The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-04-02

Will gather Tonight for the last
meetings OF the campaign. There
will be two meetings held simu1-
fnncously, one In Leader Inli nn,
the other Ia the Courthouse. They
will be addressed by some of the
most prominent speakers of this
city aud Manchester.
Nothing since the question became
such live one has caused as much
demonstration in tho consolidation
camp as the appearance last night of
Mayor III. A. Maurice at meeting OF
the Business Mems Club of Manchester
and Chesterfield, which has become
synonymous with the cause of annex
alton. Escorted by c. C. Jones and j.
w. Moore, two OF the most ardent con-
solidattonists, he entered the hall and
was forced to mako a speech which
brought out much applause. Consist
ent with His former statements, the
Mayor would not absolutely commit
himself, though it was plain that he
had made up his mind to go for con-
solidation at the polls. It was also
noted with great satisfaction that this
was the first meeting attended by
Mayor Maurice since he signed the or
dlHdlSc SlNS lIle ISnl 10 AldIlCuCS-
ter.
Greeted by Cheers.
Three cheers greeted him as he rose
to make his speech. II recognize one
fact" he said, chat the city of Man
chester belongs to no one man faction
or set of people. but to the body polite,
of which l am the head. / am proud
of my position, because you have hon
ored me with the Office for seventeen
years-longer than any other Mayor
in the State of Virginia, so far as my
recollection goes.
III L must surrender the Office on
April is will give it back to you with
the same clean hands as when it was
first rendered to me. the gift of the
people OF this city. / have not thrown
one straw in the way of annexation.
could have held the ordinance in my
hands for five days, instead of signing
it on the day after 1t passed the Board
of Aldermen, but would not, because
the election could not then have been
held April d. The matter is now in
your hands. If you say it is better to
go into Richmond. /, as your Mayor.
will bow my head and say: We'll dore,
good and faithful servants
AZ love Manchester as we'll as any
man who ever trod its streets, but
love progress better. If the citizens
think it best. then all will be we'll"
Final Rally Night.
Tonight will see the last of the
most historic campaign since Manches.
ter was incorporated. OF course, there
will be the work around the polls or
Monday, but the last spellbinder TO,
either side will be silenced before the
r-,fi of1
are being made and will not be com.
pleted before noon to-day. Besides ar
extra number of speakers, to be di
vided impartially between those who
elect to go to the courthouse or Leader
Hail. the Richmond Light Infantry
Blues Band, eighteen pieces, has beer
secured for the final blowout.
lust before o'clock the band will
line up at the fountain, where tn
Petersburg line comes in, and will be
gin it's march toward the East End
With the procession following. it viii
go as. far as Fifth Street and thel
return to the corner of Tenth Street
whore the crowd will be divided TO
the speeches. A feature of the cele
bration will be the singing of tn
consolidation ODE to the tune of tn
| sBonny Blue Flag" composed yester
| day by poetic member OF the Con
| solidation Club. One thousand copie
Will be printed and distributed amon
! the crowd. Richmond speakers VIII
| will appear before one meeting or tn
other are President H. w. Wood, Q
| the Chamber of Commences; William ]
Dabney, Of the Chamber OF Commerce
and Colonel John S. HARDWOOD.
Speeches before the Business Men
| Association last night were for tn
| IN, a, CirCull
| issued by the -ConsoIidatio1
| League asking all voters to rally i
| defense OF their homes and attend tn
| meeting addressed last night by for
mer City Attorney Page, attention t
| which was first called by ]. p. hamp
| son, secretary of the club, who con
sidered it IAN insult to every citize
| of Manchester"
Emancipation Day.
| Augustine Royal thought 1T good !
| text, and said that he believed ever
| one favoring consolidation was !
reality working in defense of his home
He said that for years Manchester ha
been run by "self-acting automati
political machine and that now wa
| tho time to cast off the yoke whic
had been worn for SO long a time. II
! asked them, In the face OF apparer
| victory, not to cease working, but I
strive to make the victory so larG
that "the little man learned IN tn
law" would not even try to break
down. Touching on inslnuations mad
by the other side that Attorney r.
Davis, of Petersburg, had been blase
in his opinion by the fee paid him, NJ
Royal said that it was disgrac
even to the man who uttered IT, an
contemplate beyond mention.
IL had rather" he said. "become
part of Richmond without any terms {
all than to remain as we are now
He thought Monday should be given
speclal name, He and the audlent
accepted with alncrlty Mr.. Dunford
suggestion that 1t he hereafter know
as ManCheStcr's characterization Da'