bowden, Allen and Agnew. We
have the list of tue delegates and lter-
mates from one county of the Fifth District
that stood solid for the organization, and
itserves to illustrate the pernicious activity
of The Office holders. The delegates from
that county we're composed of two post
masters, one a Presidential appointee, the
son of a postmaster, two substitute Il. F.
D. Carriers, one deputy Internal Revenue
Collector Of MIR. Agnew, one census emu
merator and one U. S. Gauger and Store
keeper. The alter2ates were one substitute
r. F. D. Carrier, one Stamp Deputy of
MIR. Agnew, one U. s. Gauger and Store
keeper and one licensed U. s. DistIlier.
We also have in our possession a copy
of private circular sent out by deputy
of Mr.. Agnew, that deputy being chair
man of the Republican party in Faueuier
county. The circular is addressed to
Organization Republicans and discloses
the purpose of Mr.. Agnew to pack the
convention in his interest.
The delegates who were for reorganiza'
ton of the party represented a large ma
jority of the Republican voters in the
State as the party is now constituted. The
Bowden, Allen, Agnew machine availed
itself of the advantage of havingrepresen-
tation in the convention upon the vote
cast in Virginia for Mckinley in 1900. If
the representation had been based upon
the vote at the Congressional election in
1902 or the vote at the Legislative cleo
tion last year, the Ninth Congressional
District would have been entitled 10 near
" twice as many delegates as the Con-
oresional districts of Bowden, Allen and
Aonew combined could have claimed.
A test of the spirit and purpose of the
machine was made by the supporters of
when the convention was
called to order by placing Hon. L. L.
Lewis before the body as their. candidate {
for temporary chairman. The programme
of the machine was to place that honor
along with many others on Mr.. Agnew,
and the programme was stnbbOrnly car :
RED out. From that point everything was
out by the machine according to t
plans, except that part of c
the plan where an effort was made to tie
the bands and win the confidence Of the +