The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-05-13
T!mes-D!spatch Bureau.
0 Bolingbrook Street,
Phone 14S5.

Petersburg. May -.
AS mas been announce In The Times
Dispatch. the negro Republicans IF
the Fourth Congressional District VIII
inect in convention in this city on
Wednesday OF this week. the object
being To organize for the presidential
campaign and TO elect two delegates
10 the National Convention at Chicago
The regular, or Lily White" faction
OF the party met some weeks ago in
FarmvIl!e. and elected and instructed
delegates for Taft. The negroes, com
party in the district. were practically
Ignored by the Lily Whites" and Wig
orous protest has been made.
The negroes are claiming that the
Farmviile convention was irregular
and Its action therefore void. They
VIII mold district conventions to send
contest!ng delegates to Chicago and
state convention in Richmond TO
elect delegates at large. elect a state
chairman and national committeeman
and reorgan!zc the party. The sent
nent among the negroes Is said to
be for Roosevelt. and this sentiment.
1t Is reported. has been cncoura ged
by white Republicans who y favor
Roosevelt. and even by the Cdlonel's
MANAGERS. The State Convention is
therefore expected TO send a dclega-
tion instructed for Roosevelt 10 Chit
cago. and the contest VIII be one OF:
the many to be decided by the national
committee. There are those who be-
lieve that this boiling movement Will
not really amount to much. During
the pas, few years the negroes. out
side Of few leaders. have lost inter-
est in politics, have failed 10 register.
and comparatively few OF them can
vote. There are less than 100 qualified
negro voters IN Petersburg. and about
the same proportion hold throughout
the district.
Annual commencement
The exercises OF the twcnty-ninth
commencement Of the Virginia Normal
and Industrial Institute. colored. near
this city. began this afternoon with
The annual sermon before the students
In the institute chapel. preached by
the Rev. York Jones, OF Charlotte. y.
G.. formerly OF Petersburg. The ad-
dress 10 tho Christian Associations
was delivered at night by the Rev.
W. 4. Ashburn. OF Franklin.
on Tuesday night there Will be a
meeting of the Alumni Association,
with an address by T. a. Spraggins,
a lawyer Of Jersey CITY.
Tho commencement exercises proper
Will be held Wednesday afternoon
for which an elaborate program has
been arranged, including addresses b.
visitors. There were forty graduates
OF the institution in January. and
there will be fifty more on Wednesday.
10 all OF whom diplomas VIII be pre-
scented by President Johnston.
The Virginia Normal and Industrial
Institute has sent out u total OF 1906
graduates into the world. and they are
scattered through nearly every State
In the Union. The institute keeps in
touch with most OF them, and the in
formation is that the great majority
of them are doing we'll and leading
honored lives. There is great demand
for graduates as teachers.
High school mt Mntonca.
AT a conference Saturday afternoon
between William G. owens. Division
superintendent OF schools. and mem
bers of the Matoaca improvement,
League. it was decided TO select as the
site for the new high school, prop
erty now owned by Howard James. 0
desirable location overlooking Ma
toaca. Mr.. James has kindly agreed
to donate four acres of this property
to the school board as a s'to for the
high school.
The building is 10 be modern
structure costing between $4,000 and