Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-30
COUNTY OF NORFOLK
Fusion Of Interests Plan Of
Campaign.
HOW THING WORKS
CoLoRED VOTE NOT TAKEN INTO
CONSIDERATION.
Larger Registration Of Negroes Than
in the City-Martin the
Leader.

Special Correspondence From Staf Correspondent.
NORFOLK, Va, October 2S-When the
political conditions that exist today In Nor
folk county are considered 1t is seen how
impossible 1t Is to form any idea of what
would be the relative strength of the DEM
ocrats and republicans were the parties
divided on issues involving anything moro
than personal interests. Norfolk county,
politically, has no connection with either
Norfolk or Portsmouth. The county has a
popula ton of $4,000, of which 1900 are
white and 81 600 are colored There are to-
day 1,400 registered colored voters in the
county who are supposed to have the nee
essary qualifications for voting, but no such
vote will be cast
This is an unusually large number of col
ored voters with qualifications for voting IN
a single county under the new constitution,
and 1t Is the result of the fact that the col
ored voters have been urged by their lead
ers to register. In this respect the condi-
ton is contrary to that of the city Of Nor
folk, where the colored people were not
only not encouraged to register, but were
actually discouraged as far as 1t was with
in the power of their leaders to do SO.
The highest estimate of colored voters that
have been registered in the entire state Is
given by democrats at 25,0OO, and they say
that the figures when accurately made up
VIII not De very much DeiOW That. L nc ldCC
that Norfolk, county republican leaders
have urged colored voters to register SO
generally might lead an outsider to believe
that there Is to be an effort in that county
to pile up large republican vote for some
body. But while there may be a consider
able vote for the state ticket. there will
be no contest on any other Office, and the
close relations maintained between the
democrats and republicans in the county
seems to be a satisfactory guarantee that
the republican vote will not hurt any one.
The democrats and republicans of Norfolk
county formed a habit of fusing when Gen.
Malone was a dominant factor in the re-
publican party of the state. There were
frequent fusings on hisproposition for fund
ing the state debt. It was the first time
they had ever been able to fraterniZe, but
after it happened once they kept the habit
1t was worth while for both sides to fuse
because a considerable body of white re-
publicans had an organization that could
be made formidable and yet it was a hard
thing for this organization to control the
county. The republican leader of the
county is Alvah H. Martin. who Is another
Richard Croker in his complete control of
his organization. He Is more than Croker,
because he Is frequently regarded as domi-
mating the county regardless of party affilia-
ton. A man of attractive person, suave
and constantly making a friend of every
man with whom he comes in contact, with
family connections that add to his friend
ships, he Is generally regarded as pretty
nearly a universal director of political at
fairs In the county.
Clerk Of the County.
Besides being interested in many business
enterprises he Is county clerk. which is
reputed to be the most lucrative position
within the county. That place he keeps for
himself. Other places go to his friends. and
be they republican or democratic Alvah
Martins friendship is regarded as quite es-
sential for success. The fusion that was
brought about prior to the pending cam
paign was of a queer variety. The demo-
Gratis and republicans under the influence
Of Martin had come together In the joint
party traces, all pulling the same way,
for such long time that it was pretty hard
to discriminate between them. They went
into the democratic primaries together, and
when 1t was all over 1t was discovered
that half of the places the ticket had
gone to Martins friends who would ordi-
narily be regarded as democrats. and the
other half had gone to his friends who
were looked upon as republicans. It was
called fusion, but they all got on the demo-
cratic ticket by the operation of a demo-
cratic caucus.
Mr.. Martin is regarded as a practical poll
tician without any sentimental nonsense
about him He Is too broad for any one
party and he gets there" right along. 1t
Is said that he doesn't want republican
members Of the legislature If he could get
them for the asking, because they would
merely be members of minority, and he
would rather have hand in electing demo-
cratic members who will be of majority
and his friends at the same time In the
fixing up Of the democratic ticket Martins
brother-in-law was made the candidate for
county clerk. Beside this regular demo-
cratic ticket there Is only one other condi-
date and that Is Martin himself. who is
running as an Independent against his
brother-in-law. who Is the regular nominee
Any one who Is inclined to bet on the cleo
ton in Norfolk county can put up all the
money he has against Martins election, and
get odds of hundred to one. 30 sure is
every one that the Independent candidate
will defeat the regular democratic nominee
his brother-in-law.
Received With Approval.
This program of fusion has received the
approval OF the democratic state commit
tee. which will support all the candidates
as their own. except that the independent,
Martin. will win out against them While
this program was put through with a
whoop. there are some democrats who re-
belled against It: They are called the
ocratic state committee. and Complained
that many OF the democrats put on the
democratic ticket for them to vote for are
republicans, and declaIe ed that Mr.. Mar
be beaten by Martin. They wanted a new
deal and some discrimination between
democrats who are democrats and demo-
Gratis who are republicans. The chairman
OF the state democratic committee received
the petition. but found that It was irnpos-
sible to get a meeting Of the committee to
take the matter up. The "straightouts,"
being loyal democrats. have decided that
while they do not like the manner in
which the affairs Of the county have been
conducted, they will abide by the decision
of the committee and be regular.
Any one who studies the. vote of this
comfy fr0nn the fa
the political differences Of the voters are
will have difficult task. It is Just such
conditions as this that cause many demo-
Gratis and republicans In this state to de-.
clare that were some overwhelming issue
brought up to clearly define party lines in
the state It would not be possible to tell
until the vote was counted how the state
stands But when there are no issues, ana
only personal interests come up to indi-
cate the line OF demarkation between the
parties, 1t Is impossible to do more than
roughly estimate the relative strength Of
each. 1t Is declared that such fusion as
has gone on In this county for many years
has done much to break down party lines.
he roA nate fv.nl.