Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-05-16
NEWPORT NEWS. VA. SUNDAY. MAY Is. 1909.
CONVENTION PROPOSITION
DIED QUICK DEATH
Author of Resoluticn Allowed to
Speak But He Failed to Convert
And Committeeman.

RICHMOND. VA. May 15.-Quick
was the death met last night at the
session of the State Democratic com
mittee BY q resolution looking 10 the
holding OF party convention for the
purpose of framing a platform bear
ing on issues IN the present campaign.
! The illaated. or rather foredoomed.
thing was offered by Irving p. White
head, of Amherst. bur To use his own
language, he was "chOked OFF, from
advocating his proposition AT any
length.
Only by dint of much pleading
could he get n hearing az all. FIRST.
It was proposed to give him bare
two minutes to say his say: then.
when he murmured at this nisgardly
spirit, Mr.. Mcintyre deprecatingly
said: We'll. then, we will give him
five minutes"
In this limited space of time. with
The addition of another five minutes
which the chair allowed the member
to purloin, Mr.. Whitehead said vast
deal.
The Amherst's members resolution
provided that convention OF the
Democratic party be and the same is
hereby called 10 meet on the
day of -------for the purpose Of
formulating a platform and for other
business that may appropriately come
before the convention"
So prompt were the expressions of
disapproval that Mr.. Whitehead could
see at the outset that he stood no
show. MIR. McIntyre immediately al
ter the reading of the resolution,
moved to lay il on the table.
This proposition, which cut of de
bate. left the Amherst member mIz-
zled. But he wouldn't stay muzzled.
He at least begged the privilege OF
speaking five minutes and concluded
his appeal with these words:
But If you want TO choke me or.
why you can do it,
Then came the concession or FIVE
minutes allowed the speaker Truly
il was astonishing TO note how mucn
Mr.. Whitehead did image to say in
the time allowed him.
This question Wandered he. as
one that we cannot issere at this
time. don't say YOU ought to have
the convention before the primary. |
live in a good Democratic county.
which has never been anything but
Democratic since the war. ! know
the feeling of the people Of Lynch
burg and in my county and in Camp
bell and in Nelson.
The great question with the peo-
pie today in my county is Where do
We stand and what de we stand for?
Now this committee cannot afford to
disregard this matter Every news
paper in this State has declared in
favor of the convention. and said that
the Democratic party should put IL
self on record. From one end of the
State TO another, newspapers have
said that the Democratic party should
stand for something"
Here Mr.. Whitehead showed big
string of newspaper clippings which
he dramatically cast into the air
They came down like big snowiiakes
and got a frost at the hands of the
committee.
1T is time this committee should
be doing something" continued Mr..
Whitehead
What is your suggestion?' sarcas-
tically queried somebody.
81 am a Democrat. and I want 10
know what the Democratic party in
Virginia stands for" re;crted Mr..
Whitehead. What is Democrat? II
is a very pertinent question"
To late. too late-that is the cry
tina, has been going up. though these
publications have been printed since
April 18th. II is never too late 10
do what is tight and proper for the
Democratic party. believe 1t IS
the best thing for the Democrats to
do. do not care whether or not
it hurts che men that I am going to
vote for. / believe we are facing a
crisis. and | think something olght
to be done"
Stirring. indeed. was the speech and
forcible were the arguments Of VI
speaker. But they were neither stir
ring nor focible enough. The resolu-
ton was Overwhelmingly defeated.
So ponderous was the majority
against Il that no recorded vote was
taken.