The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-03-30

|
will close Saturday night with two
big meetings, one to be held III |
| Lender Hall ard the other In the !
| Courthouse.
With the election but five days off,
I; the annexation fight in Manchester
assumes proportions not dreamed of
/ when the question was first agitated.
] The faction opposing consolidation has
repeatedly thrown down the gauntlet
| by making personal references. and
| while the other side has refrained from
| retaliating by lighting the devil With
| fire. 1t now seems that some reply
| to the many accusations must be made
during the last days Of the campaign.
, Former City Attorney Page and new
| champion named Eggleston are hold
| ing meetings every night, in which
| speeches of the most vehement KIND
are being made. While confident that
| they will win by majority of nearly
| two to one, the consoidstionists are
| beginning to resent the insinuations,
| and may before the week is out call
upon their opponents to show their
| hands and make good certain state
ments made In various meetings
Two Speak Against 1t.
| SO far as scheduled meetings went,
last night was "anti" night. Mr.. Egg
| gleston spoke in ANderson's Hall, while
| his coworker, Mr.. Page, addressed the
| colored people. Mr.. Eggleston reter-
| ated the statements in regard to GER
| tain remarks alleged to have been
made by II. c. Beattie, and said that
| he was in position to make an afii-
davit with responsible witnesses, III
spite of the fact that Mr.. Beattie in
j a letter published to-day declared en-
| hnt hat
thermore. Mr.. Eggleston went into a
long and bitter denunclatton of the
| papers of Richmond, saying that they
had misrepresented the facts and were
biased in their reports of meetings.
His audience consisted of barely sixty
men. some of whom We're against con-
solidation and others on the fence
MIR. Pages speech to the colored peo-
pie was about the same as before.
/, While this was going on one of the
most prominent colored leaders IN the
city came to the annexation head.
, quarters with the tidings that he hac
carefully canvassed the vote, and that
it would be almost solid for union He
stated that he knew OF not single
voter among his people who had de-
cided to vote against the proposition
and stated that the noncommttal
ones could be counted on his fingers
the annexationists to hold a meeting
OF any kind last night until late In the
afternoon 1t was noised abroad that
City Sergeant j. G. Saunders and City
Collector j. 2. Robinson, both powers
IN the politics Of Manchester, had an
nouuced that they had decided 20 vote
) for and support annexation.
The news was first made known q,
headquarters to the great satisfaction
of the few who We're present. BS
way of celebration, they went into tbs
street and We're soon surrounded by q
crowd which. increasing every minute
began to march to the Saunders home
Mr.. Saunders came OUT and in q brief
speech verified the news and joined
the crowd. which then went to the
residence of Mr.. Robinson. where the
! same thing happened again. BY this
; time the procession numbered about
100 men and drew up before the home
of Mayor Maurice.
, When asked to declare himself, the
Mayor said that he had taken a ne,,-
trail position from the start and in
tended to maintain it to the end.
Il assure YOU he said that
have not thrown straw in your way
regarding annexation, but shall leave
the matter entirely in the hands OF
!, the qualified voters. ] shall not take
sides with either party, and wish both
sides success
After a short caucus on the street
corner, the jubilant crowd decided &c
have an impromptu meeting, and sent
for Chairman Nichols to preside while
they--more than $50 stronG-tled into
hall at Eleventh and Hull Streets.
AS MIR. Nichols took the chair
. | n prbi MGR
called upon to reiterate the state
ments made a few minutes before fol
the benefit OF the few who had not
heard them from their porches. Witt
cheers ringing in their ears. they
pledged both their votes and support
Defends Action OF Club.
OF the several short speeches. tina
of Mr. Nichols was the most impor
tant because he Went at once int
the defense of the action of the clul
\ in asking Attorney r. B. Davis, o
\ Petersburg, to render an opinion OF
4 the legality OF the ordinance, wh.cl
had been challenged by Mr., Page II
\ all due respect to Mr.. Page, lie said
i 1t was manifestlS the proper thing t.
do, as members OF the bars of eithe
Richmond or Manchester might be &C
cused of being biased, being citizens
and naturally Interested in the out
come OF the move, He asked the ques
ton that If Page loved Manchester
as he has stated he does in anti-con
solidation speeches why he resigned a
City Attorney when his city needle
him most
"He tells you" continued Mr.. Nichols
that tho ordinance Is not worth tn
paper it is written on. Why did he nc
make n protest before Judge Christia
when every one was given this OF
pormnity?'
Speaking of the tactics used by tt
other side. he said I'VE have neve
been guilty OF abusing people, "
n have never used such language {
was used last night; our methods HAY
I been, and Will continue TO be, diffei
\ emit" He also wondered how the
\ could be SO many defects In the ord
1 nance when a large part of it w
written by Mr.. Page himself
Delegate d. l., Toney said that
\ believed that the majority on electi'
day would be from ESQ to 500 9th
speakers We're Ben r. Owen, c.
Jones, l.. R,.rBrown, r, y. punford,
H. 49, - a ytr " re- sls