The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-09-27

II. Q. HUMPHREYS.
M. III. BARNES,
J. z. WEST,
Committee.
~ Minority Report.
40 the honorable Chairman ana Man.
oers OF the State Democratic COM.
The Undersigned a uenber
subcommittee appointed under
luton passed at the last meetinr -,
TINS body to Investigate tho ,rjr,r.
eiection held on the 2Sth dav or .Turn
.'ll' In Norfolk COUNTY and to furtb.-
investigate and report whether or NOT
there was a fusion between the Demo
cratic Organization and the Republi-
esn organization In said county.
whereby certain Republicans werc
elected to certain Offices in said cum
ny; In pursuance of said resolution. W..
met In the city OF Norfolk on r. a7d
day OF August, 1911, and heard tho
testimony. and, after c]onsidcrin- the
whole matter. I beg leave to submit.
the following report:
In this case the contestants will
be referred TO as "Straightouts, md
the contcstees as "Fuslonists."
Fusion.
The negro population Of norfolk
county greatly exceeds the white, and
tic dttOPIipu OF the present Com
stitution the county had 4 large r,a-
5ority OF negro votes, and prior In
1891 many OF the county Offices wore
filled by negroes. This condition hnI
become so intolerable 70 both white
Republicans and Democrats that In
order to rid the county OF negro rule
and insure white Supremacy. in 1891
the leaders OF tho Democratic party
and certain White Republicans entered
| Into on htar1a nv Frg.,
the Republicans nominated candidates
for the ohces Of county clerk. trca.-
nrer and commissioner OF revenue
Tor both districts, and the Democrats
nominated candidates for the omcLs
OF Commemorative attorney, shcriY,
members of the House OF D~eleEates
and various f.nor district onlces. The
candidates. OF this alliance. or fusion.
were elected at the subsequent gen
eral election. and Norfolk county was
rid Of negro office holders. Most II
not all OF the white people Of Nor
folk county approved Of this alliance
at the time Of It's formation. This
~as the beginning OF "~fusionisn n
Norfolk county, and tho
continued openly in force up to :f.n
time OF the adoption Of the present
Constitution.
Says Alliance Abandoned.
There IS testimony to the effect that
after the adoption OF the new Con-
stitutton the alliance was abandoned,
there being no longer any need for Il,
and 1t Is certainly true that n 1905
the Democrats put in the field g. full
ticket. and that the County Commit
tee adopted resolutions calling on all
Democrats of whatever faction to cup
port the Democratic candlJntns.
However, in the election OF 1901.
and notwithstanding the aforesaid
resolution. the old officers under the
fusion alliance were returned elected.
This result was trough about by tho
fact that both the Fusion Democrats
and the S~traightodt Democrats desert
ed and voted against their ticket. Dud-
ley. the Democratic candidate for
county clerk. and further the Demo-
cratic candidates for treasurer and
commissioned OF revenue ~ the election
OF 1903. failod to have ihe!r names
placed upon tho omeiHi ballot, rrhersb,
their Republican, opponents were elect.
cd without opposition In tl,lg ti.c.
ton there Ars; appeared that remark
able species Of omce-seekcr known ms
d straw candidate"
The faction OF the party termed Flu.
sionist deny the existence tf m. ain.
snce WITH Republicans at this time.
"hiie the evidence ls not sufficient 10
snow that snid alliance la ope,,,.. ...
coKnized by the Democratic County
committee, yet tho fact Tint ti,er. /.
an underntandiIss amehs the oe.pi.
mat certain Democrats hre To On ,ntd
the prinarieH and then bolt the tick ct
and vote Tor tho Republicans In Inc
general election, IL fully and ahtn.
DAINTY proven. That tho peopie have
sctca or this understanding in Tho