Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-04-11
ANOTHER CONVENTION?
.HsgPunlIGd Republicans In Virginia
In Favor Of Holding One.
They WANT A RIVAL DELEGATION
1t is Claimed They Arc Planning to
Have contcstlna Representatives a,
chloauo-Fiaht is Against Power OF
Federal officeholders.

| WASHINGTON, ID. c., April 49,
mere Is serious talk of another Re
publican convention in Virginia TO SO.
iect delegates at large to Chicago ant
transact other business which tn,
convention that adjourned ut Lynch
| lurg Saturday night, though had been
acted on finally. This second conven-
ton may be. termed the anti Federal
oiiiceholdcrs' convention, and will be
held as protest against the alleged
domination of Wednesdays conven-
| ton by men In Virginia who hult
places under the administration.
a delegate to the Lynchburg con
ventlon declares that this second con-
vention will be held. going so far n,
| TO offer to bet n large amount that
the observation-disclosures will send con-
testing delegation to Chicago.
or course, It is impossible to assert
positively that the call for such Il
convention will be issued, Lmt 1t Il
well known fact that many of the
delegates fee. that the Federal Office
| holders took too prominent part In
tho deliberations and other work oil
| tho convention.
While no Federal ofTiceholdcr. with
the single exception of S. Brown AL
len. was honored by election to any
position within the gift OF tho con.
vention, II was very patent that the
helm was In the hands OF tho Office.
holders and that those who were Sc
iectcd for positions of honor, as we'll
as n platform adopted by the con-
lvcntion. were selected In the one case
and dictated to in the other by the
men holding positions under the
Washington administration.
Chairman Slemp. easily the most
popular man who attended the con-
vention, discharged the duties which
devolved upon state chairman at n
Estate convention. His course was not
|criiicized. But the convention did not
manifest any sentiment quite so
strong as that of interest and even
violent opposition to Federal office
holders undertaking to run the con-
lvention." to use the term employed
by so many speakers. MANY of the
epithets applied to the district attor-
news ard internal revenue collectors
and postmasters and marshals and
deputy marshals, many OF whom were
on the stage. were entirely unprlnta-
bic
Had the sentiment for Secretary
Taft been one-half as strong as that
which was manifested in opposition
to the domination of Federal Office
holders. the friends OF the war sec
rotary could undoubtedly have felt
much more elated at the outcome OF
the convention.
Opposed TO "Officialsm."
1t was this bitter opposition to "of.
liciallsm" which made several OBJ
servers believe that there might yet
be manifestation In Virginia of OPP
position TO the seating of the Taft
delegation TO Chicago, and the selec-
ton TO Chicago. and the selection of
a set of anti-Taft delegates from Vir-
ginia.
Anti-Negro Sentiment.
II Is believed that tho management
of tho Republican party Is more fear
full OF evil results following the anti
negro sentiment displayed by the con-
vention than of anything which may
come from the alleged domination of
the convention by ofIiceholders. II
has been emi-officially stated by the
Republican national committee that
the deliberate exclusion of the blacl,
man from participation in conventions
to select delegates to Chicago would
be regarded as sufficient ground for
unseatlng delegates for such conven-
tions. If the antl-Taft forces do real
ly control the national committee. and
liz 1t Shall be developed at Chicago
that the nomination OF an anti-Tafi
candidate may be secured by throw
ling out any considerable number oil
delegates II is hardly to be doubted
that the committee would throw them
out. That would be politics. and II is
Just such politics as the Virginia Taft
| Republlcans fear will be PLAYED.